How Certifiers Can Work Together to Grow the Regenerative Movement

Certification organizations are crucial stakeholders in the regenerative movement. They support farm transition, help protect against greenwashing, and build consumer awareness. However, the number of different certification programs (almost ten with active on-pack claims) drives confusion and results in more time spent debating the definition of regenerative agriculture than working to advance the movement.

I recently attended the Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco, which brought together representatives from the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), Regenified, and the Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI) to discuss how to mainstream regenerative agriculture. The panelists brought a collaborative spirit to the discussion, which was encouraging. Inspired by the panel discussion, here are several ways to collectively grow the regenerative movement:

1. Promote Tangible Consumer Benefits of Purchasing Regenerative Products

One clear point of consensus among the panelists was the need to improve consumer awareness by communicating about what is important to them. The industry needs to educate not just on the value of healthy soils and farms, but what the benefits are for individuals. As has been highlighted in Regenified's recent report, consumers increasingly make health-based purchasing decisions and look for more nutrient-dense products. Focusing on the nutritional value of regenerative products is a clear pathway to increase consumer awareness and interest. 

I applaud the ROA’s recently launched “Heal the Earth, Nourish Your Life” campaign; however, as called out in the State of Regenerative CPG report, we need more collaborative promotion that brings together various types of high-integrity regenerative claims - agnostic of certification. Something like in-store signage promoting multiple regenerative certifications and explaining the benefits of regenerative purchases is needed to continue to reduce confusion and increase consumer buy-in. 

2. Make Verification Practical and Less Burdensome for Farmers

To truly scale regenerative agriculture, verification programs need to be accessible and practical for farmers. Jeffrey Bos from SCI highlighted the need to leverage technology and AI to streamline data gathering, reducing the burden on field-level verification teams and farmers. Reducing the administrative lift can make certification easier and less expensive. Standardizing data fields and creating data interoperability can also streamline processes. Paul Alvarez of ROA explained how they already partner with Fair Trade to unify data collection, avoiding repetitive survey requests from farms. 

3. Demonstrate the Business Case for Farmers

Transitioning to regenerative practices should not be seen as a cultural or ideological choice but as a sound business decision. Certification organizations should work together to gather more robust data and analysis to make the business case for regenerative farming. SCI underscored the need for metrics that demonstrate the financial benefits of regeneration, helping farmers see the value in adopting these practices. Certifiers should combine efforts to evaluate ROI at the crop or farm level, promote case studies, and educate farmers on the business case for becoming certified.

The Path Forward

While it’s clear that challenges remain — particularly the divide between certifications that require organic as a baseline and those that do not — it’s important to recognize that this is not a zero-sum game. The shared goal of transforming farmland and promoting sustainable practices must drive more unified efforts. By collaborating on consumer education, farmer support, and data-driven strategies, certification bodies can work together to transition land, reward farmers for their work, and increase market share for regenerative brands. 

I’m Katey Finnegan 👋, an independent consultant focused on building regenerative agriculture supply chains. I’ve spent the past decade leading sustainability initiatives and designing programs that improve farmer livelihoods and regenerate farmland in sourcing regions, particularly in the Global South. Let’s work together to restructure our food system to benefit smallholder farmers and reward regenerative production!

Editor's Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's alone and do not necessarily represent those of ReGen Brands.