Paul Holmbeck shares takeaways from recent debates and dialogue about the relationship between movements for organic farming, regenerative agriculture and agroecology, and how all can contribute to strengthening an alternative to today’s degenerative food systems. Greenwashing and sectarian attitudes are equal threats, while the potential for collaboration is great if serious actors stand together.
Regenerative. Organic. Agroecology. Like any ecosystem—there is both mutuality, collaboration and competition. Sorting out where there is mutuality, shared principles and purpose, and where there are conflicts and competition, was the task of several innovative debates and ‘fishbowl’ discussions at large events of the organic movement, such as the world’s largest organic food expo, BIOFACH and the Organic World Congress.
Connecting organic, agroecological and serious regenerative actors
Serious regenerative farmers and actors are natural kin and allies for the organic and agroecology movements. Regenerative principles are at the core of organic. At the level of principles and goals,
there are no regenerative principles that are not already included in the internationally agreed and codified organic principles, and the worldwide principles and elements of agroecology.
For this reason, the ‘beyond organic’ narrative from some regenerative actors is neither accurate nor useful. These claims are always based on comparisons between organic minimum standards and regenerative aspirations. Not only is organic no to pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and GMOs, but it is also yes to the multitude of regenerative organic practices pursuing all these goals for soil, nature and climate. Regenerative is not ‘beyond organic’, it’s beyond some organic standards, but so is organic production.
Regenerative: Why is it gaining momentum?
Momentum around the use of ‘regenerative’ has to do with many things: the attractive aspirational nature of the term, the passion of serious regenerative farmers, the igniting of farmers interest based on farm craftsmanship. But ‘regenerative’ is also driven forward because it is attractive for actors against transformative change. It is attractive because of the ease by which corporate interests can utilize the ambiguity of the ill-defined term to make small changes and re-brand themselves as ‘regenerative’.
Adding regenerative practices to conventional farming is good news. But the danger here is that a small bundle of regenerative practices becomes the new, dominant policy agenda and platform for sustainability, pushing aside more holistic solutions like regenerative organic and agroecology that represent more transformational change. This is a natural goal for the chemical industries that want to maintain their grip on farmers and farm policy. They need their own green messaging, that allows business to continue largely unchanged, and regenerative provides this. The same is true for politicians.
© Naturmaelk.
Organic: Providing a unique access to markets and livelihoods
We must also remember that only organic has built a global infrastructure of standards inspections and certifications that give a real guarantee for consumers and protect producers interests and livelihoods. There are downsides to the inflexibility of standards across contexts, and the bar on organics needs to be lifted higher on climate, soil, fairness and biodiversity, as our best private certifiers do.
It has also been necessary for the organic movement and allies to create grower group certifications more affordable and accessible to small holder farmers, and to create more accessible non-third-party certifications like Participatory Guarantee Systems. But organic standards are also a very strong card. While many organic actors, and in particular the agroecology movement have a strong focus on building resilient local and territorial markets, as an alternative to global commodity markets, the organic movement provides both lessons and strong platforms benefitting farmers, processors and consumers.
Only organic has built a global infrastructure of standards inspections and certifications that give a real guarantee for consumers and protect producers interests and livelihoods.
Agroecology: Inspiring fairness, justice and food sovereignty
The agroecology movement excels in work with fairness, justice and food sovereignty. The organic movement is a part of this work, and northern organic actors need only look to organic leadership in the global south for inspiration. From East Africa to Mexico to the Philippines and India, and so much in-between, organic producers and organisations are protecting seed rights, fair pricing, accessible markets and smallholder influence on policies, practices, land rights and food culture.
But the practices of fairness is not built into organic minimum standards today. The organic movement must redouble our work in solidarity with small-holder farmers and marginalized groups in the global south for equal market access, as in the global fight for farmers rights to land and local, indigenous non-GMO seed, and our fight for grower group certifications. The agroecology movement is our natural home here.
Documenting outcomes: Why is it important, and what to watch out for
Also positive is the regenerative focus on documenting outcomes, as opposed to documentation for organic practices that research shows give outcomes. This preference reminds us of the importance of having facts on impact for soil, biodiversity, equity that our farmers and companies can communicate.
Documentation of outcomes is central to some approaches to payment for eco-services, through subsidies or carbon credit. Ideally these technical solutions, if affordable, will help farmers through redistributing risks and rewards in the food value chain. With reputable actors, yes. But this is not a silver bullet. And not just a technical issue. It is a political issue about power, influence over decisions and distribution of resources. Actors benefitting economically from current power relations in the supply chain will fight to maintain their lions share of value. The lack of social dimension is why (most) regenerative agriculture is described as ‘agroecology without politics’.
Following this whole range of issues and conversations that we need in the organic movement, one key takeaway is this:
we need to stand together with our inspiring allies in agroecology and (serious) regenerative agriculture to create a strong alternative to degenerative food systems!
