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Regenerative agriculture standards expand rapidly, but fragmentation remains a key challenge
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Thursday, 15 January, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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London, UK
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Regenerative agriculture is witnessing rapid global adoption, with certified farmland expanding dramatically over the past four years. According to Ecovia Intelligence, land certified under third-party regenerative agriculture standards has surged from less than one million acres in 2021 to around 25 million acres by 2025. While adoption is expected to accelerate further in 2026, concerns persist around fragmented standards and consumer communication.
Most regenerative agriculture standards originated in the United States, which continues to lead in adoption. The Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) standard is currently the most widely adopted, covering nearly 20 million acres worldwide. It involves 438 farms, over 67,000 smallholders, and 344 licensed brands, including ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. Developed in 2017 and launched in 2020, ROC adoption is particularly strong among US growers of corn, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
The Land to Market program, launched by the Savory Institute in 2018, is the second-largest initiative, certifying more than 6 million acres. Its Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) system focuses on scientifically measuring land health improvements and has seen widespread adoption among livestock producers. Regenagri, introduced in the UK in 2020, follows with 4.37 million acres certified across more than 332,000 farms globally, with cotton and coffee being the dominant crops.
In addition to third-party standards, major agri-food companies are launching in-house regenerative programs. Cargill’s RegenConnect program now covers 2.5 million acres in North America, while ADM works with 28,000 farmers managing five million acres. Global brands such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, and General Mills have also committed to ambitious regenerative sourcing targets for 2030, spanning crops like corn, wheat, coffee, milk, and rice.
However, Ecovia Intelligence warns that the growing number of standards and proprietary programs is creating industry fragmentation. While there is broad agreement on the objectives of regenerative agriculture, differences in definitions, metrics, and verification methods make it difficult to compare outcomes or establish universal credibility.
Consumer communication presents another challenge. Although leading standards offer consumer-facing seals, many companies rely on brand-specific messaging, which can confuse consumers and raise questions about credibility.
Regenerative agriculture and its evolving standards will be a central theme at the Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco on January 28–29, where leading organizations and industry stakeholders will discuss progress, challenges, and the future of verification systems.
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