…soybean promotes regenerative farming
Maggi, a spices brand from Nestlé, is deepening its investment in resilient food systems in Nigeria with a Regenerative Agriculture (RegenAg) pilot for local soybean sourcing.
The RegenAg pilot program introduced techniques such as cover cropping, minimal tillage (ripping), crop rotation and hedgerows, leading to healthy soils and higher yields for smallholder farmers across Nigeria.
“Soybean is a key ingredient in Maggi, and supporting local farmers to grow it sustainably is central to our mission. This initiative is more than a sourcing strategy; it is an investment in resilient food systems,” said Funmi Osineye, Category Manager, Culinary, Nestlé Nigeria.
According to Osineye, this initiative has paved the way for a larger, multi-partner scale-up initiative to reach 25,000 smallholder farmers across Nigeria, now supported by AGRA and Maggi's parent brand, Nestlé.
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“By equipping farmers, especially women and youth, with regenerative agriculture skills, we are improving productivity today while protecting land for future generations. This is how MAGGI continues to nourish Nigerian families while helping to build a strong agricultural economy,” Osine said, adding that the program aims to produce at least 80,000 metric tons of quality grains annually, with crops cultivated using regenerative practices. The share is increasing.
Head of Agricultural Services, Nestlé Central and West Africa Region (CWAR), Alidu Amadu, said the initiative helps contribute to Nestlé’s global ambition to achieve 20 per cent of key ingredients through regenerative agriculture methods by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030, while supporting Nigeria’s broader food security and rural development goals.
“This project shows what is possible when businesses, development partners and farmers work together. Regenerative agriculture not only restores soil health but also builds long-term productivity and resilience for local communities,” Amadu said.
Launched in 2023 with an investment of over ₦100 million, the pilot assisted 1,030 soybean farmers adopt climate-smart practices, improving their yields while restoring soil health. Implemented in partnership with TechnoServe and IDH, with technical guidance from the Center for No-Till Agriculture (CNTA), Ghana, the project demonstrated the potential of regenerative farming to transform smallholder agriculture in Nigeria.
“Since I started adopting these strategies as we were taught in this project, my yields have increased 100%. It was very encouraging, and I would like to commend the project organizers and thank Maggi for bringing this to us,” Lawan Abdul, one of the farmers who benefited from the initiative, said in a testimonial.
