Reimagining Food Systems: Scaling Regenerative Agriculture Through Re-engineering Supply Chains

SpeakerS:

Richard Zaltzman, CEO, EIT Food
Sonya Hoo, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group

With Core Programming Partner

“Put the farmer right at the center of this; if the farmers are not involved every step of the way, it's very difficult to succeed, and there's a real lack of farmer voice in these discussions at the moment.” Richard Zaltzman
“One thing we hear a lot when we do talk to farmers, but also when we look at the economics of transitioning as a farmer, is that there are often quite clear long-term benefits from transitioning to more regenerative practices.” Sonya Hoo

Key takeaways:

  • Involving farmers for regenerative agriculture: There is a need to engage farmers, as their voices are often missing from discussions on transitioning to sustainable practices, enhancing  effective implementation. 
  • Risk distribution is necessary: The risk of transitioning to regenerative practices is currently borne mainly by farmers, and must be spread across the entire food value chain, involving companies and consumers. 
  • Pre-competitive collaboration accelerates change: Building pre-competitive spaces allows organizations within the same landscape to work together, enhancing knowledge and scaling successful practices. 
  • Promote policy and regulatory support l: Policymakers play a significant role by setting up the right incentives, like shifting subsidies from production volumes to environmental outcomes,  encouraging sustainable practices. 
  • Financial support for farmers: While long-term benefits exist, farmers face short-term risks and costs when adopting regenerative practices and are in need of  innovative financing mechanisms to support the initial transition period. 
  • Sharing knowledge is  key: Building networks of landscapes allows for rapid learning and dissemination of effective strategies. 

Action items:

  • Integrate farmers into policy and industry discussions: Actively include farmers in policymaking processes and industry forums to ensure their perspectives are represented. 
  • Develop risk-sharing mechanism: Create strategies to distribute the risk of transitioning to regenerative practices along the value chain. 
  • Establish pre-competitive collaboration: Form alliances where companies can collaborate on sustainability initiatives without antitrust concerns. 
  • Advocate for supportive policy changes: Engage with governments to shift agricultural subsidies towards environmental outcomes. 
  • Financial instruments for transition support: Develop funding solutions, such as grants or low-interest loans, to aid farmers during the transition phase. 
  • Facilitate networks for knowledge exchange: Build and participate in networks that enable sharing of best practices among different regions and landscapes.

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