This spring, we have seen the Regenerative Agriculture movement gather steam at retailer level. With launches of regenerative initiatives from brands such as Unilever, Innocent, and Wildfarmed, products farmed using the regenerative principles are now prominently featured on shelves across the UK and internationally.

As a platform that focuses on supporting farmers and supply chain partners to be more sustainable and take a more holistic approach to food production, this is positive to see. This positivity comes from the hope that this represents a movement from the agriculture sphere to the mainstream adoption of regenerative agriculture.

Bridging Sustainability from Supply Chain to Consumer

While we have worked on sustainability programmes incorporating the key principles of regen across the 14,000 farms on our platform, they have mainly been proactive exercises from the supply chain to support and improve sustainability on farms (their scope 3 impact). In most cases, these programmes focus on B2B stakeholders and internal sustainability objectives. Now we see, particularly in the case of Wildfarmed, products marketed using regenerative as a differentiator or a key feature.

The aforementioned Wildfarmed, whose regenerative flour provides a premium to their suppliers, will prove a great test of the question on retailers’ lips: will the consumer pay? 

Efforts have and continue to be made outside the regenerative movement to make farming sustainable and brand products accordingly. However, price remains the biggest determinant of decision-making on shop floors around the country. That said, we have seen an uptick in discerning consumers factoring sustainability into their decision making, but ultimately, it remains a minority.

This willingness to pay for more sustainably or regeneratively farmed products, should it grow in prevalence, we hope will see a greater premium granted to farmers who are employing these practices, akin to that of the Wildfarmed growers or the Arla Incentive model.

Ultimately it begs the question: how can we grow consumer trust and the perceived value in these products?

Growing Consumer Trust and Perceived Value

• Education: Communicating the Value Proposition
  While much of the success of regenerative terminology with non-farming audiences is due to its easy-to-grasp definition, a certain amount of education will be required to get consumers on board with their wallets. How can agriculture show the value of these principles and their environmental impact to supermarket customers? Figures like Jeremy Clarkson help, but there is more to be done.

• Trust: Certifying Regenerative Products
  With varying definitions of “Regenerative Agriculture”, verifying which products are produced using these methods or not will be difficult. Waitrose have chosen LEAF (Linking Environment and farming) and their marque as the means to do this and gain trust with consumers. Adopting this or a similar marque could be the way to do so.  

At Senus, we believe that data and effective measurement, reporting and verification can be the means to build trust. Collecting accurate data that proves the implementation and impact of regenerative practices on farms can ensure both the processor and customer know where their products are coming from. 

Embracing Regenerative Agriculture for a Sustainable Future

In conclusion, the increasing visibility of regenerative agriculture on retail shelves signals a significant shift towards mainstream acceptance and understanding. We look forward to seeing this trend continue into the future and beyond the initial pioneers. For agriculture, the challenge lies in building trust and demonstrating the value of these practices. Education and transparent certification, such as the LEAF Marque, are essential for helping consumers understand and appreciate the benefits of regenerative farming.

At Senus, we advocate for robust data collection and verification to ensure transparency and trust in the supply chain, ultimately fostering a stronger market for sustainably produced goods.

Kevin Fennelly,
UK Country Manager at Senus