Purina, a leading European pet care company, two years after the launch of LENs (Landscape Enterprise Networks), the regenerative agriculture project launched in 2022 with the aim of promoting the transition towards more sustainable agriculture and the enhancement of the territories in which it operates in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, takes stock of the evolution of the initiative: with the growing participation of new farmers and a significant increase in the agricultural areas involved, LENs has exceeded its set objectives, demonstrating the success of the proposed regenerative model. Over the last two years, the program has seen a strong increase in participating agricultural businesses, which today are over 50. The agricultural area involved has also recorded a significant increase, reaching over 2000 hectares, demonstrating the growing participation of farmers from Veneto and Friuli.

The LENs network includes farms of different sizes, from small operations with less than 10 hectares to large extensions of over 100 hectares. Around 90% of the companies involved are family-run, with some larger groups also employing collaborators. The participating companies mainly grow wheat, corn and soy (in line with some of the key ingredients used by Purina in its Portogruaro production plant), but some have diversified with barley, sugar beet and vineyards; two companies also combine livestock farming with their agricultural activity.

Through LENs, Purina supports farmers by investing in key measures of regenerative agriculture such as cover crops, minimum tillage and soil nutrient management, all of this in line with the challenging objectives that the company has set itself in terms of responsible sourcing. Another very important aspect is the attention to biodiversity that sees specific activities such as the planting of hedges and trees, with measures to support pollinators and to restore and protect habitats.

In Italy, LENs is an example of how a collaborative network can unite farmers and companies with the aim of protecting the environment and enhancing the territory. The project is developed in collaboration with other funders such as Consorzio Tutela Prosecco Doc and strategic partners such as Leone Alato, together with consultants specialized in environmental matters such as 3Keel and Preferred by Nature, with the support of Cereal Docks and Serena & Manente, together with several partner organizations, including Veneto Agricoltura, Csqa, Wba Project, Agrinnovazione, to which xFarm has recently joined, as a technological partner, making available its expertise to support farmers and agronomists in the implementation and monitoring of regenerative practices promoted by the program. Through this collaborative network, companies with a common interest in protecting the environment and enhancing the territory can collaborate to achieve shared goals.

Through this project, participating farms are supported and funded to adopt a regenerative approach to agriculture through measures to be introduced, which include more environmentally friendly agronomic practices, aimed at promoting a transition to regenerative agriculture that seeks to restore and improve soil health, biodiversity, the hydrological cycle and the well-being of rural communities. The goal of regenerative agriculture is to support agricultural productivity while improving the overall health and resilience of the soil for future generations. At the European level, Purina continues to promote partnerships to support regenerative agriculture, both through LENs™ and other dedicated programs. To date, over 450 farmers in Europe have participated in the programs supported by the company, concretely contributing to the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices.

The LENs program allows Purina to move one step closer to reaching its goal of sourcing 20% of key ingredients from farmers who adopt regenerative agriculture practices by 2025, committing to reach 50% by 2030. This goal is part of Purina's broader sustainability strategy, which aims to reduce the company's impact on the land and which takes shape through several projects aimed not only at regenerating land but also at reducing waste and packaging materials and regenerating the oceans. This project represents a key contribution to the goal of regenerating ecosystems, one of Purina's six strategic commitments in terms of ESG.