Unilever and ADM Iowa Sustainable Soy Project

• Our Iowa Cover Crop Impact program has become the model of which we are now designing all global impact programs against.  

• In 2020, we experienced a great increase in the number of "new to us" farmers entering the program who completed all milestones and were paid for their cover crop acres. In total there were 155 "new to us" growers in our program this year, and 54% of these farmers had 0-2 years of cover crop experience.  An additional 26 farmers who did not plant cover crops but were working towards continuous improvement on their farms.   

In 2023 we recruited 871 farmers between June and December who sold directly or indirectly to the ADM-Des Moines supply chain. Of those, 751 farmers were paid for their cover crops. Two hundred and ninety-three (293, 39% of total) farmers were new to the program in 2023. PFI exceeded goals for the number of farmers paid in 2023. Total cover acres paid by Unilever and ADM was 90% of target, however the number of cover crop acres seeded by the 751 farmers paid was over 266,000. Farmers planted on average 50% of their farmed acres to cover crops. The mean cover crop acres per contract was 170 but median cover crop acres per contract was only 99. This program continues to attract and retain experienced cover croppers: only 93 of the 751 paid participants (12%) had one year or less year’s experience with cover crops.   

• In 2024 we recruited 1,157 farmers between June and December who sold directly or indirectly to the ADM-Des Moines supply chain. Of those, 979 farmers were paid for their cover crops. Two hundred and fifty (250, 26% of total paid) farmers were new to the program in 2024. PFI exceeded goals for the number of farmers paid in 2024 as well as the cover crop acres seeded (189,868 acres of cover crops). Farmers planted on average 53.5% of their farmed acres to cover crops, which is slightly higher than last year (only 50% in 2023). The mean cover crop acres per contract allocated to Unilever was 194 but median cover crop acres per contract allocated to Unilever was only 107. This is higher than 2023, however it still demonstrates that the program attracts smaller farmers. Less than 10% of farmers had 500 or more cover crop acres that were allocated to Unilever. This program continues to retain experienced cover croppers: only 93 of the 979 paid participants (9%) had one year or less experience with cover crops. However, 32% of brand-new farmers to the program were new to cover crops, demonstrating that this program does attract beginning farmers and those converting land to cover crops for the first time. 

• In 2024 we estimated that the 979 farmers paid through this program delivered 17,037,849 bushels to the ADM supply chain in 2024. This was the first year we did not count bushels directly from co-ops and elevators. However, we conservatively estimated bushel volumes by taking two-thirds of the soybean acres reportedly harvested by farmers and multiplying that by 60 bushels per acre, which is a conservative average of yield in Iowa in 2024. From historic data we know that not all soybean acres harvested in a calendar year are sold that same year – some are held over to the following year. We also know that not all soybeans harvested go directly into the ADM supply chain, as farmers are often selling to other facilities. Therefore, we decided to conservatively model that two-thirds of soybeans grown by participants in 2024 would hit the supply chain. This estimated can be converted to 88,259 MT of soybean oil. 

• In this 11th year of the PFI Cover Crop Cost-share (CCCS) program, Unilever supported 1098 farmers in the planting of 223,132 acres to fall cover crops. In 2025, PFI recruited 1,240 farmers between June and December who sold into the Unilever supply chains. Of those, 1098 farmers were paid for their cover crops, which is 89% of the farmers who received a contract.  

• Across the whole PFI CCCS program, 426 farmers were new to the program in 2025, illustrating that the vast majority of participants were alumni of the 2024 cost-share. In the wrap-up survey, 93% of respondents indicated that they are very likely or somewhat likely to refer the program to a friend or fellow farmer. 1,320 farmers are already re-enrolled for 2026 due to their long-term agreements, which will expire in March 2027. Of the remaining participants, the overwhelming majority of farmers (1,066) expressed interest in the next-year's program and asked to be contacted in Spring 2026. In total, over 99% of participants indicated that they would be interested in participating again in the CCCS. 

• Total acres funded are below the goal, due in part to a shorter recruitment period following the loss of federal funding. Farmers reported planting an average of 60% of their farmed acres to cover crops this year, an increase of nearly 10% from last year. Twenty-two percent of program participants reported an increase in cover crop acreage as a result of the PFI cost-share program. Mean cover crop acres per contract was 348, but the median was 198 acres due to a few very large contracts raising the mean.