Regenerative is everywhere and nowhere
How close are we to funding regenerative in CA? And where is the actual food? In the news: our legislators are bananas.
2-min read
There is no shortage of talk in support of regenerative agriculture. But if you go to the grocery store you can’t readily find regenerative certified food.
For years now, we’ve been reading about Big Food sponsoring the conversion of farmland to regenerative. And it’s been four years since Kiss the Ground debuted in theaters (with sequel Common Ground in select theaters now) …. so, where is the actual food?
When it comes to regenerative food, we are not that close to any meaningful contribution to the food supply. Some people say this is because we need consumers to rise up, others say we have to convince more farmers to believe in soil health.
I don’t think we have a consumer problem or a hard-headed farmer problem. I think we have an economic model problem.
I talked to two brands in the past week that are already sourcing organic and are not willing to pay more for the added benefit of regenerative. They say they can’t price their products on shelf any higher, and have no room to compress margins.
I only know of one brand that is pre-paying farmers for loads, which is essentially a loan against regenerative output. If that’s the model, then I’d like to see how risk on low yields or crop failure gets priced into the financing.
Why would I say that? Because regenerative farming is risky.
Take wheat. The only regenerative certified wheat flour product available is all sold out (thanks, King Arthur). Developed in conjunction with Washington State University, the method to get to a grain that works on any given farm uses a technique called “population breeding”:
“This involves planting several thousands of varieties in a field …. to study and select how each one responds to different events throughout the growing season.”
Not a lot of farmers have the luxury to try this out without financial backing.
I sat through the third CDFA public meeting on defining regenerative for California, and the recommendation to the state is already running behind (currently slated for later this summer). Without a definition, the state can’t fund any programs.
I know of regional farms that have been able to make the transition to regenerative through grants. But we cannot subsidize our way to scale in this movement.
If you are a farmer and want to plug into the movement, there are regional systems for you to visit, programs to join, and service providers to get you all set up.
In California – Simple Mills and Burroughs Family Farms are putting on Soil Health Academy. Sponsorships available. Register here
In the Southeast – Ancient Nutrition’s RANCH Project Field Day. Register here
I’d love to hear from you on this topic! Tell me how you think regenerative can scale. See you in the comments.
All my best,
Jennifer
___NEWS_______
Our legislators are bananas.
The news this past week included a Florida ban on lab-grown meat and potential restrictions on types of apps allowed in the U.S., aka the TikTok ban bill.
—> I’m not for or against fake meat, but if I don’t want to eat meat I eat beans. These beans. Whatever you think of fake meat, a ban is not only another reason to not like Florida, it sets a dangerous precedent against innovation and market making in food.
—> The TikTok bill is not just about banning TikTok, but any app that is subject to the direction or control of a foreign person or entity, which the President will decide (vague language theirs, emphasis mine, read it here). Why not be specific so we know exactly how the U.S. President plans to control our social media in the future.
Wow. A lot of you wrote in to last week’s post on colostrum. One bougie brand summarized the trend as,
“Wellness is moving away from “plant based” and toward animals…raw milk, grass fed beef, butter (replacing bad for you seed oils). Colostrum is not another trend or just some supplement. It's nature's very first food…”
Zero Foodprint uses a circular economy model where participating food businesses contribute a small portion of sales which is then used to fund grants to farms to take on more regenerative practices. I think organic has proven that sourcing alone isn't enough to transition acres, we need more funding options specifically for practice implementation
I feel like I've seen some regenerative products from small brands in high end stores, but I've yet to see anything from @GeneralMills or @Pepsi with a regenerative claim. I think you are spot on with what you wrote: "I don't think we have a consumer problem or a hard-headed farmer problem. I think we have an economic model problem...we cannot subsidize our way to scale in this movement."