New Certification Pathway Aims to Scale Regenerative Agriculture
The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROC) has launched a new initiative called Journey to ROC to address greenwashing concerns while expanding adoption of regenerative agriculture practices worldwide, according to reports from industry sources. The program creates a stepped certification pathway that allows farms and food brands to gradually meet ROC’s rigorous standards through partnership with RegenAgri, another regenerative certifier with less stringent requirements.
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Addressing the Certification Gap in Sustainable Farming
Analysts suggest the initiative addresses a critical tension in the sustainable agriculture movement between maintaining high standards and encouraging broader adoption. “The challenge with regenerative claims is that so many of them lack any clearly-defined standard and are not third-party verified,” Christopher Gergen, CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, stated in the report. Sources indicate that ROC, considered the gold standard among approximately a dozen regenerative agriculture certifications, has faced criticism for its high threshold that includes a baseline of organic farming.
The report states that many farms and food brands unable to meet ROC’s standards have either sought certification from other organizations or abandoned regenerative agriculture altogether. “We’ve got brands that want to get their supply chains on this path, and we never had a good answer for it. That left open the door of them going to a substandard verification,” Gergen explained. “Now we’ve mitigated that.”
Structured Transition Program With Clear Benchmarks
According to program details, Journey to ROC enables farms and brands aiming for ROC Certification but not yet meeting its requirements to become RegenAgri certified first. These operations then have three to five years to implement necessary changes to graduate to full ROC Certification. “Farmers start their regenerative organic journeys from a lot of different places depending on their current agricultural practices,” Franco Costantini, RegenAgri CEO, noted in the report. “We need to meet the farmers where they are.”
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The partnership represents what some analysts describe as a strategic compromise between integrity and accessibility in sustainable agriculture certification. While ROC maintains its requirement for organic farming as a baseline, RegenAgri does not require organic practices for its certification, acknowledging that some farms cannot immediately meet this standard. Farms entering the Journey to ROC program must begin by meeting at least one of ROC’s three pillars—soil health, animal welfare, or social fairness—while working toward implementing all three and obtaining organic certification.
Global Expansion and Market Incentives
Reports indicate the partnership will significantly expand ROC’s international presence. RegenAgri has certified more than 300,000 farms worldwide in its five years of operation, compared to ROC’s more limited US-focused footprint. The global recognition was reportedly a major factor in the partnership, with ROC aiming to add 100 ROC Certified brands in Europe within five years using ingredients from European ROC Certified farms.
“The incentive is the market signal that people have recognized ROC Certification as the highest standard,” Gergen stated. “They are demanding more of it and are willing to pay a premium.” Sources suggest this market differentiation is crucial for driving adoption, similar to how technological innovations like regenerative braking systems created value in automotive industries.
Data Sharing and Continuous Improvement Framework
The two organizations will begin a data-sharing partnership, leveraging their shared focus on practice- and outcome-based standards. “We need to know what is being done and what is achieved in such a way that we know what’s working, what’s not working and where we see more impact,” Costantini explained. This approach to continuous improvement reflects broader trends in sustainable industries, including developments in regions like Taiwan that are advancing environmental technologies.
The report emphasizes that regenerative agriculture itself is not a destination but a process of continual improvement. Even ROC Certified farms must demonstrate ongoing progress year after year. This philosophy aligns with emerging approaches in other sectors, including content moderation developments at platforms like those covered by Industrial Touch News and Factory Tech News, where gradual implementation and continuous assessment are becoming standard practice.
Industry Impact and Consumer Education Challenges
Despite the partnership, questions remain about market acceptance. RegenAgri is reportedly not an accepted regenerative certification for front-of-package claims at Whole Foods Market, the nation’s largest natural grocer that helped establish USDA Organic guidelines. It remains unclear whether the new initiative will change this status.
Analysts suggest the proliferation of regenerative agriculture certifications has created consumer confusion, contrary to the intended purpose of certification programs. “If we can get a number of these high quality standards working with one another through this equivalency process,” Gergen stated, “it will become easier for farmers and a lot more straightforward for the industry.” This consolidation trend mirrors developments in technology sectors, including the shareholder value initiatives covered by Industrial Computing News.
The Regenerative Organic Alliance, formed in partnership with the Rodale Institute in 2017, maintains its requirement for organic farming as a baseline for regenerative practices. While ROA and RegenAgri have no plans to merge, they will work more closely to create what Costantini described as “a framework with brands, helping us and ROC to generate support, drive demand and increase the value of products.”
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