The hype about regenerative farming has some sustainable food and climate researchers and advocates concerned. Unlike organic farming, which is regulated under strict rules, or even agroecology with its UN endorsement, regenerative farming has no certification or regulatory requirements. Anyone can market themselves as a regenerative farmer or regenerative food company — flexibility that leaves the term ripe for greenwashing.
Critics also emphasize that the approach doesn’t typically tackle social or economic inequities in the food system. They warn that omission opens the door to a host of social and economic issues, from low wages for farm and processing plant workers to big agribusinesses merging to consolidate their power over farmers and consumers.
Unfortunately, for most farmers transitioning to regenerative farming isn’t cheap. Their yields typically decrease, especially during the first few years of the transition, and without a certification scheme like organic, it is tricky to sell the harvest at a premium price to cover the extra costs. Regenerative agriculture can potentially require more labour, again increasing costs. For many farms, that burden is too big to overcome without extra financial support. With the bulk of Canada’s farm subsidies geared to helping farmers maximize their yields for Canada’s $56-billion annual agri-food export market, farmers have few options to fund a transition to more sustainable practices.
