Regenerative agriculture: consumers think it is better but don't necessarily understand what it is
An EIT Food Consumer Observatory study on European consumer perceptions of regenerative agriculture shows that consumers generally think it’s a better way to practice agriculture but don’t fully understand what it entails. According to the survey of 81 members from 17 EU countries, many Europeans can guess what regenerative agriculture is and believe that food from it is generally better for the planet. Still, there is a lack of understanding of what these practices entail, as many confuse them with organic farming.
There is no universally accepted definition of regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture has gained considerable momentum in recent years, attracting the attention of farmers, companies, researchers, consumers, politicians and the mainstream media alike. However, there is no agreed, officially recognised and universally accepted definition of regenerative agriculture, the latest buzzword in agri-food and sustainability circles. And widespread adoption among farmers remains limited, as does consumer awareness of the practices.
According to the survey report, definitions are currently based on visions of scientists, farmers, and practitioners, but the consumer’s perspective is overlooked. The scientific literature on regenerative agriculture addresses different issues, from soil health to climate change, and at different scales, from the local farm to the whole food system. However, there seems to be a consensus among scientists that regenerative agriculture is an ecosystem service and it should prioritise soil conservation as well as food production’s social and economic dimensions.
The five main principles of regenerative agriculture
According to EIT, regenerative agriculture generally refers to practices that conserve and restore ecosystems, from restoring topsoil and biodiversity to sequestering or retaining carbon by reducing tillage or planting cover crops between harvests. Rather than being characterised by specific farming methods, regenerative agriculture is guided by principles. The five main principles of regenerative agriculture are minimising soil disturbance, minimising chemical inputs, maximising biodiversity, both animals and plants, keeping the soil covered with crops as long as possible and adapting to the local environment.
Livestock farming can play a fundamental role in regenarative agriculture
Livestock farming helps to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers, as animal manure offers a natural fertiliser for the soil, without which the use of chemical fertilisers would have to be increased. The presence of animals also helps restore the soil’s natural capacity to absorb CO2 emissions and protect biodiversity. The presence of grazing livestock mulch and “minimum or zero tillage” is, for example, key practices of regenerative agriculture to protect and improve the soil structure, to help retain water, nutrients and organic matter, and contribute to the biological viability of soil and natural mineralisation.
Key findings from the EIT survey
The EIT survey found that consumers like the concept and are particularly attracted to food free from ‘chemicals’, pesticides and artificial fertilisers. They recognise the major benefits of regenerative agriculture, such as environmental friendliness, improved animal welfare and the higher quality of food produced. Participants also believe that food produced by regenerative farming systems, including animal products such as meat, dairy and especially eggs, will be much tastier. They believe animals reared using these regenerative practices will live healthier and happier lives, with greater benefits in terms of health and the environment.
But, according to the poll, many mistakenly believe that these practices can only be applied to small and local farms. As a result, they believe that regenerative agriculture is not a scalable solution to European farming problems and that attempts to do so would undermine food security and lead to higher retail prices for consumers. Consumers have an appetite for more information as they want to know more about this topic. Many consumers don’t know or don’t understand how their food is grown or raised, what kind of technologies are used, what chemicals are involved and how these affect their health. They are dissatisfied with how little they know and would appreciate additional information.
For regenerative agriculture to be successful, consumer acceptance needs to be met
Currently, companies lack sufficient consumer insight to develop successful go-to-market strategies for the products they produce, and policymakers struggle to standardise legislation, partly because there is no clear definition that resonates with consumers. For regenerative agriculture to be successful and for the products produced on regenerative farms to succeed on the market, consumer acceptance is essential.
As the report rightly says, it took quite some time for certain consumers to regularly purchase organic foods, so if they’re made to feel that their efforts to be more sustainable with their food choices are still not good enough, then the cycle of guilt can start again.
On the whole, the survey unearthed some pretty positive views of current conventional farming practices. The main concerns with food production seem to focus on using chemicals. This survey also believed that farmers are continuously blamed for environmental problems, but think that farmers should be the only ones responsible for the transition. It is good to see that those surveyed understand that it takes effort, time and financial investment for farmers to switch to regenerative practices.