Is regenerative the future of farming? What It Means for The Food Service Industry
Find out how corporate commitments to regenerative farming can help build food system resilience in our new report.
Why do our food systems need improving?
The food and beverage industry grew rapidly over the 20th century to meet unprecedented population growth. While achieving the goal of providing affordable food for many, there was also an associated depletion of natural resources. Realising the impact of scope 3 emissions, our industry has begun the urgent action needed to turn back the tide by adopting agricultural systems that sustain and improve resources.
Why do we need to switch to regenerative farming?
If we accept that our food system is in need of review, could the answer lie in a transition to regenerative agriculture? The view among a significant cohort of farmers and food businesses, alongside academics, scientists and campaigners, is that regenerative agriculture, if not a silver bullet to solving the ills of the food system, can at least provide a key part of the solution as we seek to build long-term resilience and security.
Regenerative agriculture explained
This report takes a deep dive into why there is growing interest among farmers and food businesses in the concept of regenerative agriculture. It first considers how we should define regenerative agriculture and what are the key environmental outcomes it should deliver. We hear from the farmers and businesses leading the shift to regenerative agriculture and the extent to which they, and other experts, believe a transition away from current reductive farming practices can contribute to corporate and national net zero targets, alongside other environmental ambitions. And we consider questions around scalability and the need to ensure regenerative agriculture translates into meaningful, long-term regeneration rather than short-term, piecemeal actions that risk locking in harmful practices.
Why is regenerative agriculture so important?
Supporting the food service journey to net zero
A shift to regenerative agriculture underpins the net-zero plans of many major food and beverage businesses. At Nestlé, rRegenerative agriculture sits at the heart of our Net Zero Roadmap, so we’re using our size and reach to advance it at scale. We’re investing CHF1.2bn (£1bn) in regenerative agriculture across our supply chain and are committed to sourcing 20% of key ingredients from regenerative agriculture methods by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
Supports the planet and communities
Regenerative agriculture has huge potential to improve soil health and fertility, sequestering carbon, protecting water resources and safeguarding biodiversity. This can improve the resilience of farms and yields in the face of extreme weather, making an important contribution to the livelihoods and health of communities, as well as our planet.
How can businesses support regenerative agriculture?
Collaboration will be key to driving initiatives at scale. It’s important to recognise that regenerative agriculture is not a quick fix and will require time and commitment. Our experts in responsible sourcing tell us:
The collaboration of all parts of the industry is important, so we’ll continue to share our learnings and best practices across the industry as we progress, so we can work together to drastically reduce scope 3 emissions while re-establishing and preserving the planet’s biodiversity.
We hope this report inspires your journey towards a more regenerative food system. For more insight, read our footprint sustainability index and discover more about how the industry can improve sustainability. Or contact us for further questions.
