Unilever's five regenerative agriculture concepts aim to reduce climate impact of food

Unilever's five regenerative agriculture concepts aim to reduce the climate impact of food

Food production accounts for more than a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and is the leading cause of soil and species loss, as well as the No.1 user of water.

Thus, Knorr looks to grow food in ways that protect the planet and preserve precious resources. This means restoring and regenerating nature by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, putting nutrients back into the soil, reusing and recycling water, and increasing living species below and above ground. This will, in turn, improve livelihoods and help safeguard the future of food.

With the launch of 50 regenerative agriculture projects over the next five years, Unilever will put its Regenerative Agriculture Principles into practice by experimenting with new methods to grow and diversify food. Learnings and insights will be shared with others – growers, processors, and other peers – to help drive the transformation in a way food is grown for the benefit of people and the planet.

The projects are built on more than a decade of Knorr’s collaboration with farmers and suppliers, which has led to 95 per cent of its vegetables and herbs being sustainably sourced. It is estimated that, combined, they will lower Knorr’s key ingredients’ greenhouse gas emissions and water use by around 30 per cent while improving biodiversity, soil health, and livelihoods.

“We need to work with nature and ecosystems, not against them,” says Hanneke Faber, president of Foods and Refreshment at Knorr. “Earlier this year, we launched Unilever’s Regenerative Agriculture Principles to support the growing of food with a positive impact on nature. Now Knorr is putting the principles to the test, and shares learnings as we go along so that everyone can do the same.”

This initiative is a part of the Unilever Climate & Nature Fund and the wider commitment to help protect and regenerate 1.5 million hectares of land, forests, and oceans by 2030.