Everything You Need To Know About Regenerative Agriculture Now
Regenerative Agriculture, or “RegenAg,” has the potential to create significant positive change in our food system. By regenerating soils, enhancing farm biodiversity, sequestering carbon and improving water cycling - it paves the way for a more sustainable future. Matthews Cotswold Flour is dedicated to sourcing from certified Regenerative farms, ensuring we produce nutritious grains that result in exceptional regenerative flour.
Regen Flour
Find out more about our growing range of Regenerative Flour. With more lines on the way, get a sneak preview here now, this is a great place to start your regen baking journey!
Meet A Regen Farmer
Find out what it means to be a Regen Farmer in Britain today, in this interview with a local Cotswolds Regenerative Farmer - Ed Horton. Ed is a member of the Cotswolds Grain Partnership, supplying Matthews with a range of regeneratively grown grains.
Six Inches of Soil
We've been supporting the production of this fantastic documentary for the past two years - and we're so pleased to see how well the film has turned out! Watch the trailer below then find out more in the section below!
Six Inches of Soil: The Revolution is Underground
Six Inches of Soil tells the inspiring story of young English farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, our health and provide for local communities.
Regen Principles
Regenerative Agriculture focuses on 5 key principles, combined with a wide host of practices. Here is a quick guide to the Principles of Regenerative Farming.
Our Regen 30 Mission
Matthews Cotswold Flour and the Cotswold Grain Partnership are working closely together to develop our new Regen 30 Mission. If you're a grower or baker and you would like to join us on this exciting journey, then please get in touch now using the link below.
Regen Benefits
There are tons of benefits built into the Regenerative Agriculture model. Find out more about them in this quick overview.
Regen Standards & Practices
Working closely with our commercial partners, we've developed the gold-standard for Regenerative Agriculture practices. Get a better idea what this means here.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Find out more about Regenerative Agriculture, explore the options open to you as a farmer, baker, or consumer. Discover what a difference Regenerative Farming can make for both our food chain and our environment.
Soil, Stone & Sourdough
Our last Regenerative Agriculture event was a resounding success - bringing together farmers, bakers and millers together, to share our knowledge and experience of regenerative agriculture. Watch below to get an idea of hat it's all about!
Regenerative All Purpose Flour
Find out more about our newest regenerative flour, the first of its kind in the UK - the Regenerative All Purpose Flour! Get recipes, insights, offers and more here now.
Stoneground Traditional Regenerative White
Our first regeneratively farmed Strong White Bread Flour, makes for exceptional bakes! Find out more and purchase now.
Join Our Regenerative Agriculture Community Now
Use the button below to join our Regenerative Agriculture community now. If you want to become a regenerative farming or baking partner, then we want to hear from you.
Regenerative Agriculture FAQs
Q. What's the purpose of Regenerative Agriculture?
A. Regenerative Agriculture aims to restore, protect, and enhance the natural resources used in farming rather than depleting or harming them. It seeks to improve the health and vitality of farm soil, ecosystems, and communities while also addressing broader environmental challenges.
Q. How can Regenerative Farming benefit me?
A. Truthfully, in more ways than we can mention here... The main point is that by making our food system more sustainable, we're building a better future for ourselves and for future generations to come. If you are a farmer, adopting regen techniques can lead to better outcomes and more resilience in your crops. If you're a baker, you can make your bakes more environmentally conscious and reduce your carbon footprint.
Q. How do you define Regenerative Agriculture?
A. Matthews Cotswold Flour and our farming partners define “Regenerative Agriculture” as: a set of farming practices and methods that aims to grow food in a way that focuses on regenerating topsoil, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, and supporting bio sequestration (capturing and storing carbon in plants and soil). Farms that implement a holistic approach to growing food in a way that supports regeneration of our soils. The overriding focus is around regenerating soil fertility and organic matter ratios. Farms must be able to provide evidence that practices listed in our standards are being implemented and are having a tangible impact on improving soil organic matter.
Q. What's the difference between Regenerative Agriculture and Regenerative Farming?
A. Semantics - they are essentially the same thing and we use the phrases fairly interchangeably. You might also hear terms like agro-ecological or regen-ag, these are also synonyms or shorthand for regenerative agriculture.
Q. Is it hard to implement Regenerative Practices at my farm or bakery?
A. We know a ton of farmers and bakers who have started their journey towards building a completely regenerative business model. Explore the case studies section to find out more and see how our experiences can help you on your way.
