The Battle Over ‘Regenerative’: Why Agriculture’s Hottest Term Has No Clear Definition
The regenerative agriculture movement is booming, with a 22 percent year-over-year increase in shoppers buying certified products. But without federal regulation, competing certification bodies disagree on fundamental questions—like whether "regenerative" farming can include chemical pesticides. While some certifiers require organic practices as a foundation, others take a "big tent" approach that allows synthetic inputs. The result? A marketplace where the same term can mean vastly different things, potentially misleading consumers who expect "regenerative" to guarantee chemical-free farming.
