Regenerative Organic Certification and Seal Announced
Source: Presence Marketing Newsletter, December 2017
Author: Steven Hoffman
In related news, Rodale Institute in cooperation with Patagonia, Dr. Bronner’s and a coalition of farmers, ranchers, scientists, nonprofits and other sustainably minded companies recently launched a new Regenerative Organic Certification program, based on three pillars: soil health, social fairness and animal welfare.
“The goals of Regenerative Organic Certification are to increase soil organic matter over time, improve animal welfare, provide economic stability and fairness for farmers, ranchers, and workers, and create resilient regional ecosystems and communities” Rodale Institute announced.
“The need is clear,” Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, said in a statement. ‘Conventional agriculture’ is harming the planet, exposing people to toxic chemicals, and causing unnecessary suffering to animals that support the system. Just as alarming is the fact that the earth’s topsoil is degrading and eroding at an alarming rate: Scientists predict that current industrial farming practices and deforestation will eliminate topsoil within 60 years. As grim as this picture looks, the promise of regenerative organic agriculture is not only a process that can rebuild critically needed topsoil, but also one that potentially sequesters carbon at the same time.”
Marcario pointed to research by Rodale Institute conducted in 2014 that estimated that if current crop acreage and pastureland shifted to regenerative organic practices, 100% of annual global CO2 emissions could be sequestered in the soil.
“Regenerative Organic Certification does not aim to compete with—or negate—current organic standards. It builds upon the standards set forth by USDA Organic and similar programs internationally, particularly in the areas of animal welfare and farmer and worker fairness. With additional emphasis on the regenerative organic practices aimed at increasing soil health and potentially sequestering carbon, we could mitigate the damage conventional agriculture has done to our shared planet,” Marcario said.
Learn more:
- Regenerative Organic Certified, https://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerativeorganic/