The SAI Platform has introduced the ‘Regenerating Collectively’ programme, which its greater than 170 members, which embody firms and cooperatives, have dedicated to. The programme goals to stipulate a framework for firms 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, cut back trade consumption and mitigate and adapt to the worst impacts of local weather change, the framework strives to strengthen and make extra resilient international 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 firms throughout their international provide chains, additionally sees the collaboration of a spread of farmers, NGOs, and lecturers.
In the 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 precise considerations that such a scarcity of readability may open up the potential for greenwashing, enabling firms 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 method that protects and improves soil well being, biodiversity, local weather, and water assets whereas supporting farming enterprise improvement,” Domink Klauser, Director of Regenerative Agriculture at SAI Platform, informed FoodNavigator.
“An outcome-based definition permits flexibility within the method to attain desired outcomes, primarily based on particular native context which crucially implies that it’s actionable at farm stage. Regenerative agriculture represents a subset of matters and the essential factor to notice is that it’s not a alternative for sustainable agriculture, however a element with a particular deal with the pure setting.”
A framework to assist farmers
In addition to supplying a definition, the framework can even present farmers with clear tips on learn how to implement regenerative agriculture. The rules work by means of 4 key focus areas – water, biodiversity, local weather and soil – and thru 4 steps of implementation – threat screening evaluation, final result choice, the adoption of ideas and practices and the monitoring and evaluation of progress.
“SAI Platform’s Regenerating Collectively Framework consists of a lot of regenerative agriculture ideas that may be scaled to swimsuit farms and companies of all sizes alongside the provision chain,” Klauser informed us.
“The ideas sit throughout 4 affect areas . . . with a few of the commonest examples together with sustaining soil cowl, integrating livestock and implementing nutrient administration.
“Nevertheless, these ideas are ideas, 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 towards prioritised outcomes.”
The framework, in accordance with Klauser, might 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 techniques, together with crop and livestock, no matter farm or ranch measurement and placement.
“The flexibleness of the framework – and a novel function – implies that it might probably encapsulate many various practices, however permits farmers to pick out people who match their agroecological and socioeconomic context reasonably than being prescriptive in its method.”
The framework might be built-in into the SAI’s present 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 aren’t 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 companion organisations to encourage adoption of the framework throughout the meals and beverage trade. Inside this method, alignment between the private and non-private sector stays key to the event of regenerative agriculture transition plans and we’re prepared and prepared to have interaction with stakeholders to assist and inform coverage improvement.”
