Shaping the future of sustainable farming.
With our roots on the farm, we believe agriculture can, and must, be a core part of the solution.
For us this starts with soil. Healthy soils help prevent floods, increase water retention capacity, protect against drought, and nourish the crops that feed us. This goes hand in hand with transforming the way we farm with our farming partners, working with our partners to optimize the use of water and agricultural inputs and to reduce emissions from our potato supply chain.
Our Smart & Sustainable Farming pillar aims to help strengthen food and agricultural systems to support farmers in safeguarding their livelihoods.
Key 2025 Highlights.
44% of our global acreage Engaged or higher and 69% Onboarded on McCain's Regenerative Agriculture Framework.
19% improvement in water use efficiency in water-stressed regions since our 2017 baseline.
30 innovation farms for regenerative agriculture established globally since 2022 (including our third Farm of the Future in the UK).
Regenerative Financing Partnerships
A big part of the journey to regenerative agriculture is ensuring our farmers are supported financially through the transition. Though we provide education and training through a global network of credentialed organizations, we recognize the cost of the transition cannot be the farmers own to bear. Over the past two years, we have built key financing agreements, co-financing partnerships and grant funding solutions with the leading agricultural banks around the world to support our farmers who endeavor to invest in regenerative practices, equipment and technologies.
Smart & Sustainable Farming Spotlight.
Routes to Regen
In 2025, members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (“SMI”) Agribusiness Hub launched Routes to Regen, a UK pilot designed to show how regenerative farming can be made more attractive for farmers when supported by cross-sector collaboration. Managed by The Royal Countryside Fund, this innovative project involves leading food and finance businesses operating in the East of England, including McCain, consolidating their support into a clear, accessible framework for farmers. Participating farmers have access to expert on-farm advice from Ceres Rural, as well as a menu of financial, technical, and peer-to-peer support designed to reduce risk and increase adoption rates. Learnings will be shared with organizations around the world, with the goal to replicate the project in other regions.
"We are proud to be spearheading this pioneering project. McCain and other SMI members are already leading the charge in driving initiatives that incentivize and encourage the regenerative transition for farmers. But potatoes represent just one crop in the rotation and we know we can’t do this alone. Achieving scale requires a whole farm approach and collaboration across industry is essential to achieving that. This project will build on and unite existing initiatives, simplifying and making the transition a more viable and accessible choice for the farmer.”
- Charlie Angelakos, Vice President, Global External Affairs and Sustainability, McCain Foods
Advancing Regenerative Agriculture.
Given the increasingly unpredictable climate, the shift towards smart and sustainable farming practices and the use of renewable energy on farms is vital. Our Regenerative Agriculture Framework has been developed to support best practice, based around six key principles.
McCain Farm of the Future: Growing Crops And Restoring Soil Health | RE:TV
Potatoes are the world's third most important food crop after rice and wheat, and are grown, globally. However, intensive farming has caused soil degradation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. To tackle these issues and feed the growing global population, potato farming needs a planet-friendly approach that restores ecosystems and reduces emissions. At McCain Foods, we are leading the way by reimagining the way we grow a potato to secure supply and ensure the long term resilience of farmlands through our Farms of the Future initiative. Merging cutting-edge research and regenerative practices, we believe innovative approaches can revolutionize farming. Since its launch 4 years ago, the project has seen tangible benefits of increased yields, carbon sequestration, soil protection, and biodiversity enhancement.
Farms of
the Future.
McCain now operates three Farms of the Future across diverse growing regions in Canada, Africa, and the UK, fulfilling our commitment to invest in these innovation sites where regenerative agriculture practices are tested, validated, and shared across our global farming network.
Our Smart & Sustainable Farming Commitments.
Read more
in our
Sustainability Report.
