As of yet, regenerative agriculture does not have a legal definition at an EU-level. This lack of clarity could give rise to concerns about greenwashing within the industry. However, there has been progress in this area. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) recently released a definition as part of its ‘Regenerating Together’ program. According to Domink Klauser, Director of Regenerative Agriculture at SAI Platform, regenerative agriculture is defined as an outcome-based farming approach that protects and improves soil health, biodiversity, climate, and water resources while supporting farming business development.
The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is optimistic about this definition. Theodora Ewer, Program Manager for the regenerative agriculture scaling programme Regen10 at FOLU, believes that SAI’s outcomes-based approach aligns well with FOLU’s approach and will bring clarity to the industry.
However, Ewer also notes that SAI’s definition focuses primarily on the biophysical and environmental outcomes of regenerative agriculture, while FOLU sees environmental outcomes as just one part of the regenerative story. To achieve a holistic transformation towards regeneration, Ewer believes that a focus on social-cultural and economic outcomes is also necessary, involving farmers, landscape level actors, and private sector actors.
Although SAI’s definition is not legally binding, Ewer considers it a step in the right direction. She emphasizes that the framework encourages industry players to strive for outcome-level change rather than mere changes in practice. FOLU advocates for the inclusion of environmental, socio-cultural, and economic outcomes at farm, landscape, and global levels to prevent greenwashing and ensure a comprehensive approach to regenerative agriculture.
Collaboration is crucial in developing an industry-based definition of regenerative agriculture. SAI’s framework acknowledges this by incorporating collaboration with farmers and academics. Ewer stresses the importance of integrating the voices and experiences of farmers and indigenous groups to successfully scale the application of regenerative agriculture.
In summary, the food and beverage industry should be aware of the lack of a legal definition for regenerative agriculture at an EU-level. However, the SAI’s recently released definition is a positive step, focusing on the protection and improvement of soil health, biodiversity, climate, and water resources. It is important to consider not only environmental outcomes but also social-cultural and economic outcomes in order to achieve a holistic transformation towards regeneration. Collaboration with farmers and indigenous groups is key in developing an industry-based definition and scaling the application of regenerative agriculture.