As ‘regenerative agriculture’ captures the spotlight, how should the organic sector respond? It’s a question that is increasingly on the minds of organic industry actors, and one that was up for discussion at this month’s Soil Association Organic Trade Conference.
In a timely session on the topic, Sarah Compson, director of standards innovation at the organic charity, and Soil Association Certification’s head of marketing Niamh Noone, argued that organic businesses have a unique opportunity to lead the conversation by demonstrating how organic already delivers on regenerative principles.
An explainer in a single word
Opening the session, Niamh Noone acknowledged that regenerative is in the ascendancy, and that it has easily understandable appeal. “It’s a great word, right? It’s a brilliant explainer in a single word, which makes it a gift for marketers.” But, she added, therein lies the rub: “It’s an unregulated terms, so it can be used – and is being used – to mean so many different things. At best it’s being used as a way to describe truly nature-friendly farming. But at worst it’s used in a really cynical way to greenwash and push for business as usual.”
There was a further specific challenge for organic, she said: “There is something of an ‘organic versus regenerative’ position being made, in which organic is being portrayed as something static while regenerative is transformative”.
“There is something of an ‘organic versus regenerative’ position being made, in which organic is being portrayed as something static while regenerative is transformative”
Sarah Compson took up the point: “Often we see unfair comparisons being made and it’s increasingly a source of frustration. For example, where you see brands, or a general narrative, comparing the aspirations of the regenerative movements with the established standards of organic, in ways that are often inaccurate.
“We take a view that this is a complex area but that organic and regenerative organic are rooted in the same principles. And we welcome what we would call serious regenerative actors as natural allies.”
Elevating truly regenerative
Compson, an IFOAM Organics International World Board member, said that the opportunities and challenges presented by the current focus on regenerative prompted the international organic body to clarify its own thoughts and position through a policy statement (issued earlier this year). The statement sets out IFOAM’s aim to “elevate truly regenerative agriculture”, which it groups under four main points.
The first of these recognises that organic agriculture is rooted in regenerative principles and practices. The second states that the organic movement welcomes “serious regenerative actors as natural allies bringing new inspiration”. Thirdly, IFOAM says it is alarmed by “widespread misuse of regenerative and co-option of the term to distract from transformative solutions”. The fourth point reaffirms the strengths of legally defined organic standards that create trust and come with a track record of proven benefit and decades of market building.
Compson acknowledged the role regenerative had played in “making soil sexy”, and said the organic sector could learn from many of the things serious regenerative actors are doing. She said the organic sector needed to communicate more confidently about how organic already delivers on areas where regenerative seeks to offer solutions – for example, climate change mitigation, soil health and biodiversity.
Leaning in
Noone said there was “a great opportunity (for organic) in marketing terms to lean into that interest in regenerative”. She explained: “Anything that gives the media a chance to see organic through a slightly different lens is a great opportunity, I think. Encouraging brands to talk about the trust aspect of a certified system like organic, and showing to consumers that when they buy organic they are making good choices would be very positive. In many ways organic is the gold standard in regenerative – and a system that is recognised in law.”
“We might think regenerative is a huge deal. But it’s really not on the radar at all for mainstream consumers at this stage. There’s a huge lift to do to get consumer awareness of regenerative further along in any meaningful well”
Organic is the ‘big kid’ in the room Earlier in the day, the entrepreneur and sustainability expert Solitaire Townsend, urged organic marketers to remember that in the debate about regenerative “organic is the big kid in the room”. She added: “We might think regenerative is a huge deal. But it’s really not on the radar at all for mainstream consumers at this stage. There’s a huge lift to do to get consumer awareness of regenerative further along in any meaningful way. Organic on the other hand is a term consumers are aware of, at the very least. Be very careful about dropping the world organic in your comms. And if you are putting those two terms together, you should be putting regenerative in there as the junior partner. From a public perception point of view regenerative is nowhere. Organic is the big kid.”