Making regenerative agriculture pay in Argentina.

A partnership between Syngenta and PepsiCo in Argentina demonstrates how regenerative farming can align environmental goals with commercial success.

In the vast agricultural heartland of Argentina, where sunflower fields stretch across the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, and Santa Fe, a new approach to farming is emerging. What began as a modest experiment in sustainable sourcing has evolved into an example of how multinational corporations can incentivize environmental stewardship while securing their supply chains.

The alliance between Syngenta and PepsiCo, a global leader in the food and beverage industry, represents more than a simple buyer-seller arrangement. It embodies a new model where regenerative agriculture methods, which restore soil health, optimize resources, and enhance biodiversity, become economically attractive to farmers through premium pricing and technical support.

A partnership between Syngenta and PepsiCo in Argentina demonstrates how regenerative farming can align environmental goals with commercial success.

In the vast agricultural heartland of Argentina, where sunflower fields stretch across the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, and Santa Fe, a new approach to farming is emerging. What began as a modest experiment in sustainable sourcing has evolved into an example of how multinational corporations can incentivize environmental stewardship while securing their supply chains.

The alliance between Syngenta and PepsiCo, a global leader in the food and beverage industry, represents more than a simple buyer-seller arrangement. It embodies a new model where regenerative agriculture methods, which restore soil health, optimize resources, and enhance biodiversity, become economically attractive to farmers through premium pricing and technical support.

Premium for good

The economics are straightforward yet notable. Farmers participating in Syngenta's Sustainable Sourcing Program receive up to 2 percent above the domestic market price for their sunflower grain, provided they can demonstrate verified regenerative agriculture techniques. In a commodity market where margins are often razor-thin, this premium represents a substantial financial incentive.

"Working with regenerative agriculture methods is extremely important, especially for us, who have a large-scale operation in Argentina," explains Santiago del Carril, General Manager of ADBlick, one of the country's largest sunflower producers operating more than 160 fields. "It's what allows us to have long-term planning and a sustainable business, not only financially, but also in terms of the environment."

The program's inaugural year yielded measurable results: 4,000 tons of sunflower oil produced from verified regenerative fields were delivered to PepsiCo. For the second year, the alliance aims to expand participating hectares by at least a quarter, with additional requirements for carbon footprint measurement through Syngenta's Cropwise digital platform, which empowers farmers with data-driven tools to enhance sustainability, traceability, and regenerative agriculture practices.

"Working with regenerative agriculture methods is extremely important, especially for us, who have a large-scale operation in Argentina"
Santiago del Carril, General Manager of ADBlick

Technology and tradition

The program's structure relies on the integration of traditional farming wisdom with digital technology. Cropwise serves as the digital backbone, allowing farmers to track and verify their regenerative activities in real-time. The system monitors crop rotation, cover crops, biological product usage, and pollinator habitat development—all methods that contribute to soil health and environmental restoration.

Grafer S.R.L., a sustainability-focused agricultural service provider, participated in the program's second campaign with more than 850 hectares of sunflower cultivation. The company selected farms with histories of crop rotation, direct sowing, and complete traceability, criteria that align with regenerative principles.

"The contribution each of us can make to sustainable care of the environment will make us much more efficient and profitable over time without affecting future generations. We believe that participating is a viable and stable option, technically and commercially,” says Mauricio Stoffel, Strategic Marketing and Agrotech Manager, Grafer.

The technological component addresses one of agriculture's persistent challenges: the difficulty of measuring and verifying sustainable activities. As Guillermo Delgado, Syngenta's Sustainability Head for Latin America, notes: "The biggest challenge was not implementing these methods but measuring and monitoring their metrics through Cropwise. You need to measure it to improve it."

The program's structure ensures accountability through third-party validation, creating verification throughout the commercial chain, addressing an issue in many sustainability programs: the gap between stated intentions and measurable outcomes.

