By Jamie Martin
ADM has announced a strategic partnership with Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. to promote regenerative agriculture across important farming regions in the United States and Europe. The collaboration focuses on building a more sustainable supply chain for crops used in pet food production.
The program will engage farmers across 16,000 acres in Illinois and Minnesota, focusing on corn and soybean crops. Additionally, a pilot project in Hungary will include about 2,500 acres of soybean farmland starting in 2025. Hungary is a key sourcing location for ADM’s European operations.
The goal of the initiative is to improve key environmental factors such as soil health, water quality, and biodiversity while reducing soil erosion and lowering carbon intensity. These efforts will also support stronger farm performance in the long run.
Participating farmers will be encouraged to adopt regenerative farming techniques, including cover cropping, efficient fertilizer use, and companion planting. Financial incentives will be provided based on measurable results, helping farmers manage costs while improving environmental outcomes.
ADM will also provide guidance and resources through its network of partners. Farmers will benefit from education programs, field-level support, and tools to track performance and progress. This ensures transparent reporting of both economic and environmental results.
"Farmers are at the heart of our pet food system, and this partnership enables us to support regenerative agriculture while sourcing high-quality ingredients grown with care for the land," said Greg Morris, ADM senior vice president and president, Ag Services & Oilseeds.
"By joining forces with Hill's Pet Nutrition, we're helping meet a growing demand from conscientious pet parents for sustainably sourced ingredients while making a meaningful difference in their communities, from farm field to pet food bowl," said Morris.
According to ADM and Hill’s leaders, the partnership highlights the importance of farmers in creating a sustainable future. By supporting regenerative practices, the companies aim to meet growing consumer demand for responsibly sourced products while strengthening agricultural systems.
"At Hill's, our commitment to science-led nutrition starts long before a pet's meal is prepared -- it begins in the soil where our ingredients are grown," said Dave Baloga, executive vice president of Hill's Science & Technology.
"Because grains like corn and soy are foundational to our recipes, partnering with ADM to support regenerative farming is a natural extension of our purpose of reimagining a resilient future for all people, their pets and our planet. By investing in the health of the land, we are safeguarding the future of agriculture and the high-quality ingredients that pet parents trust us to provide for generations of pets to come," said Baloga.
Increasingly, consumers are showing a rising demand for responsibly sourced products, and this part of ADM’s response to that need.
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Categories: National