Q. Is Organic Farming the same as Regenerative Farming?
A. No, though there are a number of commonalities the two farming models may share. Organic farmers are likely to do a lot of the same things Regenerative farmers are doing, and vice versa, but there are a number of additional costs and requirements a certified Organic farmer will need to meet in order to maintain their Organic accreditation. The extra costs are part of the reason why Organic products often come with a more premium price tag in the shops. The goal of regenerative farming is focused on achieving a similar positive environmental impact, while allowing farmers to achieve a greater yield than they might from a purely Organic model, and to earn more from their crops without pushing up the prices for consumers to the point of unaffordability. We know that saving the planet shouldn't cost the Earth, so we're committed to making more sustainable choices more affordable for all.
Q. How does Regen differ from Organic?
A. Both approaches contribute positively to environmental sustainability, but they do so with different emphases and strategies. Regenerative agriculture is seen by some as an evolution of organic farming, with a greater focus on actively improving ecosystem health and function. Some of the key differences are: 1. Scope of Practices: Regenerative agriculture can encompass a broader scope of practices aimed specifically at improving soil health and ecosystem function, whereas organic farming focuses on avoiding synthetic inputs and using natural alternatives. 2. Cultivation: Organic farming can rely on mechanical cultivation. Whereas Regenerative farming includes minimal soil disturbance or no-till farming. 3. End Goals: The end goal of regenerative agriculture is to restore and enhance the natural resources it uses, going beyond sustainability to improve the conditions of its environment. Organic farming aims to sustainably produce food while minimizing harm to the environment and human health. 4. Certification and Regulation: Organic farming has well-established certification processes governed by specific standards and regulations. Regenerative agriculture, while gaining recognition, has more varied practices and fewer formal certifications.
Q. Do you have to be Organic to be Regenerative?
A. No, a farm does not have to be certified organic to practice regenerative agriculture. While organic and regenerative agriculture share common goals related to sustainability and reducing chemical inputs, regenerative agriculture places a specific emphasis on soil health, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem restoration. Its principles can be applied in both organic and conventional farming systems. Matthews does not require a farm to be Organic but also does not prevent an organic farm from suppling either Organic certified grain or if approved Regenerative grain. An organic farm can adopt regenerative practices to further enhance its environmental benefits, and a conventional farm can implement regenerative techniques to improve soil health and reduce its reliance on synthetic inputs without necessarily being certified organic. In summary, while being organic can be compatible with and supportive of regenerative agriculture goals, it is not a prerequisite for a farm to be considered regenerative. The key is the adoption of practices that contribute to the regeneration of the land and ecosystem.
Q. Should Regenerative Farms be Organic first?
A. Whether regenerative farms should first be organic is not a strict requirement, but rather a decision that depends on the farm's goals, resources, and the specific environmental context. Both regenerative and organic farming aim to promote environmental health, but they prioritize different aspects of farming and have distinct certification standards. It is important that a Regenerative Farm: 1. Produces enough food to feed the population 2. Do so in a way that doesn’t over inflate pricing to the consumer specifically with low yield or high input strategies 3. Implement farming practices that have the greatest tangible benefit to the climate, soil organic matter, biodiversity, water quality and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
Q. How does Matthews certify a Farm is Regenerative?
A. Matthews Cotswold Flour works with farms that have been implementing regenerative practices for at least 5 years. However, we also support farms on the “Road to Regen” who are starting to implement holistic farming practices. But the grain from new farms will not be registered as regenerative, and will not be used for regenerative flour, until all the criteria below have been met. 1. Implementation Time: Regenerative Farms must have incorporate a host of regenerative practices for at least 5 years. 2. Soil Organic Matter Increase: Regenerative Farms must show a tangible increase to soil organic matter through testing over a 5-year period. 3. Inputs: Regenerative Farms must reduce and remove harmful inputs specifically pesticides from there growing cycle and show a tangible reduction in essential inputs to the required rate. 4. 3rd Party/Audits: Regenerative Farms must agree to a 3rd party inspection or audit to confirm standards and practices as well as share key data. 5. Practices: Farms must implement a minimum number of holistic practices that are having a tangible impact on Soil Health, Biodiversity, Water Retention and Soil Organic Matter. 6. Traceability: Farms must agree to visits from customers to share the benefits of regenerative agriculture and knowledge share.
Q. Where do I sign up?
A. The form above will help you get started - we'll be in touch to explore your options and show how you can benefit from Regenerative Agriculture products and practices. You will be helping us shape the future of Regenerative standards for the benefit all - both locally and around the world.