By Ana Mano and Roberto Samora
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The Brazilian unit of agricultural commodities trader Bunge said on Wednesday it is engaging local grain suppliers in its “regenerative agriculture program” with a view to accelerate the transition to low-carbon agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture generally involves protecting and restoring soil health, which in turn helps capture more carbon from the atmosphere to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In a statement, Bunge’s Brazilian unit said it would offer technical support and services to farmers in several states with the aim of promoting practices to minimize the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, the company may be able to strengthen its relationships with farmers in the South American country, helping to secure crucial grain supplies from one of the world’s biggest food producers.
The program is part of the Bunge’s broader initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture. The company committed to end deforestation and native vegetation conversion in its value chains in 2025, calling this an essential business practice that is critical to its climate action plans.
Bunge said the regenerative farming approach is designed to improve the retention and infiltration of water in the soil while making more efficient use of energy resources and lowering use of agricultural inputs.
“We know that many regenerative practices are already applied on the properties,” said Pamela Moreira, head of sustainability at Bunge in South America. “Our goal is to provide reliable and structured data so that the producer can assess the need to implement additional, corrective or reinforcing measures.”
Bunge’s program covers around 250,000 hectares of land in the states of Bahia, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Parana, Piaui and Tocantins, the statement said.
(Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Paul Simao)
