Spudman May/June 2023 - 5

Enhancing soil health, improving
yield and building farm resilience
How McCain works to implement Regenerative practices across the globe
Continuing to enhance soil health,
build farm resilience and improve yield,
McCain provides technical and financial
assistance to their farming partners to
develop and implement Regenerative
agricultural practices. Battling climate
change and unprecedented events
has caused a shift toward smart and
sustainable farming practices as well as
the use of renewable energy.
McCain's Regenerative agriculture
framework supports best practices
based on six key principles:
1. Ensuring farm resilience
2. Armored soils, preferably with
living plants
3. Enhancing crop and ecosystem
diversity
4. Minimizing soil disturbance
5. Reducing agro-chemical impact
& optimize water use
6. Integrating organic and livestock
elements
McCain's framework measures
farmers' progress and guides them down
a more sustainable path and regenerative
model. According to McCain: " The
framework aims to set a minimum
credible standard for the industry while
allowing for regional flexibility through
a menu approach on which indicators
growers want to prioritize. Regenerative
Photo courtesy of Blake Matthews
agriculture is not " one-size-fits-all " ; it
is critically important to allow tailoring
for the significant differences across
farms and potato growing regions
around the world. "
Blake Matthews, farm manager
and partner at Matthews Land and
Cattle LLC in Oakley, Idaho, has used
Regenerative agriculture practices for
many years, working to improve plant
and soil health.
" By implementing (Regenerative
agriculture) we've been able to improve
our soil health and plant health, "
Matthews said. " We've become more
efficient, reducing input costs while
maintaining, or even increasing, our
yields and quality. "
According to Matthews, through
implementing Regenerative agriculture
with the help of McCain, his farm has
been able to cut down on the use of
insecticides and fungicides because the
plants are naturally healthier. Matthews
believes that Regenerative agriculture
techniques have the potential to impact
generations of farmers. Since his farm
started implementing these practices
early on Matthews can leave his family
with healthy, sustainable farmland.
" We're grateful to have gone down
the path of Regenerative agriculture
because we now feel we are a little bit
ahead of the game, Matthews said. "
McCain puts sustainability at the
heart of their operations - helping
strengthen food and agricultural
systems to create a better and healthier
future. With a food production network
of 51 facilities globally, McCain takes
the opportunity to tackle challenges,
innovate agriculture and drive positivity
for people, businesses and the planet.
To learn more about McCain visit www.mccain.com/sustainability/smart-sustainable-farming.
ADVERTISEMENT | © 2023 McCain Foods Limited
http://www.mccain.com/sustainability/smart-sustainable-farming
Spudman May/June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman May/June 2023