Mauricio_Stoffel_Rosana_Passadore_(Head_of_Digital_Agriculture_at_Syngenta_for_the_NEA[1]

Mauricio Stoffel, Strategic Marketing and Agrotech Manager, Grafer, and Rosana Passadore, Digital Agriculture Representative for Syngenta.

Guillermo Delgado, Syngenta's Sustainability Head for Latin America.

Agricultural context

The Argentina initiative operates against a backdrop of pressing global agricultural challenges. By 2050, food production must increase by 50 percent to feed a projected population of 10 billion people. Simultaneously, agriculture must reduce its environmental impact.

Syngenta’s approach recognizes that farmers are on the frontline of climate change, facing extreme weather events, soil degradation, and increased pest pressures while being expected to increase productivity.

Mariale Álvarez, Syngenta's Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs for Latin America, frames the challenge: "Regenerating soil and nature through methods that aim to leave the system better than we found it, is a commitment we assume every day. Farmers who join our Sustainable Sourcing Program receive an economic benefit by demonstrating the adoption of regenerative farming techniques, which has a positive impact not only on the environment, but also on their profitability."

In 2024, Syngenta supported regenerative agriculture on 16.4 million hectares of farmland worldwide, with 8.9 million hectares showing improved soil health and biodiversity through targeted innovations.

"Regenerating soil and nature through methods that aim to leave the system better than we found it, is a commitment we assume every day"
Mariale Álvarez, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Latin America

Replicating success

"For us, sustainability is a fundamental pillar that we want to continue working on and expanding in the future," says Delgado. "In this second year of work, we seek to continue with the producers who participated last year and also add new producers who can implement regenerative agriculture practices and track their metrics."

Can this model work across different crops, geographies, and corporate alliances? The early indicators suggest potential for adaptation across diverse agricultural contexts.

The initiative leverages Argentina's sophisticated agricultural infrastructure and relatively large farm sizes, which facilitate the adoption of new technologies and methods. Similar programs could be adapted for smaller-scale operations in other regions.

The program's premium pricing model offers a framework that could be replicated across different commodity markets, providing economic incentives for environmental stewardship wherever corporate buyers seek sustainable sourcing solutions.

"The beauty of this model is its flexibility. Whether you're working with smallholder farmers or large-scale operations, the fundamental principle remains the same: reward farmers for measurable environmental improvements while ensuring traceability for the supply chain,” says Delgado.

Evolving model

In year two, growers will have a new challenge. “We want them to measure their carbon footprint through our Cropwise tool, allowing for additional metrics to those being recorded from Cropwise Sustainability,” Delgado says.

What emerges from the sunflower fields of Argentina is more than a successful business venture. It's an indication of agriculture's direction. The collaboration between Syngenta and PepsiCo demonstrates that environmental restoration and commercial success need not be mutually exclusive, provided the right incentives, technologies, and verification systems are in place.

Left to right: PepsiCo's Santiago Desmery, Oils Category Leader - Southern Cone and Brazil, and Stenio Zanin, Sustainable Agriculture Manager, with Guillermo Delgado, Syngenta's Sustainability Head for Latin America.

Left to right: PepsiCo's Santiago Desmery, Oils Category Leader - Southern Cone and Brazil, and Stenio Zanin, Sustainable Agriculture Manager, with Guillermo Delgado, Syngenta's Sustainability Head for Latin America.

The model suggests a shift in relationships between corporations and farmers, where environmental stewardship becomes a source of competitive advantage. Syngenta aims to enable the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across 50 million hectares by 2030, alongside achieving 85 percent of seed production through the same sustainable methods.

As del Carril observes, “the program provides assured benefits in terms of profitability, logistics, and margin forecasting for each crop, elements that are essential for long-term business planning in volatile agricultural markets. Hopefully we can grow moving forward.”

In the sunflower fields of Argentina, this novel approach is offering insights into how agriculture might evolve to meet the dual challenge of feeding the world while restoring the planet.

Watch how Syngenta partnered with PepsiCo to make regenerative agriculture economically attractive for sunflower growers in Argentina.