Walmart, Kellanova and Indigo Ag form partnership to advance regenerative farming in Arkansas

Kellanova, Walmart and Indigo Ag have launched collaboration to support Arkansas rice growers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices, expanding an existing collaboration that has already delivered measurable environmental and financial gains for farmers supplying Walmart’s Great Value brand.

The new effort extends Walmart’s four-year partnership with Indigo Ag and brings Kellanova into the program for the first time. Through Indigo’s Source program, participating growers receive agronomic support, data tools and a premium payment for each pound of rice produced using verified regenerative methods. These practices include optimized water use, more precise nutrient management and crop rotations aimed at improving soil structure and biodiversity.

According to the companies, the Walmart–Indigo collaboration has already helped participating rice farmers cut more than 37,000 metric tons of CO₂e, conserve over 11 billion gallons of water and earn about $900,000 in additional payments. Kellanova’s involvement is expected to broaden the acreage and increase the financial incentives tied to climate-smart production.

Corporate sustainability executives said the partnership reflects a wider industry shift toward supply-chain decarbonization efforts that directly involve producers. The Source program follows measurement and verification protocols aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, allowing participating companies to count emissions reductions toward their environmental targets.

Walmart said the expanded partnership should help strengthen supply-chain resiliency while reducing the environmental footprint linked to key food categories. Indigo Ag described the effort as a model of multi-company cooperation that channels more resources to growers at a time when many face rising production expenses and increasing climate-related risks.

The companies also emphasized operational benefits for farmers, citing improved soil health and potentially lower input costs. As Kellanova, Walmart and Indigo Ag each procure different products from overlapping acres, shared participation is intended to reduce the per-unit cost of regenerative programs and support wider adoption across the region. The initiative can be viewed as an open invitation to additional supply-chain stakeholders and brands interested in scaling regenerative agriculture and improving economic returns for producers.