An industry collaboration, spearheaded by SAI Platform, has been launched in January 2025 to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of smallholder potato farmers in India through the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. This ambitious two-year project unites SAI Platform with The Rockefeller Foundation, PepsiCo, McCain Foods, 60 Decibels, and the International Potato Center (CIP). The initiative aims to pilot locally relevant regenerative agriculture methods specifically for potato cultivation in the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Smallholder farmers, particularly those cultivating potatoes, are vital to supply chains but often encounter substantial difficulties in implementing regenerative practices tailored to their local environments. These challenges are frequently intensified by financial constraints, limited resources, and increased vulnerability to the effects of climate change. This collaborative project directly tackles these obstacles by pooling the expertise and resources of its partners while working closely with participating potato farmers to co-develop practical solutions that harmonize ecological sustainability with the socio-economic well-being of these crucial producers.
The project has two primary objectives. Firstly, it seeks to identify and validate relevant regenerative agriculture practices that can be effectively integrated into smallholder supply chains for potato cultivation through collaboration with corporate partners like PepsiCo and McCain Foods. To achieve this, the initiative will establish and work with ‘lighthouse’ and demonstration farms within key potato-growing communities. These farms will serve as vital sites for testing and showcasing successful regenerative agriculture practices specifically for potatoes, providing tangible models for wider adoption through hands-on training and demonstrations by experienced farmers within and beyond their communities.
Secondly, the project aims to develop a scalable approach to monitor and support the resilience of smallholder livelihoods in the context of potato farming by identifying socio-economic indicators that capture the multi-dimensional impacts of adopting regenerative agriculture practices. The insights gained from the project will be used to validate and refine these indicators for broader application in similar contexts involving potato farmers and other crops.
Each partner contributes distinct and essential expertise to this collaborative effort. PepsiCo and McCain Foods are at the forefront of establishing the crucial lighthouse and demonstration farms, directly embedding regenerative agriculture practices within their potato supply chains. Margaret Henry, VP Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture at PepsiCo, emphasized the company’s dedication to supporting a positive future for farmers by aiding their adoption of sustainable agriculture practices, highlighting the importance of understanding their needs. PepsiCo aims to promote the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across millions of acres globally to address climate change, mitigate business risks, and conserve natural resources. \
McCain Foods, with over 25 years of operation in India, expressed their pride in participating in this significant project that synergistically combines research and business to advance the collective understanding of regenerative agriculture practices and their potential impact within a smallholder context, specifically for potato farmers. Yves Leclerc, Senior Director, Global Agronomy and Sustainability at McCain Foods, believes that the learnings from this alignment will be crucial in measuring the socio-economic impact of regenerative agriculture for smallholder potato farmers, ensuring the scaling of practical regenerative methods and the support of sustainable livelihoods.
The International Potato Center (CIP) provides critical technical expertise in selecting appropriate regenerative agriculture practices for potato cultivation and in designing and executing trials to rigorously validate their effectiveness. Jan Kreuze, Science Leader for Regenerative Agriculture at CIP, highlighted the potential for regenerative technologies to succeed with a viable implementation plan. He noted that when private sector partners like PepsiCo and McCain incentivise farmers to adopt practices like zero-till potato under rice mulch, the benefits and long-term sustainability of these practices become more likely, creating positive outcomes for farmers, consumers, and the environment.
Simultaneously, 60 Decibels, a social impact measurement firm, is leading the critical development and validation of a socio-economic indicators framework specifically related to potato farmers’ adoption of regenerative agriculture. The Rockefeller Foundation provides essential financial support to SAI Platform for the project and actively collaborates in furthering the project’s objectives for effective scaling.
SAI Platform plays the central role of coordinating all activities, ensuring their alignment with its comprehensive Regenerating Together Framework, which aims to inspire wider adoption of regenerative agriculture practices within the food and beverage industry while diligently monitoring and supporting potato farmer livelihoods. Bastian Mengel, Regenerative Agriculture Manager at SAI Platform, affirmed the organization’s commitment to a cross-sectoral approach, encompassing industry, academia, and farming communities, to ensure that regenerative agriculture can be effectively applied and scaled across diverse production systems, including potato farming. SAI Platform will actively disseminate key findings through webinars, workshops, and publications, fostering collaboration among its extensive network of over 200 member companies
