There are discussions that organic certification should be mandated as the starting point of regenerative agriculture.
Our definition of Regenerative Agriculture:
Regenerative systems improve the environment, soil, plants, animal welfare, health, and communities.
The opposite of Regenerative is Degenerative
This is an essential distinction in determining practices that are not regenerative.
Regeneration International has consistently asserted that the four principles of organic agriculture are essential in determining whether practices are regenerative or degenerative.
Health
Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and indivisible.
Ecology
Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.
Fairness
Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
Care
Organic agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment.
Agricultural systems that use degenerative practices and inputs that damage the environment, soil, health, genes, and communities and involve animal cruelty are not regenerative.
Synthetic toxic pesticides, synthetic water-soluble fertilizers, genetically modified
organisms, confined animal feeding operations, exploitive marketing and wage systems, destructive tillage systems, and clearing high-value ecosystems are examples of degenerative practices.
Such systems must be called degenerative agriculture to stop greenwashing and hijacking.
While we strongly support the principles of organic agriculture, Regeneration International cannot support mandating the current organic certification systems, such as the USDA and EU regulations, as the basis of regenerative agriculture. These systems need long-overdue reforms that are preventing the majority of farmers from taking up certification.
I am part of the generation of organic farmers who developed the first organic standards and certification systems in the 1970s and 80s to ensure the integrity of organic agriculture and stop false claims when people were selling their produce as organic. We did this to protect both farmers and consumers.
Our first standards were simple one—or two-page documents. Organic farmers developed them with extensive experience and knowledge of organic farming systems.
The first certification organizations were formed out of this. They were democratic, not-for-profit membership organizations. Our inspectors were other pioneering organic farmers whom we trusted for their knowledge and integrity. We would have an inspection once every two years and submit a signed declaration for the non-inspection years. We used to look forward to our inspectors, as it was time we could learn from them ways to improve our farms and organic production systems.
The worst thing that happened to the organic sector was when governments started regulating it. At the time, we believed that government regulation would protect the sector and stop fraudulent claims and substitutions, so we strongly advocated for it.
Certification Insight: Organic & Regenerative Agriculture