—Partner farms growing flint corn for Zack’s Mighty tortilla chips are now certified by A Greener World for regenerative stewardship—

TERREBONNE, OR (NOVEMBER 1, 2022)—Nonprofit certifier A Greener World (AGW) has announced Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips as the first product of its kind to be made with corn Certified Regenerative by AGW. 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.

Zack’s Mighty is an organic tortilla chip company that has set out to redefine the standards of a delicious chip. Using a rare heirloom flint corn and an authentic tortilla-first process, they’ve created a chip that has a distinct corn taste and the sturdiness to handle dips of guac without breaking. All of the corn used in Zack’s Mighty tortilla chips is regeneratively farmed, and the chips are the first to be made with corn that is Certified Regenerative by AGW!

Zack’s Mighty partner farms were participants in AGW’s inaugural Certified Regenerative pilot cohort, made up of a group of over 50 farms across the globe that 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. With an interest in certifying the corn in their products to ensure their customers are supporting a brand that cares about positively impacting the environment, Zack’s Mighty encouraged their supply chain partner farms to pursue certification through AGW’s new regenerative program for their environmental stewardship.

Certified Regenerative by AGW ensures farms are meeting initial rigorous sustainability standards, but also continually improving. 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.

Owner Zack Gazzaniga of Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips says,

“Our mission to make the best tortilla chip on the market starts with our ingredients and how they are produced. We worked closely with our trusted partner farms to achieve Certified Regenerative by AGW status for the corn used in our tortilla chips. We want to assure our customers that we value transparency and source only high-quality ingredients to create delicious products that are truly good for the planet.”

A Greener World Executive Director Emily Moose says,

“How we grow our food has incredible potential for positive impact. While it’s easy to become paralyzed by the challenges we face, action is a powerful force of hope. Zack’s Mighty and their network of regenerative farmers are proving that when it comes to delivering verified sustainability to customers eager for meaningful impact, where there’s a will, there’s a way. We are excited for this achievement to inspire action in others.”

Customers can find Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips nationwide in Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Wegmans, and more, with a searchable store locator at hello.

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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