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New program will support ranchers with technical expertise, training and tools to advance grazing practices.

September 24, 2020

3 Min Read

The Walmart Foundation, Cargill and McDonald’s are investing more than $6 million in an initiative led by World Wildlife Fund that aims to make lasting improvements to the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains.

The new program, known as the Ranch Systems and Viability Planning (RSVP) network, will support ranchers across the ecoregion—focusing primarily on Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota—with technical expertise, training and tools to help advance grazing practices that improve the health of the land. By improving management of one million acres over five years and avoiding conversion, this effort will result in increased carbon storage and sequestration, improved water infiltration and better outcomes for biodiversity.

“Collaborative efforts like this can accelerate innovative, sustainable solutions and support ranchers in the beef supply chain,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, EVP and chief sustainability officer for Walmart and president of the Walmart Foundation. “Sustainable grazing practices that improve soil health, absorb carbon and reduce water consumption can help to protect the land and people who depend on it.”

As ranchers continue to adapt their plans to improve conservation and economic outcomes, and share peer-to-peer learning, through the RSVP network, WWF will work with ranchers on private and tribal lands to provide extension services in one-on-one and group workshops, offer ongoing technical expertise and provide cost share and monitoring to help ranchers design, document and implement ranch plans.

Related:Walmart tests beef strategy

“Ranchers are the most important stewards of the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. As managers of over 70% of the remaining intact grasslands within this region, they hold the keys to its future,” said Martha Kauffman, managing director of WWF’s Northern Great Plains program. “The RSVP network will support ranching partners in planning and improving the resiliency of their operations, so they continue to provide habitat for wildlife, store carbon, filter clean water, produce nutritious food and support communities for generations to come.”

This program supports the Walmart Foundation’s focus to bring more sustainable, regenerative practices to the beef industry. Investing in conservation activities in the Northern Great Plains supports the stewards of those lands and contributes to climate resilience efforts.

This partnership also supports McDonald’s ambition to use its scale and many relationships from the farm to the restaurant to help significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and evolve the food system for a resilient and sustainable future.

Related:When it comes to climate change, farmers must be storytellers

The project is also part of Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability initiative, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the company’s beef supply chain by 30% by 2030, measured on a per pound of beef basis against a 2017 baseline. Earlier this year, Cargill launched two other programs to support this goal, including a grassland restoration effort and an initiative to implement proven soil health practices in cattle feed.

The Northern Great Plains ecoregion, which comprises approximately 25% of the total area of the Great Plains of North America, remains largely intact, thanks in part to its harsh climate, which has made agricultural expansion relatively difficult until recent decades. In fact, the NGP still supports 1,595 species of plants, which provide habitat for 300 species of birds, 95 species of mammals and 28 species of reptiles. The Missouri and South Saskatchewan Rivers, in addition to smaller prairie streams, riparian, and wetlands habitats, provide habitat for 13 species of amphibians and 121 species of fish. Grasslands have evolved to be grazed, and cattle grazing, when managed well, can deliver many conservation benefits, including healthy grasslands, improved soil, and the preservation of key habitats.

Source: Cargill, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

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