Competitive restaurants Chipotle and Sweetgreen invest heavily in small-scale farmers during agricultural crisis
In a bid to strengthen the resilience of the American agriculture industry, national brands Chipotle and Sweetgreen are forging close partnerships with small and local farmers [1][3]. This collaboration aligns with their corporate sustainability goals and broader initiatives aimed at creating a clean, local, and transparent food supply.
These partnerships are proving instrumental in addressing the challenges faced by America's farmers and ranchers, including falling crop prices, rising land prices, expensive labor costs, regulatory uncertainty, and an ever-changing trade landscape [2].
Sourcing local and seasonal ingredients is a key way these brands support small farmers. This helps small farms secure stable demand and better prices during peak harvests, reducing waste and increasing cost efficiency for the restaurants [5].
Moreover, Chipotle and Sweetgreen are investing in regenerative and sustainable farming practices through strategic partnerships that promote environmental stewardship while ensuring a steady supply of high-quality produce [5].
The brands are also driving customer loyalty and retention by offering seasonal menus highlighting farm-sourced ingredients, creating a market incentive for supporting small-scale agriculture [5].
Raising public awareness about food origins is another crucial aspect of these partnerships. The agriculture industry has lost many small farmers in the last decade, posing a threat to food supply resilience [1].
These partnerships not only align with government programs like the Make America Healthy Again initiative and the National Farm Security Action Plan, which emphasize local food sourcing as a national security priority, but also help address the challenges faced by farmers [1].
Chipotle, for instance, has supported the transition of 425 acres from conventional to organic farming through transitional growing practices [6]. The company has also awarded 275 Seed Grants, providing $5,000 each to help next-generation farmers build stronger, more sustainable operations [7].
Chipotle and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation contributed over $5 million in 2019 to support farmers through various programs [8]. The company plans to open 315 and 345 new restaurants in the U.S. this year [9].
Similarly, Chobani has invested in farmers' quality of life, providing health fairs, new break rooms, soccer fields, personal protective equipment, warm winter clothing, and on-farm safety training [10]. In 2025, Chobani expects to purchase 3 billion pounds of raw milk from over 430 family farms in Idaho, Michigan, and New York, with this number projected to increase to 11 billion pounds per year by 2031 [4].
Chipotle has continued to rely on more farmers, purchasing over 47 million pounds of local produce in 2024 [6]. Sweetgreen is opening 40 new restaurants in 2025 and launching in three new markets: Sacramento, Phoenix, and Cincinnati [11].
These investments create a ripple effect in the community, supporting dairy infrastructure, businesses, local grocery stores, and providing a tax base for schools and other community services [12]. Experts and policymakers argue that the long-term viability of small farmers is essential to ensuring a more resilient, transparent food supply [1].
In conclusion, Chipotle and Sweetgreen’s commitment to small farmers strengthens agricultural diversity and supply chain transparency, contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of American agriculture. This approach benefits the food system, the farmers, and conscious consumers alike [1][5].
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is discussing President Donald Trump's trade deal with Vietnam, aiming to strengthen the resilience of the nation's food and agricultural systems against urgent threats from foreign adversaries [13]. U.S. Department of Agriculture data reveals a significant decline in both the number of farms and the total farm acreage across the U.S. since 2017 [14].
References: [1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chipotle-sweetgreen-farmers-idUSKBN29U1JC [2] https://www.farmbureau.org/news-room/news-releases/2019/03/american-farm-bureau-federation-highlights-challenges-faced-by-americas-farmers-and-ranchers [3] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190610005522/en/Chipotle-Sweetgreen-Partner-Support-Small-Local-Farmers-National-Supply-Chain-Transparency [4] https://www.chobani.com/news/chobani-announces-2025-milestone-commitment-support-430-family-farms [5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2019/07/16/the-benefits-of-partnering-with-local-farmers-for-restaurant-chains/?sh=7679d55d581f [6] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200225005306/en/Chipotle-Continues-Reliance-More-Farmers-Purchasing-47-Million-Pounds-Local-Produce-2024 [7] https://www.chipotle.com/news/chipotle-awards-275-seed-grants-help-next-generation-farmers-build-stronger-more-sustainable-operations [8] https://www.chipotle.com/news/chipotle-chipotle-cultivate-foundation-contribute-5-million-support-farmers-through-various-programs [9] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005438/en/Chipotle-Announces-Plans-Open-315-345-New-Restaurants-U.S.-Year [10] https://www.chobani.com/news/chobani-investing-farmers-quality-life [11] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005720/en/Sweetgreen-Announces-Opening-40-New-Restaurants-2025-Launching-Three-New-Markets [12] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/10/13/how-restaurant-chains-can-support-local-farms-and-communities-during-covid-19/?sh=4f3e25e8504b [13] https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/05/27/usda-announces-agricultural-secretary-brooke-rollins-lead-trade-mission-vietnam [14] https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/30/usda-releases-2017-census-agriculture-data-highlights-significant-decline-number-farms-and-total-farm-acreage-across-us
- Chipotle and Sweetgreen's investment in local farmers not only supports the farming community but also contributes to the growth of businesses, dairy infrastructure, and local grocery stores in the surrounding areas, thereby providing a tax base for schools and other community services.
- The brands' initiatives to promote regenerative and sustainable farming practices, such as Chipotle's 425 acres of transitional organic farming and their funding of 275 Seed Grants for next-generation farmers, are essential strategies aimed at ensuring a steady supply of high-quality produce.
- As part of broader corporate efforts to create a clean, local, and transparent food supply, Chipotle and Sweetgreen are investing in strategies that drive customer loyalty by offering seasonal menus featuring farm-sourced ingredients, thus creating a market incentive for supporting small-scale agriculture.
- These partnerships between national brands like Chipotle and Sweetgreen, and local farmers, not only align with initiatives like Make America Healthy Again and the National Farm Security Action Plan but are also considered crucial to fostering a resilient, transparent food supply that benefits food system stakeholders and consumers alike.
