Two Major Companies Announce New AgWater Challenge Commitments To Improve Water Stewardship And Sustainable Agriculture Practices On More Than 1 Million Total Acres Of Agricultural Land

Bold commitments moving towards positive water impacts come months after Ceres and the World Wildlife Fund release a new pathway for companies to improve soil health and nutrient management practices for key commodities produced in high-risk watersheds.

Boston, MA /PRNewswire/ - Two major agricultural giants, representing 12 billion USD in annual revenue, announced new commitments to improve water stewardship as part of the Ceres and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) AgWater Challenge. They include Danone North America, owner of iconic dairy and plant-based brands and leading sweetener and starch producer Ingredion.

Launched in 2016 by Ceres and WWF, the AgWater Challenge encourages better water stewardship among the world's most influential food and beverage companies. These two commitments set a high water mark for businesses to protect freshwater resources in their agricultural supply chains. With the global food sector using 70% of the world's freshwater supply, food and beverage companies play an important role in protecting water quality and supply.

In August, the AgWater Challenge released a new area of focus, calling on companies to go a step deeper by committing to sustainable agriculture principles that create a positive effect on water resources via soil health and nutrient management practices. These practices have been shown to support crop productivity, reduce erosion, increase water holding capacity, promote biodiversity, improve water quality and, in many cases, increase soil carbon levels. Furthermore, the commitments also detail how companies will support farmers and advocate for collective actions that are key components to improving local water outcomes.

With these two commitments, the AgWater Challenge facilitated the addition of 1.1 million acres over the next ten years to the land farmed with both water stewardship and sustainable agriculture in mind.

The new commitments from Danone North America and Ingredion build on previously made commitments from other AgWater Challenge participants including Target, Driscoll's, Diageo, General Mills, Hormel Foods, Kellogg Company, and PepsiCo. This is the second AgWater Challenge Commitment for Danone North America. Since committing to advance their sustainable water sourcing strategies, the original AgWater Challenge companies have made significant strides in engaging with farmers and suppliers across their value chain, sourcing responsibly, and reducing their overall exposure to water risks.