San Francisco, CA—
There is currently an estimated 25 million acres of land that have been third-party certified for regenerative agriculture. This number shows a significant increase from just five years ago in 2021, when less than 1 million acres had been certified. As a result of this expansion, an overabundance of certifying authorities have emerged within the space, creating different standards for requirements and hindering uniformity. To help provide clarity amongst industry participants, the 16th annual North American Sustainable Foods Summit, taking place today and tomorrow in San Francisco, has invited several distinguished third-party certifiers to participate in the two-day event to help educate individuals on the proliferation of standards and the challenges being faced with varying definitions and standards.
The upcoming show
Our Sustainable Foods Summit Focuses on AI & New Tech coverage previewed the themes and agenda for this 2026 conference. Participants including; Rodale Institute, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Kiss the Ground, Applegate, Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CSU Chico), GoodSAM, and Alter Eco Foods will all be sharing their experiences and insights during the Summit. Also attending this year’s function will be representatives from leading standards, including:
- The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROC): Developed in 2017, certification began in 2020 and is currently the leading industry standard with 438 farms and over 67,000 smallholders managing almost 20 million acres worldwide. It also has 344 brand licensees, including ingredient suppliers, brands, and contract manufacturers.
- Land to Market: Launched in 2018 by the Savory Institute, the outcome-based verification program is the second most widely adopted, certifying over 6 million acres. Its Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) method scientifically measures and verifies land health improvement. The program has been widely adopted by livestock producers and includes over 100 brand members and a consumer-facing seal for certified products.
- A Greener World (AGW): Collaborates with roughly100 businesses to adopt its Certified Regenerative standard, with the total certified land expected to reach 50,000 acres.
- The Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI): Works with over 115 farmers managing over 350,000 acres of farmland.
Investing in the future
In addition to third-party schemes, agri-food companies have also taken it upon themselves to create their own in-house programs. Brands like Cargill have launched RegenConnect, which is used by farmers of 2.5 million acres in North America of primarily corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton farms. ADM and its regenerative agriculture program involves 28,000 farmers managing 5 million acres, 90% of which are in the United States.
Several corporations have also taken a keen interest in regen ag, adopting the practice as part of their sustainability initiatives, including:
- PepsiCo: Partnering with ADM to grow corn, wheat, and soybeans regeneratively, targeting 2 million acres by 2030. Part of its “pep+ Positive Agriculture” policy, PepsiCo has set a global goal of 10 million acres for regenerative, restorative, or protective practices. The company has partnered with several organizations to help achieve this goal including Soil Capital in Europe to scale regenerative farming and with National Geographic to support regenerative agriculture practices.
- Nestlé: Targeting to source 50% of its key ingredients from regenerative agriculture farms by 2030, having reached 21% by 2024. About a third of its Nescafé green coffee is grown according to regenerative agriculture practices; the company is also sourcing milk and wheat under regenerative principles.
- Unilever: The company is aiming for 1 million hectares of agricultural land by 2030. It has launched 15 projects to grow rice, rapeseed, vegetables, and other crops. General Mills targeted 1 million acres by 2030, partnering with the Rodale Institute and American Farmland Trust to promote regenerative practices for milk and grain production.
- Tate & Lyle: The ingredients company has established regenerative agriculture projects in several countries including a project for corn producers in France and work with corn producers covering 1.5 million acres in the USA, as well as stevia producers in China. Other companies with notable regenerative initiatives include McCain Foods, as well as retailers Walmart and Waitrose.
For more on the 16th annual North American Sustainable Foods Summit, please visit sustainablefoodssummit.com/northamerica/
