Wal-Mart issued a challenge to U.S. farmers on Wednesday, announcing an ambitious goal to cut carbon emissions in its supply chain by 1 gigaton, or 1 billion tons, by 2030. The retailer says a big part of the initiative will be driven by collaboration with suppliers—and the farmers who grow and raise their ingredients—to add cover crops to farmland and optimize fertilizer applications on 76 million acres by 2025.

 

“When we work on areas like fertilizer in agriculture, you’re going to see later on the impact that we can make together working harder in that space,” said Laura Phillips, senior vice president of sustainability for the company, announcing Project Gigaton at its annual Milestone Summit broadcast on YouTube. “It’s good for our business, and it’s good for the environment.”

 

The project also aims to cut back on emissions in dairy and beef production. The retailer has received commitments from a number of suppliers with strong ties to agriculture, including:

 

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