Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum across farming as its importance grows across the food and beverage industry. From farm fields to corporate boardrooms, it’s becoming a central element in corporate sustainability goals and in the future of farming. Today, we can have our French fries made from potatoes farmed in a regenerative way, produced by McCain Foods! Ahead of our upcoming CFBN event at McCain Food’s offices in Oakbrook Terrace, this article offers a refresher on what regenerative agriculture involves and why it matters to every step in the food value chain. Join us for our event on November 12^th, where we discuss this topic with experts and participants can try McCain’s Regen Fries! 

What is Regenerative Agriculture? 

Defining regenerative agriculture is not simple: there is no single, universally accepted definition. It is nothing new, on the contrary, some even say it is utilizing practices used by indigenous communities. The central idea revolves around improving soil health and working in harmony with nature. Restoring soil health is important because it is the foundation of agriculture and is an urgent matter since soil erosion is an ongoing trend. In times where the global population grows and the need for food will grow, and the other hand, where climate change affects the way we can produce food, regenerative agriculture is looking for ways to work with nature to create a more resilient food value chain. 

Having that said, while there is no blueprint of what regenerative farming should look like, there are several core principles that are centered around restoring soil health 

• Minimizing soil disturbance, 
  
• Minimizing the use of chemical inputs 
  
• Maximizing biodiversity, both animals and plants
  
• Keeping the soil covered with crops as long as possible 
  
• Adapting to the local environment 
  

These principles guide farmers in building healthier soils, sequestering carbon, and increasing productivity and profitability for the long run. 

Why Does it Matter?  

The importance of regenerative agriculture varies depending on one’s role in the food system. Let’s explore some key drivers for different stakeholders: 

 Farmers. As we mentioned, a healthy soil is the foundation of productive farming. Farming is a balancing act: the costs of inputs, the challenges of the weather and market pressures have always been part of that equation. This intensifies with pressures of climate change, where farms yields can be affected droughts, floods unexpected extremes in weather. Farming also spans multiple generations: creating farms of the future, where the next generation can still generate yields from productive farmland. These elements are drivers for farmers to look into sustainable agricultural practices, such as regenerative agriculture.  

However, transitioning to regenerative practices involves risk and requires investments, experimentation and time to realize the benefits. Many farmers are looking for financial incentives or other ways of support from partners in the value chain to help offset these initial costs. 

Food and beverage manufacturers. “No lettuce, no Big Mac”, says Beth Hart, McDonald’s Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer. With this statement, she underscores the importance of securing a resilient supply chain that will continue to deliver McDonald’s ingredients even in times of extreme weather conditions. For many food and beverage manufacturers, promoting regenerative farming practices contributes to their corporate sustainability goals and their commitments to combat climate change. For manufacturers like ADM, their program is also a way to help their customers delivering on sustainability expectations from consumers. As Simple Mills’ Senior Director of Consumer Insights Kara Weibeler shared at a recent CFBN’s Innovation Breakfast: “Sustainability is going to become cost of entry into market”.  

But manufacturers can’t do it alone. They will need to collaborate closely with their suppliers (i.e. ultimately the farmers). Offering technical support and financial incentives encourages farms to adopt regenerative practices and helps the food manufacturer to maintain a future supplier. 

Consumers. Taste remains the top driver in food purchasing decisions, followed by price. According to a 2024 IFIC survey, 35% of buyers are also considering the way food is produced as a factor when making food decisions. More specifically, the reasons for purchasing regeneratively farmed products are because consumers believe the overall healthfulness of food is better, they value the vitamin and mineral content of the food and find it important that the food is both healthy and produced in an environmentally sustainable way. 

That said, multiple surveys show that the awareness of regenerative agriculture remains low and there are mixed results when consumers are asked about their willingness to pay. Another complicating factor was highlighted in research by the Farm Foundation which shows that consumers and agricultural experts often have different perceptions of sustainability-related terms, such as regenerative agriculture. To bridge this gap, Farm Foundation advocates for education and developing a shared understanding of sustainability concepts. 

We’re all in this together: regenerative agriculture, as a practice to restore the foundation of our food production is a shared effort for the value chain. We can only achieve it when we understand each other’s needs. 

Join the Conversation 

Join our discussion on building a more sustainable and resilient food system during our event at the offices of McCain Foods in Oakbrook Terrace. Together with industry experts from across the food value chain, we will try to unfold what it takes to “Create the Farms of the Future”, exploring both challenges and opportunities. We invite you to be part of this important conversation.