Regenerative agriculture slated to restore ecosystems as pressure mounts in F&B sectors, says FoodChain ID

27 Oct 2023 --- The food agriculture sector faces mounting pressure to reduce its contributions to climate change. While agriculture accounts for around 34% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mainly from farming, deforestation and transportation activities in supply chains, the F&B sector recognizes the imperative to act on climate change, sparking interest in regenerative agriculture’s potential to restore ecosystems and sequester carbon.

Concurrently, 60% of consumers globally now rate sustainability as an essential purchase factor, driving demand for sustainably sourced products ever higher, according to FoodChain ID, a company that has been providing integrated food safety, quality and sustainability services to the global agrifoods industry since 1996.

Food Ingredients First speaks to FoodChain ID ahead of the company’s webinar on regenerative agriculture, which will be broadcast on November 8, 2023. 

Dr. Ruud Overbeek, senior vice president of corporate development and strategic relationships at FoodChain ID, says agriculture is under pressure to demonstrate and improve its sustainable credentials. “At the same time, there is rising consumer demand for environmentally friendly products.”

“Supply chains are the obvious place to start for food companies wanting to mitigate their contribution to climate change, yet they can often struggle to accurately measure emissions, engage suppliers, and fund climate-smart practices,” he notes. 

“Examining the entire food chain is key, including at the start of food production with agricultural and farming practices.”

Regenerative agriculture aims to improve soil health, boost biodiversity and restore ecosystems.Here, second-party verification such as FoodChain ID’s new Regenerative Agriculture Standard provides credibility that food producers engage in sustainable practices that support soil health, increase biodiversity, restore ecosystem balance and mitigate the worst effects of climate change, enhancing consumer trust in sustainable credentials. 

Securing regenerative principles
Overbeek believes that demand for regenerative agriculture is increasing — we know that growth for products making ESG claims is typically 18% higher than expected in the US market. 

“Independent second-party certification can help businesses verify the positive environmental impact of regenerative practices,” he explains. “FoodChain ID’s new Regenerative Agriculture Standard provides credibility and value chain transparency through third-party auditing.”

Additionally, Overbeek says its tiered certification levels recognize farmers as they progress toward full regenerative principles.

Organic farming established foundational soil health and ecological balance principles that can serve as a baseline for regenerative techniques. FoodChain ID and its affiliated companies provide over 20 years of expertise certifying to standards like USDA Organic, EU Organic, ProTerra and others internationally. 

“This legacy provides unique insights as we help scale regenerative practices with our new standard,” adds Overbeek. 

Conscientious purchasing on the rise
Consumers are increasingly concerned about climate change and the food system’s environmental impacts. 

As a result, there’s been growth in conscientious purchasing, namely that consumers feel they should spend money in ways that align with their values. 

But to feel confident doing that, Overbeek maintains that consumers need to know where and how their food is produced. 

“A third-party certification like our Regenerative Agriculture Standard demonstrates supply chain sustainability, enabling traceability and building consumer trust.”

Moreover, mainstream awareness of climate change, deforestation and farm conditions has risen significantly, Overbeek reflects. 

“The growing demand for vegan, plant-based, organic and sustainable products reflects heightened consumer awareness of the food system’s environmental impacts.”Soil health involves promoting agricultural techniques that build organic matter and fertility to create soils that retain more carbon.

This means that prioritizing ethical practices extends beyond food. “Consumers are making more sustainable choices than ever before, and as many as 30% have stopped purchasing products due to ethics concerns in the past year. Priorities have shifted for many consumers who are now seeking food produced in environmentally friendly ways,” he underscores. 

Carbon neutral goals
In FoodChain ID’s webinar, Dr. Chetan Parmar, senior vice president for technical services in Europe and Asia, will explore strategies for companies to reach their 2050 carbon neutrality goals through regenerative agriculture practices. 

“FoodChain ID will examine soil health, land management, and biodiversity approaches that can help businesses build transparent and verifiable systems to track emissions reductions across their supply chains,” adds Overbeek. 

The discussion will focus on the overarching frameworks and partnerships needed to transition global food production toward carbon-neutral models successfully. “By taking a high-level view, we aim to provide fresh insights into the paths businesses can follow on their journey to net zero agriculture systems and more sustainable food supply chains.”

You can register for the webinar entitled “The future of Regenerative Agriculture in a changing world” here. 

By Elizabeth Green