As the momentum for sustainability grows amongst the food and beverage sector, an increasing number of member companies are stepping into strategies that incorporate regenerative agriculture to help deliver their net zero and broader sustainability goals.
Regenerative agriculture is an approach to food and farming systems that seeks to conserve, regenerate, and strengthen the soil and ecology across farming systems (annual crops, perennial crops and livestock and mixed farming systems). It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle and water retention, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting sequestration, all of which in turn increases resilience to climate change and strengthens the health and vitality of farm soil.
As soil health improves, input requirements may decrease, and crop yields may increase as soils are more resilient against extreme weather and harbour fewer pests and pathogens.
There is debate on the specific practices which come together to form regenerative agriculture, but it encompasses a range of approaches and techniques, coupled to this there is not a consistent approach as to how to measure and monitor regenerative agriculture and its impact.
As a result, The Cool Farm Alliance proposes to initiate a pre-competitive cross industry collaborative working group to explore the topic and bring industry alignment on the practices to promote within supply chains and the metrics to measure, monitor and report against this approach. As part of this collaboration, the project will seek to engage with a range of stakeholders from across the industry, drawn from inside the Cool Farm Alliance membership as well as externally to ensure the project leverages appropriate insight from scientific, technological and on the ground application, as well as work closely with our partners to ensure maximum industry involvement and participation.
Kick-off meeting: 20th September 2022 at 16:00 BST
We will be hosting an initial working group meeting on the 20th September 2022. For those who wish to participate, please contact us at support@coolfarmtool.org with your details and and you will be sent an invitation for the session.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to express your interest in joining the group, send your details to the address above.
