Walmart Foundation Gives $2 Million Toward Regenerative Cotton

With a three-year $2 million grant, the Walmart Foundation is supporting the Soil Health Institute’s work in Alabama and South Carolina with the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF). 

The grant will be used to scale and expand the project which provides tools, resources and the network needed to adopt regenerative soil health. 

“Regenerative soil health systems can provide significant benefits for farmers, food supply chains, our climate and nature,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer and Executive Vice President at Walmart Inc. and President of the Walmart Foundation. “However, adoption of soil health practices remains low. The USRCF’s scientific approach empowers farmers and aligns with the Foundation’s work on regenerative agriculture. We are excited to support this ambitious project to support farmers with the resources and tools they need to adopt more regenerative systems and accurately measure the outcomes of these practices for their land and livelihoods.” 

The USRCF started in 2021 working with farmers in Texas, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi. It has farmer-to-farmer education markets bringing together more than 100 cotton farmers. 

“The USRCF is making good progress,” said Dr. Cristine Morgan, SHI’s Chief Scientific Officer. “The drought conditions sweeping across the cotton-belt this year only underscore the importance of soil health systems to farmers’ livelihoods because they can build drought resilience and increase profitability. We feel fortunate to have the Walmart Foundation’s support that will allow us to expand the reach and impact of the USRCF to Alabama and South Carolina.”  
Other grants for the USRCF have been provided by the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation and Levi Strauss & Co.

The goal of the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund is to eliminate one million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2026.