—A Greener World has added Certified Regenerative to its portfolio of respected food labels, offering objective and professional verification for regenerative stewardship—

TERREBONNE, OR (AUGUST 16, 2022)—Nonprofit certifier A Greener World (AGW) has announced its Certified Regenerative by AGW program is now open to the public and accepting applications from farmers, growers, and processors, following the completion of a comprehensive two-year pilot program. This innovative certification provides a whole-farm assurance of regeneration and sustainability, measuring benefits for soil, water, air, biodiversity, infrastructure, animal welfare and social responsibility.

As public interest in sustainability continues to increase and broaden in scope, the demand for rigorous, meaningful assurances of responsible farming practices has grown. Building on its successful family of leading labels, A Greener World’s Certified Regenerative program is a whole-farm, plan-based regenerative certification—giving farmers, consumers and buyers confidence in reliability and impact.

A Greener World’s inaugural Certified Regenerative pilot cohort, made up of a group of over 50 farms across the globe, spent the last two years in partnership with A Greener World, evaluating farm standards, plans and auditing procedures for Certified Regenerative by AGW, which have been under development since 2017. Now that the pilot and public comment period has ended, AGW is opening the program to new farm applicants. Certified Regenerative by AGW is designed to welcome farmers and growers of all backgrounds, meeting producers where they are as partners in a journey of regeneration.

Recognizing every farm is a unique part of an ecosystem, the core of Certified Regenerative by AGW is a farm-specific, steward-led Regenerative Plan where producers assess risks, set goals and track progress toward their own meaningful milestones with support from qualified experts in agronomy, biodiversity, water quality and other fields. Plans are reviewed, approved and then audited on an ongoing basis by A Greener World, offering farmers and consumers a third-party source of accountability for each farm’s regenerative progress.

A Greener World Executive Director Emily Moose says,

“We know agriculture can be a force for positive change, and we are so excited to partner with farmers to demonstrate the crucial role that land stewardship can play in solving the urgent challenges we face. Regenerative practices have incredible potential to bring about real change at scale, and farms in the Certified Regenerative by AGW program meet a rigorous baseline and follow an accountable path toward even more sustainable practices.

This program has been in development for many years, with the need for a regenerative certification driven both by consumer demand and by farmers themselves. We are thrilled to officially open the program, and we invite anyone producing sustainable foods or goods to get in touch about getting certified or sourcing ingredients from Certified Regenerative by AGW farms. While our certification starts at the farm, we can work with anyone along the supply chain to provide a trusted assurance of verified, positive impacts and a regenerative journey for change.”

For more information about Certified Regenerative by AGW or A Greener World visit regenerative or 1-800-373-8806.

ABOUT CERTIFIED REGENERATIVE BY AGW
Certified Regenerative by A Greener World (AGW) is a comprehensive, plan-based sustainability certification helping producers demonstrate their commitment to the environment and local communities. More than a certification, it serves as a tool for measuring the impacts of management practices. Certified Regenerative farms maximize soil health while mitigating the negative impacts of humans and livestock. This includes the positive management and regeneration of soil, water, air, cropping systems, livestock, biodiversity, wild harvested resources, and people.

The term ‘regenerative agriculture’ is often used to refer to a range of sustainable stewardship practices, many of which have been used by indigenous and traditional agricultural communities for thousands of years. But rising interest has led to a wide and growing variation in how ‘regenerative’ is defined and practiced. As commitments to adopt regenerative practices increase, so does the risk of misusing the claim to imply sustainability without delivering it—also referred to as ‘greenwashing.’ Currently, most regenerative claims are not verified, resulting in wide gaps in consumer expectation and on-farm practices. Unlike most food labels, AGW’s certifications ensure independent trained auditors visit every farm in the program to verify they’re meeting the standards. For more information visit: agreenerworld.org/certifications/certified-regenerative.

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