"McCain is proud to join forces with BNP Paribas Bank Polska to launch today a new and exciting regenerative agriculture program in Poland, built on a transition package to support potato growers on their sustainability journey. McCain is supporting Polish potato farmers in their transition to more sustainable agriculture practices, with a range of actions including technical, commercial and financial support. The project is launched in partnership with BNP Paribas Bank Polska, the leader in supporting green transformation in Poland.
Potato farmers are facing increasing challenges that include climate change, variable and unpredictable weather, rising input costs, and regulatory uncertainty. McCain is partnering with farmers to transform the way potatoes are grown using regenerative agriculture practices. The framework McCain has developed globally is an ecosystem-based approach to farming that aims to improve farmer resilience, yield, and quality. This is done by improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing the impact of synthetic inputs. Potato farmers in Poland will be eligible to take part in this new program, which is part of McCain's global commitment to implement regenerative agricultural practices across 100% of its potato acreage worldwide by the end of 2030.
"With potato yields decreasing all across Europe and more extreme climate events, Regenerative Agriculture is not a passing trend : it is a matter of resilience for our entire supply chain. It is McCain's duty to build a robust de-risking package to engage our grower partners into the transition and secure our long term supply, while decarbonizing and preserving ecosystems, biodiversity, soil health" says Leslie Camus, Vice President Agriculture, McCain Europe.
The project is supported by BNP Paribas Bank Polska, the leader in green transformation in Poland where its sustainable financing at the end of Q3 2023 amounted to PLN 8.9 billion, or 9.8% of the bank's total loan portfolio. BNP Paribas BP has also helped a number of industries to open up to green transformation and took part in the largest transaction under the Sustainable Development Goals (SLL) linked formula on the Polish market - for Polsat Plus Group, worth more than PLN 10 billion.
"We are proud to enter a partnership with McCain, one of the global leaders in the sustainable transition of the food value chain. The cooperation between BNP Paribas and McCain will be multidimensional. Thanks to our global presence and expertise we proved our strength in cooperation with multinational corporates. The unique solutions allow to support banks' clients worldwide and spread the competence on each local market. The footprint of BNP Paribas Group enables clients to reach sustainability goals globally" – says Szymon Bielawa, Director, Head of North America Corporates Coverage at BNP Paribas Bank Polska.
Information about the progress of the regenerative agriculture program will be shared in due time."
For more information:
Roman Majchrzycki
McCain Foods
Email: [email protected]
Elżbieta Bugalska,
BNP Paribas Polska
Email: [email protected]