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The Three Pillars Of Regenerative Organic Certified

Soil Health

  • Builds Soil Organic Matter
  • Conservation Tillage
  • Cover Crops
  • Crop Rotations
  • No GMOs or Gene Editing
  • No Soilless Systems
  • No Synthetic Inputs
  • Promotes Biodiversity
  • Rotational Grazing

Animal Welfare

  • Five Freedoms
    • Freedom from discomfort
    • Freedom from fear & distress
    • Freedom from hunger
    • Freedom from pain, injury or disease
    • Freedom to express normal behavior
  • Grass-Fed / Pasture-Raised
  • Limited Transport
  • No CAFOs
  • Suitable Shelter

Social Fairness

  • Capacity Building
  • Democratic Organizations
  • Fair Payments for Farmers
  • Freedom of Association
  • Good Working Conditions
  • Living Wages
  • Long Term Commitments
  • No Forced Labor
  • Transparency and Accountability
bison grazing on grassland

OUR STORY

Regenerative Organic Certified was established in 2017 by the Regenerative Organic Alliance(ROA), a group of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness.

We exist to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through regenerative organic farming. 

By adopting regenerative organic practices on more farms around the world, we can create long-term solutions to some of the biggest issues of our time, including the climate crisis, factory farming, and fractured rural economies.

Our Vision

We envision a world free of poisonous chemicals, factory farming, exploitation and income inequality, soil degradation, habitat destruction, pollution, short-term thinking, corporate bullies, greenwashing, and fake food.

Instead, we imagine a world in which farmers, brands, policymakers, educators, researchers, and individuals join together to create a healthy food system that respects land and animals, empowers people, and restores communities and ecosystems through regenerative organic farming.

OUR VALUES

We value the health of our incredible, interconnected planet and all who call it home—those above and below ground.

To ensure a healthy planet, abundant and nutritious food, and thriving people long into the future, we believe in continuously improving the way we farm.

To continuously improve, we believe in collaboration with innovative farmers, researchers, educators, policymakers, businesses, individuals, and others. None of us can do this alone.

Journey to Regenerative Organic Certification

Regenerative Organic Certification was created to leverage and bring together existing high-bar certifications in order to avoid duplicative audits or burdensome paperwork. With USDA Organic certification as a baseline, Regenerative Organic Certification recognizes the strong work already conducted by existing animal welfare and social fairness standard bodies, and therefore, leverages this work as part of the journey to Regenerative Organic Certification.

bison grazing on grassland

OUR STORY

Regenerative Organic Certified® was established in 2017 by a group of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness collectively called the Regenerative Organic Alliance, or ROA.

Our mission is to build soil health, ensure equity for farm workers, empower farmers, and improve animal welfare through a holistic farm-based, brand-driven certification.

By adopting regenerative organic practices on more farms around the world, we can create long-term solutions to the climate crisis, factory farming, and fractured rural economies.

Our Vision

We envision a thriving future through regenerative organic agriculture­ that heals our damaged planet and repairs our broken food system.

OUR VALUES

  • We embody hope for a healthy future
  • We value ethical practices that bring integrity
  • We are committed in service to each other and our community
  • We believe in continuous change and improvement

Journey to Regenerative Organic Certified®

Regenerative Organic Certified® was created to leverage and bring together existing high-bar certifications in order to avoid duplicative audits or burdensome paperwork. With USDA Organic certification as a baseline, Regenerative Organic Certified® recognizes the strong work already conducted by existing animal welfare and social fairness standard bodies, and therefore, leverages this work as part of the journey to Regenerative Organic Certified®.

Join the Journey

Sign up to receive email updates and stay in touch with the Regenerative Organic Alliance.

ROC Pilot Program & Participants

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We conducted the Regenerative Organic Certified® Pilot Program in 2019 with 19 farms and brands producing commodities as diverse as dairy, mangoes, and cereal grains everywhere from Nebraska to Nicaragua.

Each farm met with an auditor who analyzed the farm operations against the Regenerative Organic Certified® standards as they were first written. Afterwards, farm participants were invited to provide feedback based on their experience with the audit and prior knowledge of regenerative organic farming systems.

Armed with this feedback and with the help of specialty Task Forces and Advisory Boards compromised of experts in regenerative and organic farming, soil health, animal welfare and social fairness (see below), we revised the framework in June 2020.

Several brands that participated in the Pilot Program have earned the Regenerative Organic Certified® designation:

Alexandre Family Farm Logo
Apricot Lane Farms Logo
Breathe Deep Farm Logo
Dr. Bronner's Logo
Grain Place Foods
Guayaki Logo
Herb Pharm Logo
Lotus Foods Logo
Natures Path Logo
Patagonia Logo
Patagonia Provisions Logo
SolSimple Logo
Tablas Creek Logo

Pilot Program Participants

  • Alexandre Family Farm: Dairy in Crescent City, California
  • Apricot Lane Farms: Avocado oil from Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, CA
  • Audubon
  • Breathe Deep Farm
  • Dr. Bronner’s: Virgin Coconut Oil from Serendipol Ltd. in Sri Lanka
  • Grain Place Foods: Popcorn and Cornmeal from Marquette, NE
  • Guayaki, Misiones, Argentina
  • Herb Pharm, Williams OR
  • Horizon
  • Lotus Foods: Brown and White Basmati Rice from Rohini, India
  • Maple Hill Creamery
  • Nature’s Path: Oats from Legend Organic farm in Saskatchewan
  • Patagonia
  • Patagonia Provisions: Regenerative Organic Chile Mango from Sol Simple, Masaya,  Nicaragua
  • Pratibha
  • Sol Simple
  • Tablas Creek Vineyards, Paso Robles CA

Task Forces & Advisory Boards

Soil Health Advisory Committee Members
Animal Welfare Task Force Members
Social Fairness Task Force Members

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