ADM says its regenerative programs reached 56,000 farmers and cut about 946,000 tonnes of CO₂e in 2025, on fewer acres than the year before

September 2026 — ADM said its regenerative agriculture programs engaged more than 56,000 farmers on about 4.6 million acres in 2025, and that they cut about 946,000 metric tons of CO₂e compared with regional benchmarks. Here's what happened, what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of Sept. 15, 2026)

Outcome (ADM claim): ~946,000 t CO₂e reductions vs regional benchmarks in 2025. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)
Scale: 56,000+ farmers, ~4.6 million acres, 11 countries, 10 crops. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)
Prior year: more than 5 million acres in 2024. (ADM, September 2025)
Cost: ADM doesn't disclose program spending or farmer payments.

What ADM reported

ADM released its fourth annual regenerative agriculture report on Sept. 15, 2026. It says its 2025 programs engaged more than 56,000 farmers across about 4.6 million acres, 11 countries and 10 crops. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)

Compared with regional benchmarks, ADM said the programs resulted in about 946,000 metric tons of CO₂e reductions. The release doesn't explain how the benchmarks are built. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)

"Resilience starts on the farm," said Greg Morris, ADM's SVP and president of Ag Services and Oilseeds. "For this progress to last, regenerative agriculture has to work on the farm and across the value chain." (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)

ADM said it added partnerships with PepsiCo and Mars, and with General Mills and Walmart. It said the report includes updates on programs in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific, plus farmer surveys and consumer research. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)

Morris said lasting progress means "listening to farmers, using data to understand outcomes and improve our programs, and working with customers and partners to build market demand that can help these practices endure and grow." ADM says its annual report has given a view of the program's approach, progress and results since 2023. (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)

A year earlier

In September 2025, ADM's third report said its program engaged more than 5 million acres in 2024. That beat its 2024 goal of 3.5 million and hit its 2025 goal a year early. (ADM, September 2025)

For 2024, ADM reported cutting its Scope 3 footprint by more than 1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, more than triple the 2023 reduction, and sequestering more than 363,000 metric tons of CO₂. (ADM, September 2025)

"Reaching our 2025 goal a year ahead of schedule is a milestone," Morris said then. He named The J.M. Smucker Co., Nestlé and PepsiCo among downstream partners. (ADM, September 2025)

Reading the numbers

By ADM's own figures, enrolled area fell from more than 5 million acres in 2024 to about 4.6 million in 2025. (ADM, September 2025, ADM, Sept. 15, 2026) The 2026 release doesn't mention the drop.

The emissions figures aren't comparable. The 2024 results are a Scope 3 reduction plus sequestration (ADM, September 2025); the 2025 result is a reduction against regional benchmarks (ADM, Sept. 15, 2026).

ADM says it offers farmers education, financial incentives and technical tools, and links them with technology providers, technical experts and end customers. "ADM has been connected to the land and the farmers who care for it for more than 120 years," Morris said in 2025. (ADM, September 2025)

What went wrong

Fewer acres. Enrolled area fell from more than 5 million acres to about 4.6 million, and neither release explains why. (ADM, September 2025, ADM, Sept. 15, 2026)
Shifting metrics. The emissions metric changed between reports, so the trend can't be checked from the releases.
No verifier named. Neither release names a third-party verifier for the tonnage.
What we don't know yet: why acreage fell, how benchmarks are set, and what farmers are paid.

Our follow-up question for ADM

Why did enrolled acres fall in 2025, and who verifies the 946,000 tonnes?

Sources

ADM, “ADM's Fourth Annual Regenerative Agriculture Report Highlights Growing Resilience Across the Food System,” Sept. 15, 2026. investors.adm.com
ADM, “ADM Exceeds 5M Regenerative Agriculture Acreage Goal,” September 2025. adm.com

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder