Whole Foods Market and Mad Agriculture have collaborated to launch a national biodiversity highway initiative aimed at reconstructing native ecosystems across American farmland.
The program, beginning in and around the Lowery Creek Watershed in Wisconsin, seeks to connect climate-resilient habitats restoring biodiversity, improving soil and water health and strengthening the long-term resilience of the food system.
The partners note that the future of food depends on healthy, functioning ecosystems. Yet America’s farmland is under intense pressure – biodiversity is disappearing, soil health is declining and the land’s ability to withstand environmental stress is weakening.
By linking farms, watersheds and wild areas, the biodiversity highway will reduce fragmentation, support pollinators and wildlife and help buffer communities from climate impacts like flooding and erosion.
The program is building a practical model for reconstructing ecosystems in ways that have the potential to improve how the land functions – filtering water, storing carbon, managing pests, reducing erosion and keeping farmland productive over time.
This includes cultivating perennial crops, which stay in the ground over years, improving soil health by reducing or eliminating the need for tillage.
“This initiative is about rethinking how we care for the land and support the people who grow our food,” said Jason Buechel, CEO at Whole Foods Market. “As the program expands, it will forge a more connected, resilient landscape – supporting biodiversity and more sustainable farming for generations to come.
“It’s one of the most exciting efforts we’ve launched this year, and it builds on the momentum and progress outlined in our 2024 Impact Report.”
As part of the initiative, Whole Foods Market has pledged up to $500,000 in matching funds to catalyze $1 million in collective investment from food system stakeholders in 2025.
The program aims to cultivate a 1,000 acre biodiversity highway across American farmland and invites founding member organizations to co-invest in ecosystem reconstruction efforts.
Companies committed include Applegate, Bob’s Red Mill, The Campbell’s Co., New Belgium Brewing, OLIPOP, UNFI, UNFI Foundation, west~bourne and Yogi Tea.
“This initiative is laying the groundwork for a new kind of agriculture,” said Omar de Kok-Mercado, director of wilding at Mad Agriculture.
“The biodiversity highway is a blueprint for the next era of American infrastructure. Not just pipes and roads but living systems that restore function to land. It operationalizes perennial agriculture at scale, connecting ecological health to economic resilience. We’re not restoring the past – we’re engineering the future, one corridor at a time.”
The initiative is a cornerstone of Whole Foods Market’s commitment to sustainability, detailed in its 2024 Impact Report. The report highlights progress across its key focus areas, including:
- Advancing regenerative agriculture: Doubled the number of certified regenerative products to 301, all verified by trusted third-party standards;
- Biodiversity leadership: Ranked the top U.S. retailer for pollinator protection by Friends of the Earth and expanded biodiversity efforts through native prairie restoration and pollinator-friendly sourcing policies;
- Food access and community giving: Donated more than 34.6 million pounds of food – nearly 29 million meals – to more than 1,000 food rescue and redistribution programs across North America;
- Reducing emissions in the supply chain: Collaborated with key suppliers to help accelerate their carbon-reduction efforts and mitigate the carbon impact of our supply chain;
- Lowering emissions at stores: 64 stores with solar installations, 235 stores relying on lower-global warming potential refrigerants and 389 electric vehicle charging stations across its stores to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions;
- Impact through giving: Invested $14.2 million through the Whole Foods Market Foundation, supporting 1,239 organizations and schools in 39 countries to advance food access, education and economic opportunity; and
- Responsible sourcing: Supplied more than $8.8 million in premiums benefitting workers, their communities and/or the environment through its “Sourced for Good” program.
“The 2024 Impact Report is a reminder that the products on our shelves represent a story – of people, places and choices that shape our food system,” said Caitlin Leibert, VP of sustainability at Whole Foods Market.
“It reflects the collective effort of farmers, producers, team members and partners who are helping us build something better. Our work with Mad Agriculture is one of the most inspiring examples of that effort – showing what’s possible when we stay rooted in our purpose to nourish people and the planet.”
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