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Seeded by a catalytic donation from the Weston family, the Million Acre Challenge will complement and bolster diverse efforts across the country to advance climate-smart agriculture and regenerative farming practices. The Challenge also creates a significant opportunity for impact-oriented investors, including government and corporations within the agri-food value chain, to participate in the development of a robust, results-focused initiative.
This initiative will begin with a focus on Ontario’s corn belt in Southwestern Ontario, a region that has already made significant strides in climate-smart agriculture. It presents the opportunity for further reducing carbon emissions in many of Canada’s agricultural supply chains including beef, corn, wheat, fuel and other livestock.
Starting with approximately 24 flagship farms in year one (2025-2026), the program expects to enroll an additional 60 farms in year two, and 180 farms in year three.
Drawing on international frameworks and research undertaken by CSA Group, CANZA’s use of “regenerative farming practices” includes those that:
Regenerative farming practices may also include efforts related to water conservation, efficient use of inputs, and enhancing/restoring natural landscapes. There is no “single recipe” for regenerative farming. Rather, it is a menu of practices that farmers can adopt to improve soil health, biodiversity, climate, and water outcomes in measurable and verifiable ways.
CANZA refers to “climate-smart agriculture” as the broader, integrated approach to managing the interlinked challenges between food security and climate change, which includes and extends beyond regenerative practices.
Farmers enrolled in the Million Acre Challenge Program will be supported to adopt regenerative practices through cost-sharing incentives, technical support from trusted advisors, and peer-to-peer learning.
The Marketplace will be a platform and transaction system that aggregates verified and stackable on-farm outcomes. It will function like a virtual Farmers’ Market for the positive environmental outcomes related to carbon sequestration, water, biodiversity, and reduced GHG emissions. The marketplace’s “buyers” will include governments and philanthropists seeking to invest in measurable and verified outcomes for climate and nature, as well as private investors who have an interest in supporting more sustainable supply chains and achieving their own sustainability targets. Ultimately, the Marketplace will drive a new economic model for regenerative farming practices by turning environmental outcomes into tangible value.
At the core of the Million Acre Challenge is the link between on-farm practice change and the validation of measurable outcomes for climate and nature. Demonstrating this connection requires clear, consistent, and comparable data. A credible, farmer-friendly system for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying (MMRV) environmental outcomes is essential for supporting farmers in improving productivity and resilience, and to provide trusted results for outcome purchasers and partners across the agri-food value chain. Early progress is being made through the development of an innovative tool and framework to measure, report, and verify soil carbon sequestration. Over time, this approach will be expanded to include additional outcomes such as water quality, biodiversity, and other key indicators of farm and ecosystem health.
