The messy world of defining ‘regenerative’
By Pam Strayer in Wine Business, March 2025
- California Dept of Food & Agriculture’s definition of regen ag took 2 years and 7 listening sessions, 500+ public comments. It is still awaiting a final signature.
- The current version states, “Regenerative agriculture,” as defined for use by State of California policies and programs, is an integrated approach to farming and ranching rooted in principles of soil health, biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency leading to improved targeted outcomes.
- Although the term “regenerative” generally refers to practices that enhance soil health and climate resilience, across the board, experts from the USDA to its own advocates say the word leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
- Throughout the hearings, Californians weighed in pro and con on whether organic should be required under regenerative, paralleling a battle playing out in the marketplace.
- Different requirements from different certification bodies
