The SAI Platform has introduced the ‘Regenerating Collectively’ programme, which its greater than 170 members, which embrace corporations and cooperatives, have dedicated to. The programme goals to stipulate a framework for corporations to implement regenerative agriculture practices, a framework that may be utilized on a worldwide stage.
Aiming to enhance soil well being, retain water within the soil, help biodiversity, scale back trade consumption and mitigate and adapt to the worst impacts of local weather change, the framework strives to strengthen and make extra resilient world agriculture. Alongside these components, it additionally goals to maintain farmers’ companies alive.
The framework, which has been already examined out by greater than 20 FMCG corporations throughout their world provide chains, additionally sees the collaboration of a spread of farmers, NGOs, and teachers.
In direction of a working definition
There’s as but no working definition of regenerative agriculture at an EU stage. This has led to some, most notably the Meals and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), to specific issues that such an absence of readability may open up the potential for greenwashing, enabling corporations to enact ‘regenerative agriculture’ of their provide chains with out having to evolve to any clearly outlined set of practices.
The SAI, which represents many key gamers within the trade, has now launched a working definition.
“SAI Platform defines regenerative agriculture as an outcome-based farming strategy that protects and improves soil well being, biodiversity, local weather, and water sources whereas supporting farming enterprise growth,” Domink Klauser, Director of Regenerative Agriculture at SAI Platform, advised FoodNavigator.
“An outcome-based definition permits flexibility within the strategy to attain desired outcomes, based mostly on particular native context which crucially signifies that it’s actionable at farm stage. Regenerative agriculture represents a subset of subjects and the essential factor to notice is that it’s not a substitute for sustainable agriculture, however a element with a selected deal with the pure surroundings.”
A framework to assist farmers
In addition to supplying a definition, the framework may also present farmers with clear tips on tips on how to implement regenerative agriculture. The rules work by way of 4 key focus areas – water, biodiversity, local weather and soil – and thru 4 steps of implementation – danger screening evaluation, end result choice, the adoption of ideas and practices and the monitoring and evaluation of progress.
“SAI Platform’s Regenerating Collectively Framework contains a lot of regenerative agriculture ideas that may be scaled to swimsuit farms and companies of all sizes alongside the availability chain,” Klauser advised us.
“The ideas sit throughout 4 influence areas . . . with a number of the commonest examples together with sustaining soil cowl, integrating livestock and implementing nutrient administration.
“Nonetheless, these ideas are strategies, and the power of the framework is that it isn’t prescriptive about practices and ideas. Farmers are free to pick out acceptable practices and ideas so long as they result in an improved efficiency in opposition to prioritised outcomes.”
The framework, in response to Klauser, may be tailored globally, to suit the context of the person farmer. “One of many key advantages of the framework is that it’s relevant to all terrestrial programs, together with crop and livestock, no matter farm or ranch dimension and placement.
“The flexibleness of the framework – and a novel function – signifies that it may well encapsulate many various practices, however permits farmers to pick out people who match their agroecological and socioeconomic context relatively than being prescriptive in its strategy.”
The framework can be built-in into the SAI’s current initiatives, such because the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS), the Farm Sustainability Evaluation (FSA) and the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP).
Future collaborations
Whereas collaborations with political our bodies such because the EU will not be a key a part of the programme, Klauser emphasises the SAI Platform stays open to potential collaboration between the private and non-private sectors.
“SAI Platform works in collaboration with our accomplice organisations to encourage adoption of the framework throughout the meals and beverage trade. Inside this strategy, alignment between the private and non-private sector stays key to the event of regenerative agriculture transition plans and we’re prepared and keen to have interaction with stakeholders to help and inform coverage growth.”
