Phone: 202-446-2138

Office: Terrebonne, OR (Pacific Time Zone)

Email: info

Website: agreenerworld.org

—Leading food retailer requires regenerative claims to be validated by an approved third-party certifier or recognized assessment—

Certified Regenerative by AGW joins Regenerative Organic Certified, Regenified, and Ecological Outcome Verified as established third-party regenerative certifications vetted for alignment with Whole Foods Market’s regenerative agriculture benchmarks. Certified Regenerative by AGW is unique in offering a holistic, rigorous and pragmatic plan-based approach, helping to ensure high animal welfare, promoting soil health and biodiversity, reducing synthetic inputs and prohibiting GMOs, while complementing a range of production systems.

Developed over five years—including a two-year international pilot with 50 farms around the world—Certified Regenerative by AGW was road-tested in a variety of regions, climates, and farming systems. The resulting program is a plan-based approach designed to meet farmers where they are on a journey towards greater regeneration for soil, air, water, biodiversity, social impact, and more.

With consumer understanding of regenerative agriculture still evolving, third-party certification has become an important tool for ensuring production claims deliver real benefits—and prevent greenwashing. A recent study by Perdue University found that 57% of respondents were slightly-to-extremely familiar with the term “regenerative agriculture” and 72% supported the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. While affordability remains a key concern for consumers, nearly half of respondents reported a willingness to pay a premium for food produced with regenerative agriculture practices.

A Greener World Executive Director Emily Moose says,

“We applaud Whole Foods Market for recognizing the importance of third-party certification in promoting more sustainable agriculture—and specifically for recognizing Certified Regenerative by AGW as a high-impact program. We are excited about the opportunities for more farmers and brands to deliver positive outcomes through regenerative agriculture, encouraged by demand from people who want to know their food choices are making the world better.”

Zack Gazzaniga, Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips Founder says,

“Out of all the certifications available, we found Certified Regenerative by AGW to be the most meaningful, workable, and straightforward for our farm partners and our brand. The people at AGW are great to work with and understand both farming and business—it’s why we partnered with them to become the first tortilla chip made with regenerative corn. We’re excited that Whole Foods Market has recognized this excellent program and look forward to sharing our regenerative impact—and our famously sturdy chips—with Whole Foods Market shoppers.”

Ann Marie Hourigan, Whole Foods Market Quality Standards says,

“We’re thrilled to include Certified Regenerative by AGW among our approved certifications and to provide our suppliers with this excellent regenerative certification option. At Whole Foods Market, we understand the importance of third-party certifications for quickly communicating to shoppers that our products meet strict criteria for sourcing. Requiring third-party certification for front-panel regenerative claims ensures the products we sell actually support regenerative agriculture in their practices.”

Farms, brands, and other suppliers interested in becoming Certified Regenerative by AGW are encouraged to learn more at https://agreenerworld.org/certifications/certified-regenerative/.

Contact info for help in applying.

A Greener World (AGW) identifies, audits, certifies and promotes practical, sustainable farming systems by supporting farmers and ranchers and informing consumers. AGW’s growing family of trusted certifications includes Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW, Certified Regenerative by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW. Each program is designed to have positive and measurable impacts on the environment, society and animals, and to encourage truly sustainable farming practices. AGW’s standards and procedures are robust, transparent and achievable.

A nonprofit funded by donations, AGW offers a range of resources to help people make informed food choices, including an Online Directory of certified farms and products and Food Labels Exposed—a definitive guide to food label claims (available in print and online). For more information visit agreenerworld.org.

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 rigorous standards are validated on-farm by independent, trained auditors. For more information visit: agreenerworld.org/certifications/certified-regenerative.

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