Playbook: adopting regenerative agriculture in 90 days

The regenerative agriculture market has entered a decisive inflection point. According to Grand View Research, the global market reached $12.66 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $57 billion by 2033, growing at an 18.7% compound annual growth rate (Grand View Research, 2024). Perhaps more striking: certified regenerative land expanded from less than 1 million acres in 2021 to over 25 million acres by 2025—a 25-fold increase in just four years (Ecovia Intelligence, 2025). For European policymakers, agricultural enterprises, and compliance teams navigating the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Farm to Fork Strategy, the question is no longer whether to adopt regenerative practices but how quickly organizations can transition without disrupting operations or compromising yields. This 90-day playbook synthesizes evidence from leading implementations, distills practitioner insights, and provides a structured framework for accelerated adoption.

Why It Matters

Regenerative agriculture represents a paradigm shift from extractive to restorative food production. Unlike conventional sustainability approaches that aim to minimize harm, regenerative systems actively rebuild soil organic matter, restore biodiversity, sequester atmospheric carbon, and enhance ecosystem services. The Rodale Institute estimates that regenerative practices can sequester approximately 1.5 tons of CO₂ per acre annually, while a PNAS study suggests that scaled adoption could offset up to 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

For European organizations specifically, several regulatory and market forces make rapid adoption imperative. The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) now ties 25% of direct payments to eco-schemes, with regenerative practices qualifying for premium subsidies. The CSRD requires detailed Scope 3 emissions reporting for companies with supply chains touching agricultural commodities, making farm-level data and verified carbon reductions essential. Consumer demand has followed regulatory signals: a 2024 Eurobarometer survey found that 73% of European consumers prefer products with verified sustainability credentials, with willingness to pay premiums ranging from 8-15% for regeneratively produced goods.

Beyond compliance, the economic case has strengthened considerably. Boston Consulting Group's 2025 analysis identified a $310 billion investment opportunity in regenerative landscapes globally, with potential profitability increases of 120% for transitioning farms over a 5-year horizon. The convergence of carbon credit revenues, reduced input costs, premium market access, and regulatory incentives now provides multiple revenue streams that can offset transition costs within 18-36 months for most European operations.

Key Concepts

Defining Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture encompasses a suite of interconnected practices designed to work with natural systems rather than against them. While definitions vary across certifying bodies, core principles include minimizing soil disturbance, maintaining living roots year-round, maximizing biodiversity, integrating livestock where appropriate, and eliminating synthetic chemical inputs where possible.

The distinction from organic agriculture merits clarification. Organic certification prohibits certain inputs but does not mandate soil-building outcomes. Regenerative standards, by contrast, require measurable improvements in soil health metrics including organic matter content, water infiltration rates, and biological activity. This outcome-oriented approach means that regenerative certification programs typically require baseline soil sampling and periodic verification of improvement trajectories.

The Five Core Practices

No-till and reduced tillage eliminates mechanical soil disturbance that destroys soil structure, releases stored carbon, and disrupts fungal networks. European farms adopting no-till have documented 21% increases in soil organic matter within five years.

Cover cropping maintains living root systems between cash crop cycles, feeding soil microbiomes, preventing erosion, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Multi-species cover crop mixes generate synergistic benefits exceeding single-species approaches by 40-60% in measured ecosystem outcomes.

Crop rotation and diversification breaks pest and disease cycles while varying root depths and nutrient profiles. Extended rotations of 5+ crops demonstrate significantly higher long-term profitability despite requiring more complex management.

Integrated livestock management uses animal grazing to accelerate nutrient cycling, control cover crops, and stimulate root growth through managed grazing pressure. Holistic planned grazing protocols have shown soil carbon accumulation rates 2-3 times higher than plant-only systems.

