Regenerative agriculture is increasingly recognized not just as an environmental solution but as a strategic approach to enhancing sustainability and resilience in supply chains. In 2024, several leading companies have launched or expanded their commitments to regenerative agriculture, underlining its importance in their broader sustainability strategies.
This article reviews the latest trends, with a focus on company practices and their impacts, as highlighted in sustainability reports and reputable industry publications.
In this article, we will cover the following :
1. Regenerative Agriculture Trends in 2024: A Corporate Perspective
2. Regenerative Agriculture Summits to come
3. Strategic Implications for Corporations
4. Regulatory Landscape
Regenerative Agriculture Trends in 2024: A Corporate Perspective
Regenerative agriculture is rapidly becoming a crucial component of corporate sustainability strategies. As 2024 unfolds, major corporations are intensifying their efforts to integrate regenerative practices into their operations. This article explores the latest developments and initiatives in regenerative agriculture, highlighting how leading companies are setting new standards in the industry.
Latest Corporate Initiatives in Regenerative Agriculture
Nestlé reporting advances on Reg Ag:
Nestlé had announced a major commitment to regenerative agriculture, investing CHF 1.2 billion by 2025 to spark regenerative agriculture across its supply chain. In May 2024, Nestlé reported over 20% of Nescafé‘s coffee sourced from farmers implementing regenerative agriculture practices in 2023, based on an assessment provided by the Rainforest Alliance. These practices resulted in a reduction in GHG emissions per kilogram of coffee from 15% to 30%.
Unilever launched its first Reg Ag project in the UK:
The company announced in February 2024 launching its first regenerative agriculture project in the UK this year, especially to work with farms growing mustard seeds and mint; as part of their global programmes on Regenerative Agriculture. Unilever plans to regenerate 1.5 million hectares of land and forests by 2030. Unilever has partnered with farms to gather and establish baseline data and has developed a framework to assess the impact of these practices over four years. This framework measures soil health, fertilizer use, biodiversity, water use efficiency, carbon reductions, as well as effects on crop yields and farm profitability. Additionally, Unilever is funding the creation of new technologies to enhance data collection on farms, including a device designed to measure soil carbon levels in real-time.
General Mills’ Regenerative Agriculture Reports 2024:
General Mills reports in its 2024 Global Responsibility Report that more than 500,000 acres are engaged in their regenerative agriculture programs, representing more than half of the company’s 2030 goal. In 2019, General Mills committed to achieve regenerative agriculture practices on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030. The company is working with farmers to enhance soil health, water quality and carbon sequestration across their value chain.
Cargill’s Regenerative Agriculture Partnership with Nestlé Purina:
Cargill announced in April 2024 that its new collaboration with Nestlé Purina supports its sustainability objectives, specifically targeting the expansion of regenerative agriculture to over 10 million acres of North American farmland by 2030. The partnership is expected to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across more than 200,000 acres of corn and soy farmland in the Midwest and is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of the Purina grain supply from Cargill by up to 40 percent over the next three years.
Ahold Delhaize launched open source “climate hubs”:
Ahold Delhaize, one of the world’s largest food retail groups, is strongly committed to regenerative agriculture and sustainability in Europe. In 2024, Ahold Delhaize launched open source “climate hubs” across its European banners to help suppliers reduce their carbon emissions. These online platforms give suppliers access to carbon emissions information and resources, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), helping them navigate the process of reducing and reporting these emissions. This initiative is part of the Group’s decarbonization pathway, which aims to reduce emissions in the value chain (Scope 3) (Ahold Delhaize)​​ (Ahold Delhaize)​.
Heineken’s debut in large-scale Regenerative Agriculture:
HEINEKEN, recognized as the world’s most international brewer, has announced in 2024 its first harvest of barley from a large-scale regenerative agriculture initiative. This achievement stems from the TRANSITIONS programme, led by VIVESCIA, a French cooperative group specializing in farming and food processing. This partnership with VIVESCIA and its malt subsidiary, Malteurop, marks HEINEKEN’s debut in large-scale regenerative agriculture. The program emphasizes an outcome-based approach that aims to enhance soil health, biodiversity, climate resilience, and water management while fostering the growth of farming enterprises. This collaboration is part of HEINEKEN’S ambition to reduce its scope 3 FLAG emissions by 30% by 2030 and to achieve Net Zero in their value chain by 2040.
Regenerative Agriculture Summits to come
European Regenerative Agriculture Summit
Date: September 3-5, 2024
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Details: The Regenerative Agriculture Summit Europe seeks to unite the food and textiles industries for collaborative discussions and peer-to-peer exchange on advancing collective progress. This event will promote and expedite the integration of regenerative practices into supply chains while offering critical insights to guide corporate strategies. It will also aid in developing clear, transparent, and unified frameworks for measuring impact, ultimately supporting the achievement of sustainability goals.
Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit
Date: November 19-21, 2024
Location: Singapore
Details: As the flagship event of Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW), the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, in partnership with Temasek, the Singapore Food Agency, and Enterprise Singapore, will convene over 1000 global leaders to address key priorities for enhancing capacity, security, and resilience in Asia’s agri-food system. Against the backdrop of climate change’s severe impacts, the summit will focus on climate adaptation strategies to secure future food supplies in the region. Held at Marina Bay Sands, the summit will explore innovative solutions—from regenerative agriculture and AI-driven tools to novel foods and climate-smart aquaculture—while fostering high-level discussions, networking, and deal-making to drive climate-positive investments across the agri-food value chain.
Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems Summit USA
Date: March 25-27, 2025
Location: Chicago
Details: The Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems Summit USA will gather over 350 industry leaders from across the food value chain—from growers to brands and retailers—to address the challenges and opportunities in adopting regenerative practices. Participants will engage in workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, start-up pitches, a visit to a regenerative farm, and 1-2-1 meetings designed to foster new partnerships across the supply chain.
Sustainable Agriculture Summit
Date: November 20-21, 2024
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Details: The Sustainable Agriculture Summit is the leading sustainability event created by and for the agriculture sector, uniting farmers, suppliers, processors, brands, academia, conservation organizations, and the public sector. It serves as a hub for agricultural stakeholders to learn from expert speakers, exchange challenges and successes, and build cross-sector partnerships for a more sustainable industry.
Strategic Implications for Corporations
Overcoming Challenges
In general, transitioning to regenerative agriculture faces several key challenges, including economic barriers such as the significant upfront costs and lack of market incentives, which can deter farmers from adopting these practices. Big corporations transitioning to regenerative agriculture encounter several challenges. High capital and investment requirements present a major obstacle, as substantial upfront costs are needed for new technologies and infrastructure. Supply chain complexity adds to the difficulty, as integrating regenerative practices requires extensive coordination with suppliers and stakeholders. Uncertainty around market and consumer demand can impact the financial justification for the transition. Regulatory and policy barriers also pose a challenge for corporations, as existing policies often favour conventional practices and lack supportive incentives. Additionally, operational and knowledge gaps require specialized expertise in regenerative methods, which corporations may need to develop or acquire. Finally, long-term ROI and performance measurement issues arise because the benefits of regenerative practices typically take years to become evident, questioning short-term financial assessments.
Leveraging Opportunities
Regenerative agriculture presents a compelling opportunity for large corporations to bolster their supply chain resilience, respond to growing consumer demand for sustainability, and proactively address increasingly stringent environmental regulations. By focusing on soil health and biodiversity through practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and reduced tillage, regenerative agriculture creates more stable and reliable crop yields. This resilience reduces vulnerability to climate-related disruptions and lowers long-term costs associated with chemical inputs and water use. For corporations, investing in these practices within their supply chains means not only securing a steady source of high-quality raw materials but also fostering stronger, more collaborative relationships with suppliers. On the consumer front, the increasing demand for transparency and environmentally friendly products allows companies to differentiate their brands by highlighting their commitment to sustainable sourcing. This can enhance brand loyalty, attract eco-conscious consumers, and even justify premium pricing. Moreover, as governments worldwide impose stricter regulations on environmental impacts, early adoption of regenerative practices positions corporations to meet or exceed these requirements, reducing the risk of fines and operational disruptions. By lowering their carbon footprint and improving ecosystem health, companies can align their operations with global sustainability goals, ensuring their long-term viability in a rapidly changing market landscape.
Regulatory Landscape
Current regulations linked to regenerative agriculture are often embedded within broader agricultural and environmental policies that focus on sustainable practices, soil health, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation. Several key regulations and initiatives, particularly in major markets like the European Union and the United States, are shaping the way corporations integrate regenerative practices into their supply chains.
European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy
The European Green Deal, launched in 2019, is the EU’s roadmap for making the EU’s economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas. The Farm to Fork Strategy is a core part of this deal, focusing on creating a fair, healthy, and environmentally-friendly food system. It includes targets such as reducing the use of chemical pesticides by 50% and increasing organic farming to 25% of total farmland by 2030. For large companies, this means a shift towards sourcing from farms that use regenerative practices, such as crop diversification and reduced chemical inputs.
