PepsiCo and Unilever Launch STEP Up for Ag

Sep 23, 2025
By Farms.com

New partnership strengthens farmer support groups globally

PepsiCo and Unilever have joined forces with major food and retail companies to launch STEP up for Agriculture, an ambitious program to strengthen farmer-facing organizations and expand regenerative agriculture. The initiative focuses on helping farmer support groups with tools, training, and funding to accelerate sustainable practices and build stronger supply chains.

STEP up for Ag supports PepsiCo’s plan to transition 10 million acres to regenerative methods by 2030 and Unilever’s goal of applying these principles across one million hectares globally. Partners include Practical Farmers of Iowa, South East Research Farm in Canada, and Farm Advisor in Indiana, which mentor farmers and share practical conservation knowledge.

Through this program, participating organizations receive funding to improve business plans, expand staff, and create measurement systems to track progress. This local approach ensures farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, biodiversity, and water quality while strengthening rural economies.

The collaboration features a multi-tier model with corporate, philanthropic, and farmer-led partners working together. The first European pilot begins in Spain with cooperative Garlan, supported by Earthworm Foundation, to design a regenerative program for local farmers. Earlier engagement in Türkiye has already shown strong interest in this model.

Industry leaders emphasize that regenerative agriculture requires trusted relationships and collective action. "When farmers thrive, we all thrive," said Jim Andrews of PepsiCo. This initiative aims to create lasting impact by empowering farmer-led groups and supporting global sustainability goals.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-stockseller_ukr

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.