From Field to Brand: Whole-Farm Regenerative Models Built Around Real-World KPIs
Feb-26-2026
Reflections from Sustainable Foods Conference, featuring insights from PepsiCo, MARS and ADM.
At the Sustainable Foods Conference 2026, industry leaders converged around a clear message: regenerative agriculture is maturing, and the next wave of progress depends on whole-farm models built around measurable, brand-relevant KPIs. The conversations highlighted how supply chain companies are beginning to collaborate in unprecedented ways to scale regenerative outcomes across entire landscapes.
Whole-Farm Approaches Gain Momentum
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the growing shift from crop-specific interventions to whole-farm regenerative frameworks. Supply chain companies such as PepsiCo, MARS, and ADM increasingly recognise that sourcing a single crop from a rotation limits their ability to claim or quantify the full environmental benefits generated on farm.
This challenge is accelerating a new model: multi-buyer, whole-farm programs built on co-finance and co-claim, where several offtakers jointly support regenerative practices across all crops in the rotation. By aligning incentives, companies can invest more holistically, while farmers avoid fragmented or duplicative program requirements.
We’re already seeing this in action. In Poland, PepsiCo, ADM, and MARS are collaborating on a shared regenerative agriculture initiative that pools investment and harmonises expectations across the rotation. This approach simplifies how environmental outcomes are allocated and crucially, encourages farmers to adopt practices that benefit the entire system, not just the crop tied to a single buyer.
Tailored Regenerative Programs
ADM emphasised that the company is now designing regenerative agriculture programs that map directly to the KPIs of supply chain partners and their brands. These KPIs extend beyond carbon to include water stewardship, biodiversity enhancement, and soil health—reflecting the broader sustainability commitments of global food companies. As regenerative programs proliferate, farmers often face overlapping requirements from different buyers. Streamlined data collection and interoperable reporting frameworks are becoming essential.
The conference made clear that regenerative agriculture is evolving from isolated pilot projects to coordinated, landscape-scale initiatives. Whole-farm models offer a path to align incentives, simplify claims, and deliver environmental outcomes that reflect the complexity of real farms.
Scalable Soil Health Data
This shift underscores the importance of accurate, scalable data. Downforce Technologies delivers Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) data that is accurate, scalable and affordable - data for sustainable land management, resilient supply chains and cost-effective reporting. Our platform builds on traditional soil measurement methods by integrating ground-based data and satellite observations to measure annual SOC levels from 2017 to the present day. Specialising in high-resolution, scientifically robust measurement of natural capital, we deliver actionable insights on the impact of land management practices on soil health. As brands seek to link field-level improvements to corporate sustainability goals, the demand for robust, real-world KPIs will only grow. Regeneration is no longer just about practices—it’s about systems, collaboration, and measurable and traceable impact from field to brand.
Learn more about our approach for delivering SOC data: info@downforce.tech
Back To News
