Our focus Food Scaling just and regenerative food and farming The Challenge Regenerative approaches to food systems have grown exponentially, while the term ‘regenerative’ is also growing in popularity across the world. It is a movement rooted in social justice, systemic transformation, and sustainable nutrition, paying homage to indigenous knowledge. It opens possibilities for an ambitious reimagining of how we grow, catch and eat our food, how it is financed and where power in the food system is held. Regenerative agriculture also has the potential to encompass agroecology, permaculture principles and nature-based solutions. It is the opposite of the extractive, productionist approach of much at the current conventional systems. Yet, there is a growing risk that the term is being used is such a wide variety of contexts and systems as to be meaningless. We need to come together to collaboratively to ensure “regenerative” does not become the next buzzword: “local”, “natural or “sustainable”. This is the time to ensure regenerative approaches to food supply work for people and nature. We need to recognise that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, and the wider environment are interdependent. They need to develop into systems that deliver for those who produce and supply food, for food businesses and for citizens. Our approach Our work to advance the field of regenerative approaches to agriculture spans geographies with vastly unique historical contexts, landscapes and cultures. We facilitate convenings with stakeholders to co-develop learnings and collectively create a shared vision and cohesive understanding of what regenerative approaches to agriculture can – and should – provide for people and planet. We seek to deepen context-specific narratives of what it means to be regenerative, expanding the definition to include both social and environmental outcomes that address the deep inequities underpinning the current global systems. Our theory of change rests on the notion that no one sector, region, or stakeholder group will be able to enact that change we envision at the pace that's needed. Thus, working in lockstep, our multistakeholder collaborations set the stage for addressing multiple levers simultaneously to catalyse the transition towards a just and regenerative food systems. It is about mindset shifts and power dynamics. It’s not just getting people together to talk about scaling and catalysing. It is about empowering change, breaking down hierarchies and centring the voices of food actors throughout the supply chain in the process. We also offer one-to-one support to organisations, in the private sector, civil society, philanthropy and policy, that are ambitious to define and activate their role in the regenerative food and farming transition. Examples of our work Growing our Future US In 2020, Forum launched Growing our Future US (GoF US), a pre-competitive platform to address critical levers that could accelerate the uptake of regenerative agriculture if addressed. These levers were identified through a collective diagnosis on the current state of play of agriculture in the US. In 2021, the GoF US community prioritised key areas of work from our original collective diagnosis and launched four workstreams – small groups of actors from across the system trialling new ways of collaborating and driving tangible action toward ambitious system-level change. The workstreams are: 1) Financing the transition, 2) Policy change, 3) Pathways to market and 4) Social outcomes. Each workstream developed a toolkit at the end of GoF US’s initial three-year strategic plan in May 2023. While our workstreams continue to evolve, these tools aim to inspire others to both join the collective efforts, as well as “take up the baton” – scaling, replicating, and building on our learning, insights, and new ways of working – with the ultimate goal of re-wiring the food and agriculture system towards both just and regenerative outcomes. View the toolkits and find out how to get involved here Growing our Future India Our work in India has so far focused on Madhya Pradesh, where we are supporting change-makers from government, markets and civil society, to come together around shared visions for the future of food and agriculture, to align efforts, and to access new insights, resources, and expertise. We work on enablers of the broader adoption of regenerative practices including: designing equitable monetisation mechanisms and developing technology solutions for ecosystem services, such as carbon markets and PES; enhancing the influence and impact of local and state-level civil society organisations on the agricultural transition; and enhancing market access for agroecological produce through new value network models. Find out more about our work in India Growing our Future UK In the UK, we are exploring the practical steps necessary to shift the UK towards regenerative agriculture. We are holding multistakeholder collaborations investigating what is needed to unlock system wide transformation. Our 2023 report on Scaling regenerative agriculture in the UK: Accelerating change through collaboration presents our insights on supporting the shift. We also authored the 2023 Oxford Farming Conference Report, identifying how Supply Chain Synergies can create both environmental benefits and improved farmer profitability. At the heart of this is the need for bold voluntary action alongside ambitious policy frameworks. Read our report on scaling regenerative agriculture in the UK Read our report for the 2023 Oxford Farming Conference In 2024 we launched action-focused workstreams under Growing our Future UK (GoF UK), each seeking to answer a specific question: Routes To Market (Jan-Jun 24): Identifying changes needed in infrastructure, certification, and finance, and support collective action to address transition barriers. Fruit and Vegetable Middle Actors (Mar-Sep 24): helping supply chain businesses in the fresh produce sector to build a more regenerative future The Future of Orchard Fruit (Ongoing): Supporting the UK orchard fruit sector to achieve a regenerative and resilient future. The Future of Dairy (Ongoing): How can new value streams supplement milk production for more holistic sustainability? Learn more about each workstream and how to join in Forum for the Future’s Food team is also actively participating in ongoing industry efforts to align around common definitions of regenerative agriculture, prioritising holistic definitions that include social outcomes alongside environmental benefits. We believe that greater ambition is needed to accelerate the transition to a just and regenerative future. Contact us to discuss ways your organisation or sector could benefit from our insights, toolkits and collaborative initiatives - in the US, the UK, Europe, India or elsewhere What our partners say “I had one of those, “Why didn’t I see this earlier” moments during your [workshop] ... By the end of the conference I had met people where the average farm size was 5 acres in the Caribbean, 100 cows on 110 acres of tropical pasture in Saipan, 42,000 acres of crop land and 50,000 acres of North Dakota pasture with 1,000 cows and a rancher that was also the head of a branch of the USDA in Washington DC. And as different as we all were, we still could talk commonly about family, grandkids and rural living. This makes me believe that no matter how different you may be from someone, chances are there are parts of your life where you agree wholeheartedly.” – John K., Missouri Farmer, participant at a Growing our Future US workshop in collaboration with the National Association of Conservation Districts. Get in touch Please contact our team for more information. Contact us Manage Cookie Preferences