Varaha and Kellanova Announce 5 Year Regenerative Corn Program for Smallholder Farmers The program aims to support 5,000 smallholder farmers and introduce regenerative practices across 12,500 acres of corn farmland.
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Varaha and Kellanova have launched a five year insetting initiative in Maharashtra that aims to support 5,000 smallholder farmers and introduce regenerative practices across 12,500 acres of corn farmland.
The program is expected to remove and reduce nearly 100,000 tons of COâ‚‚e from Kellanova's supply chain, making it a climate focused interventions in India's corn sector.
The collaboration marks a major step in Kellanova's global sustainability commitments, with India emerging as a key market for its regenerative sourcing goals. The initiative will help farmers adopt climate smart methods that improve soil health, reduce fertilizer dependence, and strengthen yields. Practices such as in situ residue management, raised bed planting, cover cropping and improved nitrogen efficiency form the core of the program.
"We believe that a key to running a good business is doing good for our communities, planet and people. Kellanova is proud to continue the Better Days Promiseâ„¢ social and environmental purpose strategy, our program with Varaha proves that climate action and farmer prosperity can go hand in hand," said Shaughan Kennedy, Vice President AMEA Supply Chain at Kellanova. "Consumers today expect the food they eat to be responsibly sourced, and this program sets a model that others in the industry can follow."
The project will follow the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and leading carbon standards. Varaha's digital monitoring tools will track climate impact with scientific accuracy across every acre. The program also includes work on improving food safety. It will address aflatoxin contamination in corn by engaging scientific partners and promoting better management at the farm level.
"With this project, we're combining strong science, cutting-edge digital tools, and deep farmer engagement to deliver measurable climate and livelihood impact," said Madhur Jain, Co-founder and CEO of Varaha.
Built on a multi stakeholder model, the initiative brings together farmers, farmer producer organisations, local groups and scientific institutions. Through this program, Kellanova aims to advance its scope 3 emissions goals and demonstrate that regenerative agriculture at scale is both achievable and essential for the global food industry.
Varaha, founded in 2022 by Madhur Jain, Ankita Garg and Vishal Kuchanur, is a Gurugram-based carbon removal developer creating scalable, science driven climate solutions. Working across regenerative agriculture, afforestation, biochar and enhanced rock weathering, it improves farmer livelihoods and biodiversity.
