JM Smucker Co: Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Goals

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WHEREAS:  Industrial agriculture’s reliance on conventional farming practices -- including monocropping, tillage, and substantial synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use -- demonstrably contributes to harming human health, soil fertility, the environment, the climate, and resiliency of the nation’s food supply.

Conventional farming relies on the excessive application of synthetic inputs like pesticides, which cause serious health effects from cancer to cognitive impairment.[1] Nearly 44% of farmworkers experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning, causing approximately 11,000 deaths every year. Pesticide use also harms pollinators critical to successful crop pollination.[2]

Farmers using conventional agricultural practices are markedly vulnerable to topsoil loss and soil degradation, especially in a warming climate where superstorms, heat waves, and droughts are increasingly frequent.[3] Soil erosion associated with conventional farming costs the U.S. nearly $37.6 billion annually.[4] Degraded soils require substantial fertilizer applications that pollute streams and waters and create massive dead zones along the nation’s coasts.

Regenerative agriculture addresses the problems associated with conventional farming methods. Regenerative agriculture is a set of farming practices, including reduced tillage, crop rotation, cover cropping, natural pest management, and the reduction of pesticide and synthetic fertilizer use, that preserve topsoil and soil health while reducing impacts to humans and the environment.[5] Regenerative agriculture can also significantly enhance carbon soil sequestration, mitigating global carbon emissions. U.S. agricultural lands have the potential to sequester nearly 650 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.[6] 

The Boston Consulting Group estimates that farmers using regenerative practices will experience increased resiliency and see a 70% increase in profits over time above peers that farm conventionally.[7]

The J.M. Smucker Company has committed to creating a healthier planet for future generations, but does not outline agricultural production policies or practices in its supply chain that support the achievement of these commitments.[8] In contrast, other major food manufacturing companies are taking action to adopt regenerative agriculture practices and policies:     

  • ADM publicly stated a goal to enroll 4,000,000 acres in regenerative agriculture programs globally. The company announced that in 2022 its regenerative agriculture acres emitted 253,000 MT less CO2e than the benchmark.[9]  

  • General Mills committed to advancing regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres of its farmland by 2030.[10]

  • Conagra adopted regenerative agriculture as a key component of its farm management and utilizes regenerative agriculture practices on nearly 30,250 acres of farmland.[11]  

In a competitive marketplace that is increasingly demanding low-emission products and reduced harm to stakeholders and ecosystems, understanding how regenerative agriculture increases soil carbon sequestration and long-term resiliency can help reduce risks for shareholders and the Company.  

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareholders request that J.M. Smucker assess and report on the benefits of adopting a policy designed to increase use of regenerative agricultural practices across the Company’s priority ingredient supply chain to reduce climate impacts, protect human safety, and mitigate environmental harm. 

Resolution Details

Company: JM Smucker Co.

Lead Filers:
As You Sow

Year: 2024

Filing Date: 
February 2024

Initiative(s): Environmental Health

Status: Resolution Withdrawn, Agreement Reached

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Environmental HealthAs You SowPesticides, Regenerative Agriculture, Regenerative, agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, JM Smucker