Agroforestry integration introduces perennial woody elements—tree rows, silvopasture, or alley cropping systems—that provide habitat corridors, microclimate moderation, and additional revenue streams from timber, fruit, or nut production.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Corporate supply chain programs have achieved remarkable scale. ADM enrolled 3.5 million acres in regenerative programs by 2024 and targets 5 million acres by 2025. Cargill's RegenConnect program surpassed 1 million enrolled acres in 2024 with a 10-million-acre target by 2030. PepsiCo similarly reached 3.5 million acres under regenerative management. These programs succeed by providing farmers with technical assistance, premium pricing, and simplified access to carbon markets.

Digital monitoring platforms have solved the verification bottleneck that previously limited scalability. Klim's platform in Germany now supports 3,500 farmers managing 700,000 hectares through streamlined data collection and carbon credit issuance. Indigo Agriculture monitors over 550,000 hectares globally using satellite imagery and AI-driven verification. These technologies reduce monitoring costs by 60-80% compared to traditional soil sampling approaches.

Blended finance structures have successfully de-risked farmer transitions. The USDA's $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program announced in December 2025 combines public capital with private investment to subsidize transition costs. Mirova's Sustainable Land Fund 2 attracted €100 million including $75 million from the Green Climate Fund, demonstrating institutional appetite for agricultural impact investments.

What Isn't Working

Fragmented certification standards create confusion and compliance overhead. At least seven major regenerative certification programs operate globally—Regenerative Organic Certified, Regenagri, Regenified, Land to Market, and others—each with different requirements, costs, and market recognition. Organizations attempting multiple certifications face duplicative auditing costs that can exceed €15,000 annually.

Short-term yield dips during transition remain a barrier despite long-term economic benefits. Studies show 10-20% yield reductions in years 1-3 of transition before recovering to baseline or above. Without adequate financial bridges, this creates cash flow crises that force premature abandonment.

Carbon credit market volatility has undermined farmer confidence. Prices for agricultural carbon credits fluctuated from €8 to €35 per tonne between 2023-2025, making revenue projections unreliable for planning purposes. Market fragmentation between voluntary and compliance markets further complicates monetization strategies.

Inadequate technical extension services leave farmers without localized agronomic guidance. While digital platforms excel at monitoring, they cannot replace field-level advisory support for problem-solving during transition. The ratio of extension agents to farms has declined 40% across Europe since 2010.

Sector-Specific KPI Table

KPI Category	Metric	Baseline (Conv.)	Year 1 Target	Year 3 Target	Measurement Method
Soil Health	Organic Matter (%)	1.5-2.5%	+0.2%	+0.5-1.0%	Lab soil testing
Soil Health	Water Infiltration (mm/hr)	5-15	+20%	+50-100%	Double-ring infiltrometer
Biodiversity	Earthworm Count (/m²)	50-100	+25%	+100-200%	Field sampling
Carbon	Soil Carbon (t C/ha)	30-50	+1.5 t	+4-5 t	Spectral analysis + cores
Economics	Input Costs (€/ha)	400-800	-10%	-30-50%	Financial records
Economics	Carbon Credit Revenue	€0	€30-75/ha	€75-150/ha	Registry verification
Productivity	Yield (t/ha)	Baseline	-10-20%	+0-10%	Harvest records
Water	Irrigation Needs (mm)	Baseline	-5%	-15-25%	Meter readings

Key Players

Established Leaders

ADM (Archer-Daniels-Midland) operates one of the world's largest regenerative agriculture programs with 3.5 million enrolled acres as of 2024. Their Gradable platform launched in 2025 provides digital grain marketplace infrastructure connecting regenerative producers with premium buyers across Europe and North America.

Cargill has committed to advancing regenerative practices across 10 million acres of North American cropland by 2030 through their RegenConnect program. Their partnership with Nestlé Purina expanded regenerative corn and soy production to 200,000 acres in 2024.

Bayer integrates regenerative agriculture into their Carbon Program, providing farmers with digital tools for practice tracking and carbon credit generation. Their ForGround platform supports transition planning and connects farmers to downstream buyers seeking verified regenerative supply.

