More than $6 million in grants awarded to ag researchers

AgMission, a global initiative co-founded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, Washington, D.C., and the World Farmers’ Organisation, Rome, Italy, has partnered with PepsiCo, Purchase, New York, to award three grants totaling $6.7 million to researchers in Australia, Mexico, and Canada. This investment aims to support evidence-based research on the effectiveness of climate-smart agriculture practices incorporating regenerative agriculture principles. 

The awarded projects are designed to generate data and insights into how climate-smart practices can be effectively implemented on farms. Limited data currently exists on integrating these practices, which are known to reduce carbon emissions and provide environmental benefits, according to a release from FFAR. The research will focus on developing, studying and expanding the climate-smart agriculture transition in specific crop sourcing regions. 

“To create a resilient food system, it’s critical to invest in innovative research that is relevant to the challenges farmers face, to support them in adapting to climate change and other stressors,” says Allison Thomson, FFAR scientific program director. “We are thrilled to partner with PepsiCo to fund research that has the potential to provide valuable data and information that farmers need to enhance their operations. This research has the potential to generate scalable solutions that can be applied to farms globally.” 

The and projects: 

• Charles Sturt University, Australia: Awarded $748,394 to examine climate-smart agriculture practices in cropping, enhancing the climate resilience of local grain producers. This research builds on the Cool Soil Initiative, with a total investment of $3,783,598, including matching funds from PepsiCo. The project will evaluate over 300 farms to understand how agricultural practices and locations influence soil health. 

• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico: Awarded $750,000 to accelerate the adoption of regenerative climate-smart agricultural practices in wheat and maize. With matching funds from PepsiCo, the total investment is $1,500,000. The research will focus on the Bajío region, assessing climate stressors and developing adaptive practices with farmers to address climate challenges. 

• South East Research Farm, Canada: Awarded $749,346 to develop innovative cover crop strategies for climate-smart agriculture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. With PepsiCo’s matching funds, the total investment is $1,498,693. The project aims to evaluate the impact of these practices on crop yield, soil health, and environmental services.