USDA Sustainable Agriculture Programs
In the United States, the USDA supports sustainable farming through various programs. Companies that engage in large-scale farming or sourcing from U.S. suppliers must consider the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which are particularly relevant to regenerative agriculture. CSP encourages farmers to maintain and improve existing conservation systems and adopt additional practices such as cover cropping and resource-conserving crop rotations. EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to farmers who implement conservation practices on their land. These programs provide incentives for adopting practices that are integral to regenerative agriculture.
Carbon Farming Initiatives
Carbon farming involves agricultural practices increasing the amount of carbon stored in the soil, thus reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Australia is a leader in this area, with its Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) offering financial incentives to farmers who implement carbon sequestration practices.
The European Union (EU) has been actively working on regulations and programs to promote carbon farming, particularly to incentivize the private sector. The European Green Deal is the EU’s overarching strategy aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. It includes provisions to promote carbon farming as a way to sequester carbon in soils and forests, emphasizes sustainable agricultural practices, and supports the development of carbon farming as a viable business model. The CAP now incorporates “eco-schemes,” which provide funding to farmers who engage in carbon farming practices such as cover cropping, agroforestry, and other carbon sequestration methods.
Launched as part of the Farm to Fork Strategy under the European Green Deal, the Carbon Farming Initiative specifically focuses on promoting carbon farming as a new green business model that creates income for the stakeholders in the bioeconomy. Besides its possible promotion via EU and national policies, it aims to create a framework for certifying carbon removals, encouraging private initiatives.
The Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication emphasizes immediate actions to scale up carbon farming as a viable business model, promoting practices in natural ecosystems that enhance carbon sequestration. It aims to develop a new industrial value chain for the sustainable capture, recycling, transport, and storage of carbon. In 2021, this communication highlighted that the potential for carbon farming is substantial, making it an opportune time to expand high-quality supply across the EU.
Finally, the LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for environmental and climate action. It supports projects that help develop carbon farming methods and practices, including partnerships with the private sector to scale up successful initiatives.
Biodiversity and Soil Health Regulations
In France, considered to be one of the first countries to develop policies in agroecology and implement them into concrete programmes and laws, the Agroecology Project launched in 2012, aimed at supporting education, research and incentives for farmers to achieve production models combining socio-economic and environmental performance, preserving biodiversity, promoting crop rotation and cover crops, reducing reliance on chemical inputs, and improving soil fertility. This also translated into a national programme and a law for agroecology in 2014. However, even if the agroecology policy enhanced more agroecological practices, stronger recognition of biodiversity for agriculture, and more conversion to organic agriculture, it failed to reduce the use of pesticides (Wezel and David, 2022).
In the UK, the post-Brexit Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) financially incentivizes practices that protect and enhance nature while supporting food productivity. Companies sourcing from UK farms might be required to demonstrate compliance with these practices or directly implement them if they own or manage agricultural land.
International Soil Governance and Emissions Guidelines
On a global scale, companies that operate in multiple countries or export/import agricultural products must consider international guidelines like the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM). The VGSSM guidelines support the adoption of best practices for soil management, which can align with various national and international regulations focused on land degradation, desertification, and sustainable agriculture. By adhering to VGSSM, companies can ensure that their practices are in line with global standards for soil health, which is increasingly being recognized in environmental regulations.
Moreover, adhering to SBTi FLAG guidelines helps companies in land-intensive sectors meet international climate commitments, align with the Paris Agreement’s goals, and comply with emerging national and regional regulations related to carbon emissions. It is particularly important for companies that want to demonstrate leadership in climate action and regenerative agriculture and avoid risks associated with stricter future regulations on emissions.
Regenerative agriculture is increasingly supported by a range of regulations and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability in agriculture. While specific laws directly targeting regenerative practices are still emerging, the broader regulatory landscape strongly encourages practices that align with regenerative principles, such as soil health, carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and reduced chemical inputs. These regulations are part of a global shift toward more sustainable agriculture, with governments and organizations recognizing the critical role that regenerative practices play in addressing environmental challenges.
Join Us in Shaping a Regenerative Future
As we stand at the crossroads of agricultural innovation, regenerative agriculture offers a beacon of hope for a more sustainable and resilient future. Regenerative agriculture is more than a farming method—it’s a path to a sustainable, resilient future. By restoring soil health and enhancing biodiversity, we can nourish both people and the planet.
At Mesh Impact, we believe that collective action is the key to driving meaningful change. That’s why we are inviting you to be part of The Mesh Community—a global network of forward-thinkers, farmers, environmentalists, and consumers who are committed to making a real difference.
Your voice matters. Whether you’re a farmer looking to adopt sustainable practices, a consumer seeking to support regenerative products, or simply someone passionate about the environment, The Mesh Community is your platform to connect, learn, and lead the charge for a greener tomorrow.
Ready to make an impact? Join us today, and let’s grow a regenerative future together.