General Mills committed to advancing regenerative practices on 1 million acres by 2030 and has been an early mover in consumer-facing regenerative branding through their Annie's and Cascadian Farm product lines.

Emerging Startups

Klim (Germany) raised €22 million in Series A funding in 2024—the largest German AgriTech round that year—from BNP Paribas, Earthshot Ventures, Rabobank, and AgFunder. Their platform supports 3,500 farmers across 700,000 hectares with transition management and carbon credit issuance.

Agreena (Denmark) enables farmers to generate CO₂ certificates from regenerative practice adoption and has established partnerships across European grain value chains for streamlined certification.

Loam Bio (Australia) develops microbial inoculants that enhance soil carbon sequestration through engineered fungal seed coatings. Their technology has demonstrated 17% higher carbon retention in field trials compared to untreated controls.

Indigo Agriculture (USA) achieved unicorn status with a $6.1 billion enterprise value through their integrated platform combining carbon credits, digital agronomy, and marketplace services for regenerative producers.

Key Investors & Funders

Mirova (France) manages the Sustainable Land Fund 2 with over €100 million in committed capital including $75 million from the Green Climate Fund specifically targeting regenerative agriculture investments.

SLM Partners achieved 40% year-over-year growth in assets under management through 2024 and closed their €30 million SLM Silva Europe Fund focused on farmland and forestry regeneration.

The Rockefeller Foundation has backed Mad Capital's Perennial Fund II ($50 million target) alongside Builders Vision and the Schmidt Family Foundation to provide non-extractive capital to transitioning farmers.

USDA announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program in December 2025 combining $400 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds with $300 million from the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Examples

Mars + ADM European Pet Nutrition Partnership: In December 2024, Mars announced a multi-year partnership with ADM to source regeneratively grown ingredients for pet food manufacturing across Europe. The initiative targets wheat and corn supply chains in Poland, Hungary, and Germany with baseline soil sampling completed across 50,000 hectares. Mars provides premium pricing guarantees averaging €15/tonne above commodity rates while ADM supplies technical advisory services. Early results show farmer retention rates exceeding 85% and measurable soil organic matter increases averaging 0.3% after 18 months. The partnership demonstrates how downstream brand commitments can accelerate supply chain transformation when structured with appropriate risk-sharing.
Klim's German Farmer Network: Since launching in 2021, Klim has enrolled 3,500 German farmers managing 700,000 hectares—approximately 4% of Germany's agricultural land. Their digital platform simplifies carbon credit certification by integrating practice tracking, satellite monitoring, and registry verification. Farmers receive average payments of €45 per hectare annually for carbon credits while reducing input costs by €60-120 per hectare through lower fertilizer and pesticide expenditures. The company's €22 million Series A in 2024 funds expansion across France, Austria, and the Netherlands with targets of 2 million hectares by 2027.
Saint Louis Sucre Beet Production (France): MyEasyFarm partnered with Saint Louis Sucre in 2024 to implement regenerative practices across 60 sugar beet farms in northern France. The pilot integrated cover cropping, reduced tillage, and precision nutrient management with digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems. After one season, participating farms documented 15% reductions in nitrogen fertilizer use, 22% lower fuel consumption from reduced tillage passes, and improved water retention during the 2024 summer drought. The program demonstrated that commodity crop systems with thin margins can achieve transition economics when supported by processor partnerships and robust data infrastructure.

