How Regenerative Farming Can Build a Better Food System (and Benefit Your Restaurant)
In this article we explore the concept of regenerative farming, including why it’s relevant for the hospitality industry, how it can benefit your business and how restaurants can get on board.
What is regenerative farming?
Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that mimics natural cycles, restores healthy soils and supports local biodiversity and ecosystems. Many of the techniques involved in regenerative farming focus on building a long-term, sustainable and symbiotic relationship between a farm’s production systems and its natural environment; examples include mixed crop rotation, cover cropping, no-till farming, rotational grazing and the application of compost and manure. These are not new techniques, but rather an informed, modern return to traditional agricultural methods; as described by George Lamb from Wildfarmed at Food on the Edge recently, this is “ancient wisdom, just with GPS”.
Why is it important?
The need for regenerative agriculture stems from the fact that decades of highly industrialised farming practices have depleted our soil health, reduced biodiversity and rendered our ecosystems fragile. Because this is where we currently stand, it’s not enough simply to make a switch to sustainable farming methods. Dramatic change is needed; the pendulum must swing in the opposite direction, reversing much of the damage already done to our soils, forests, oceans, atmosphere and biodiversity. Built upon strategies that actively regenerate and replenish these natural resources, regenerative agriculture does just that.
The environmental and economic benefits of regenerative farming include:
- Protected soil health and fertility
- Better nutrient cycling
- Increased water retention
- Improved animal welfare
- No reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides
- Increased carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Restored biodiversity
- Increased farm resilience against extreme weather and supply disruption
- Increased farm resilience against pest and disease outbreaks
- Enhanced food security and resilience
- Increased profitability for farms in the long-term
Why should restaurants care about regenerative agriculture?
In the UK, a 2023 report from Demos looked at responses from more than 1,500 farmers and policy experts. One of the barriers to widespread adoption identified was the fact that farmers face low levels of demand, as well as competition from imports produced using lower standards. Solving this problem sits within the control of the hospitality industry; restaurants and other food businesses form a unique and influential link between consumers and producers, and have the power to make procurement choices that support sustainable practices. The demand is there: despite the cost of living crisis, more than half of consumers who had an opinion on the subject said they would be willing to pay more for regeneratively farmed food provided it could deliver benefits for the environment and farmer resilience.
In September this year, research from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission – comprised of both qualitative interview processes and a nationwide poll of over 2,000 people – confirmed that UK citizens want change in our food systems, with 82% saying it is important that we produce food without harming the planet. Participants were noted to be particularly concerned about intensive farming’s damaging impacts on climate and nature. The responses also made it clear that people view convenience as an important driver of behaviour, and that the presence of better food choices in restaurants and shops was critical.
So how does regenerative agriculture benefit my restaurant?
Supporting regenerative agriculture offers many of the same business benefits as choosing local or organic, but can be more impactful in terms of protecting our natural resources. Here are some of the positive impacts for restaurants:
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Regenerative is trendy. With increased discussion around how we can best address the climate crisis and build a food system that can feed a growing population, regenerative farming is tipped to be a big trend in 2024 and beyond, with many hailing it as ‘the new organic’; this is likely to be driven forward by the themes at COP28 next month.
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It’s all about provenance. Sourcing from regenerative farms contributes to the transparency, traceability and provenance demanded by today’s customer. People want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced; this helps to build trust in your brand and contribute to a positive reputation.
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It tells a story. Storytelling remains a central part of the marketing message for any food business. Choosing regeneratively farmed ingredients helps your menu to tell a wider story about our food systems, making the dining experience – and your establishment – more memorable.
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Supports small-scale food producers. Without adequate support, smaller farmers, producers and suppliers can find it almost impossible to compete with bigger businesses. By sourcing ingredients directly from local regenerative farms, restaurants can contribute to the economic viability of small-scale agriculture and environmentally-positive practices.
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Reduces carbon footprint. Because regenerative agriculture has reduced emissions compared to conventional farming methods, switching to sustainable suppliers can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of your business’ supply chain.
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May improve quality. While more rigorous research is needed, it seems regenerative farming may improve the quality of produce. A recent study by the University of Washington examined 10 US farms over the last 5-10 years. The study concluded that regenerative agricultural practices helped produce better quality crops with higher yields and greater resilience to pests and diseases – all of which resulted in foods that were rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. This is true of meat, too: beef and pork produced using regenerative grazing techniques had higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally grown meat.
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Celebrates seasonality. Buying from regenerative farms that honour natural cycles means you’ll be working with seasonal produce. Not only will your menu be celebrating produce when it’s at its absolute best, but it’s ‘limited time only’ vibe provides a further point of interest. Why not use your website or social media channels to highlight what’s coming up for your menu? This can be especially effective when working with foods that have shorter seasons; try building anticipation for foods like asparagus or strawberries.
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Builds stronger ties to your community. Building connections within your community is key to success for many businesses. Fostering strong, reciprocal relationships with regenerative farms in your area keeps money in your community and helps your business put down strong roots.
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Encourages connection with food. Choosing to buy from sustainable producers (like those who use regenerative farming practices) encourages a greater understanding of where food comes from for both staff and customers, helping to create a better, more sustainable food system for future generations.
How can restaurants support regenerative agriculture?
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Examine your supply chain. You may have farmers already in your network who would be interested in converting to regenerative practices; guaranteeing your custom for a set period of time might be exactly what they need in order to make this possible.
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Connect with farmers. Look for new connections with farmers, growers and producers who already work under the principles of regenerative agriculture. You might consider a longer-term partnership with one particular farmer or supplier, whether their speciality is fruit and vegetables, flours, herbs, meat or dairy.
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Commit to a goal. You don’t need to overhaul your entire supply chain at once – you might begin by designating a certain percentage of your 2024 sourcing budget to regenerative farming, or setting a target to work with only regenerative farmers by 2030.
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Commit to a timeline. Whatever your goal, it’s important to set an ambitious but achievable timeframe. Outline the actions needed to accomplish this and designate the people responsible for making these happen.
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Communicate with your staff. It’s important for your employees to understand what regenerative agriculture means and why you’ve chosen to make it a priority in your sourcing. This helps the kitchen team to take pride in where their ingredients come from, and gives front-of-house staff some valuable talking (and upselling!) points when they’re interacting with customers.
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Communicate with the public. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of traditional agricultural methods such as regenerative farming. Make sure your sourcing policies are clearly explained on your website, your social media and maybe on your menu itself. You might even consider hosting events, talks and/or workshops to help educate and spread awareness in your local community.
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Jocelyn leads our UK Comms team and is responsible for managing our content strategy, growing our audience and building our global reputation. Jocelyn holds a BSc in Hospitality Management and an MSc in Food Culture & Communications, and is a member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild. Her background includes on-the-ground F&B experience; a decade of food writing, editing and publishing; content creation for some of Ireland’s biggest food brands; and developing the content marketing strategy for a suite of menu management and carbon tracking software.
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