Nestlé and CIMMYT Pursue Regenerative Agriculture in Mexico

During the event titled “Plan Maíz, Commitment to Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainability,” held in the framework of National Corn Day, Nestlé Mexico and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) reaffirmed their commitment to support the development of farmers in Mexico in a manner aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Plan Maiz, seeks to improve regenerative agriculture practices to positively impact food security, reduce agriculture’s environmental impact and nurture the social inclusion of the Mexican countryside.

Dr. Bram Govaerts, Director, CIMMYT, and Julieta Loaiza, VP Communication and Corporate Affairs, Nestle Mexico, as well as other representatives and managers of both institutions attended the event. "CIMMYT is committed to Mexican corn and wheat farmers. This partnership allows us to multiply the impact to protect and conserve the country’s agricultural resources and strengthen food security for Mexicans," said Govaerts.

Plan Maíz was established in 2017, and after 5 years of work, the results are encouraging: Thanks to the training provided, 400 farmers who adopted sustainable practices to produce both corn and wheat are already benefiting from the initiative. Production-wise, the volume of both grains grew from more than 193,000 tons of corn and 21,690 tons of wheat. The hectares impacted totaled more than 19,000 during eight productive cycles.

Loaiza highlighted that the second part of Plan Maíz seeks to boost productivity, and increase and improve regenerative agriculture practices to have a positive impact on food security, the environmental and social inclusion of the Mexican countryside.

Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company, with a presence in 187 countries and ownership of more than 200 brands. Its goal is to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050. The company plans to do so by supporting and expanding regenerative agriculture practices, which entails perfecting and growing agricultural sustainability programs for major raw materials.

CIMMYT is an international non-profit agricultural research and training organization that empowers farmers through science and innovation, enabling them to provide food amid a climate crisis.

Regenerative agriculture describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity, resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.