Action Checklist

Days 1-15: Conduct baseline soil sampling across representative field zones; document current input costs, yields, and practice schedules; identify 2-3 pilot fields representing <20% of total hectarage for initial transition
Days 16-30: Select certification pathway aligned with target markets (Regenagri for EU commodity chains, ROC for premium organic, Land to Market for livestock); register with digital monitoring platform; establish data collection protocols
Days 31-45: Engage agronomic advisory support for localized cover crop species selection and rotation planning; procure no-till or reduced-till equipment if required; negotiate premium offtake agreements with downstream buyers
Days 46-60: Implement first cover crop planting on pilot fields; install soil moisture sensors or arrange satellite monitoring subscription; train farm staff on new practice protocols and data recording
Days 61-75: Conduct mid-transition assessment comparing pilot vs. control fields on emergence, pest pressure, and equipment performance; adjust protocols based on learnings; expand stakeholder communication on transition progress
Days 76-90: Complete first verification audit with certification body; register carbon credits if applicable; document learnings and develop 12-month expansion plan for remaining acreage; establish monitoring cadence for ongoing KPI tracking

FAQ

Q: What is the realistic timeline for achieving full regenerative certification? A: Most certification programs require 2-3 years of verified practice implementation before granting full certification status. However, "transitional" certification is typically available after 12-18 months, which unlocks premium pricing in many supply chains. The 90-day playbook establishes the foundation for this trajectory but should be understood as the launch phase rather than completion of the transition journey.

Q: How do we manage the yield reduction risk during transition? A: Evidence suggests yield dips of 10-20% in years 1-3, primarily affecting the first 1-2 cash crop cycles after practice changes. Mitigation strategies include: transitioning <25% of acreage annually to spread risk; securing premium contracts that compensate for volume reductions; accessing transition financing through programs like Mad Capital or the USDA Regenerative Pilot Program; and stacking carbon credit revenues (€30-75/ha) with input cost savings (€60-120/ha) to offset gross margin impacts.

Q: Which certification standard should European operations prioritize? A: For commodity grain and oilseed producers selling into European food manufacturing supply chains, Regenagri offers the strongest market recognition with over 4.37 million acres certified across 332,000 farms. For livestock operations, the Savory Institute's Land to Market program (6+ million acres) provides outcome-verified certification with premium brand partnerships. For high-value organic products targeting North American export markets, Regenerative Organic Certified delivers the strongest consumer recognition but requires prior USDA or EU organic certification as a prerequisite.

Q: How accurate are satellite-based monitoring systems compared to physical soil sampling? A: Current satellite monitoring combined with AI analysis can predict soil carbon changes within ±15-20% accuracy compared to laboratory analysis of soil cores. For certification purposes, most programs still require periodic physical sampling (every 2-5 years) but accept remote sensing for annual practice verification and trend monitoring. The cost differential is substantial: satellite monitoring runs €2-5/hectare annually versus €50-150/hectare for comprehensive soil laboratory analysis.

Q: What role does the EU's CSRD play in driving regenerative agriculture adoption? A: The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requires companies meeting size thresholds to report on Scope 3 emissions, which for food and beverage companies are dominated by agricultural supply chains (often 60-80% of total footprint). Regenerative agriculture provides the most credible pathway to documented Scope 3 reductions through soil carbon sequestration. Companies subject to CSRD are increasingly requiring suppliers to provide verified practice data, creating cascading pressure throughout agricultural value chains.

Sources

Grand View Research. (2024). Regenerative Agriculture Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report. Retrieved from grandviewresearch.com
Ecovia Intelligence. (2025). Regenerative Agriculture Standards and Certifications Report. Retrieved from ecoviaint.com
Boston Consulting Group. (2025). The Overlooked Investment Opportunity in Regenerative Landscapes. Retrieved from bcg.com
ADM. (2024). 2024 Regenerative Agriculture Report. Retrieved from adm.com
USDA. (2025). USDA Launches New Regenerative Pilot Program. Press release, December 10, 2025.
Project Drawdown. (2024). Regenerative Annual Cropping. Retrieved from drawdown.org
AgFunderNews. (2024). Regenerative Agriculture's Biggest Developments in 2024. Retrieved from agfundernews.com
Rodale Institute. (2024). Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution. White paper.