How Whole Foods Market Is Boosting Regenerative Farming

Regenerative farming on 40% of the world’s cropland could save 600 million tons of emissions, according to a Sustainable Markets Initiative Agribusiness Task Force report.

The World Economic Forum says that it could bring several benefits including improving soil health, higher nutrients in crop yields, reduced pesticide usage and improving long-term farmer livelihood by reducing costs.

Whole Foods Market and Mad Agriculture have collaborated to launch a ground breaking national initiative to rewild US farmland.

The collaboration is set to launch a national biodiversity highway initiative that aims to reconstruct native ecosystems across American farmland.

“This initiative is laying the groundwork for a new kind of agriculture,” said Omar de Kok-Mercado, Director of Wilding at Mad Agriculture. 

“The biodiversity highway is a blueprint for the next era of American infrastructure. Not just pipes and roads but living systems that restore function to land. 

“It operationalises perennial agriculture at scale, connecting ecological health to economic resilience. 

“We’re not restoring the past — we’re engineering the future, one corridor at a time.” 

What is the project?

The programme will begin in Wisconsin and aims to create a connected highway of climate-resilient habitats.

Some of the benefits from this includes:

• restoring biodiversity
• improving soil and water health 
• strengthening long term resilience of the food system 

Whole Foods Market says that linking farms, water sheds and wild areas will reduce fragmentation, support pollinators and wildlife and help buffer communities from the impacts of flooding and erosion.

The company believes this movement is important due to farmlands being under intense pressure, the health of soil declining, biodiversity disappearing and the land's ability to handle these stressors is weakening.

Jason Buechel, CEO at Whole Foods Market says “Teaming up with Mad Agriculture represents a meaningful step forward in our commitment to improving ecosystem health and fostering climate resilience. 

 “This initiative is about rethinking how we care for the land and support the people who grow our food. 

“As the programme expands, it will forge a more connected, resilient landscape and supporting biodiversity and more sustainable farming for generations to come. 

“It’s one of the most exciting efforts we’ve launched this year, and it builds on the momentum and progress outlined in our 2024 Impact Report.”

Whole Foods Market 2024 impact report 

This initiative is part of Whole Foods Market's sustainability commitments detailed in its 2024 impact report, where it's already made progress in seven key areas:

• Advanced regenerative agriculture, doubling the number of certified regenerative products to 301
• It has expanded biodiversity efforts, using native prairie restoration and pollinator-friendly sourcing policies.
• Donated nearly 29 million meals to more than 1000 food rescue and redistribution programmes across North America
• Accelerating carbon reduction efforts and carbon impact on the supply chain by collaborating with key suppliers. 
• Reducing emissions in stores by installing 64 stores with solar, 235 stores on lower global warming potential refrigerants and 389 electric vehicle charging stations 
• Advancing food access, education and economic opportunity across 39 countries by investing US$14.2m into more than 1000 organisations
• Supplied more than US$8.8m into premiums that benefit workers, the community and the environment

“The 2024 Impact Report is a reminder that the products on our shelves represents a story—of people, places, and choices that shape our food system,” said Caitlin Leibert, Vice President of Sustainability at Whole Foods Market.

 “It reflects the collective effort of farmers, producers, Team Members and partners who are helping us build something better. 

“Our work with Mad Agriculture is one of the most inspiring examples of that effort – showing what’s possible when we stay rooted in our purpose to nourish people and the planet. 

“We’re proud to be part of something that honors those connections and helps shape a more hopeful future for food.” 

Mad Agriculture's mission

Mad Agriculture is dedicated to regenerative farming.

The organisation aims to innovate marketplace solutions to drive regenerative agriculture, whilst building farmer success on the land by offering support and investing in projects.

It believes that ecological function and diverse landscapes are the baseline for a sustained profitable and healthy food system, so the organisation builds strategies and opportunities for farm businesses to restore ecosystems whilst continuing to feed people.

Phillip Taylor, Co-Founder, Mad Agriculture says in a statement: “I’ve always felt a deep purpose to ensure the beauty and wellbeing of the Earth, which humans are part and parcel of. 

“I am drawn to agriculture because food is at the heart of our existence, and how we eat largely determines how the world is used. 

“Humans are increasingly disconnected from food and the farmers that feed us all, which has driven a dramatic deterioration of global ecosystems, culture and economy. 

“My life's work is to create a world where people and ecosystems flourish together.”