Chipotle to air first Super Bowl ad, highlighting local farmers

Chipotle is launching its first-ever Super Bowl commercial this year, utilizing the major sports event to run a spot that addresses "the challenges faced within our food system," the fast-casual restaurant chain announced Monday.

Even as a handful of major companies are opting out of spending big money on advertisements during the game to focus on coronavirus relief efforts.

It's called "Can a Burrito Change the World?"

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The spot -- called "Can a Burrito Change the World?" -- will run during the second quarter of Super Bowl LV. The spot will showcase a young boy who is seen rhetorically asking, "Can a burrito change the world?"

Chipotle says the commercial will highlight the impact that its "Food with Integrity" standards could have on the world, such as reducing carbon emissions, saving water and supporting local farmers.

It's a stark contrast to moves by Budweiser, the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, which decided to halt ads for their products during the big game to focus on coronavirus relief efforts.

However, the commercial it's part of Chipotle's pledge to "reinvigorate the fading farming industry for future generations."

Part of the problem, according to Chipotle, is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for young farmers to find affordable land in the United States.

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Industry experts say affordable land access is the biggest challenge preventing these young farmers from building a successful career in agriculture.

"Land access is not only the top challenge for current farmers but also the primary reason individuals are leaving farming and the biggest obstacle presenting aspiring farmers from getting started," Holly Rippon-Butler, land campaign director for the National Young Farmers Coalition, told FOX Business.

Rippon-Butler said the challenge to secure access to such land is "driven by the fact that our legal, economic, and political systems treat land as a commodity rather than a community resource."

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This "manifests in rising land prices, continued loss of land to development, and increasing competition for farmland from non-farming buyers," she added.

With millions of acres of land expected to change hands over the coming years, Rippon-Butler said we have an "opportunity to address this challenge."

As part of its efforts, Chipotle said it is investing $5 million over five years to "help remove barriers and enable the next generation of farmers and ranchers to succeed."

The company also committed to donating $1 to young farmers for every delivery order on game day.

"We want to use this massive platform to help shift attention toward creating positive change for the challenges our food system faces and educate consumers on how they can make a difference," Chipotle Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt said.