Conceived as a response to Veganuary, Regenuary is a phrase coined in 2020 promoting sourcing as much of your food as possible from regenerative farming and is quickly gaining traction online.
Veganuary has been a successful marketing campaign. It is a simple message that resonates, eat plant-based for the month of January. However, many claims that the original message has become diluted and lost impact.
As understanding of this grows, consumers who are choosing to eat in an environmentally friendly way could soon be looking to go a step further, giving Regenuary the fuel to gain momentum.
So, what is Regenuary?
Instead of simply cutting out animal-based products for the month, Regenuary asks consumers to consider the environmental impact of everything they buy and eat I.e. consumer trend. To think about the land on which their food is grown and to source as much food as possible from ethical businesses and regenerative agriculture. The basic rules for Regenuary are as follows:
- All produce consumed must have been farmed and produced using regenerative agriculture;
- Produce must be seasonal;
- Everything you buy should have been grown locally.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture means farming in a way that focuses on the health of the ecological system, and not simply on the production of food. Livestock are vital in many regenerative farming systems as livestock waste fertilises soils, and livestock grazing stimulates grass growth to sequester carbon, improve the microbiological diversity and environment.
Regenerative agriculture is not yet legally defined in the way that organic is. However, a new Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) in the US aims to provide a holistic, best-in-class certification system that builds upon principles set forth by USDA Organic, Fair Trade and other leading certifications by prioritizing soil health, animal welfare and social fairness.
Regenerative Organic Certified was established in 2017 by a group of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness collectively called the Regenerative Organic Alliance or ROA.
How much impact is it having?
Regenerative agriculture is still in its infancy, but there is a growing number of firms offering regenerative branded products. In 2022 the Ethical Butcher in the UK plans to start a directory of brands making a positive impact.
These firms are either selling food from regenerative farms or up-cycling waste products, as well as using minimal impact innovations in packaging and/or supply chain logistics.
Such companies include Cheyney’s Pastured Poultry which offers golden yolk eggs from pasture-raised hens, Taw River Dairy which produce Jersey milk from a herd grazed on Devon pastures, and Farrington Oils a carbon-neutral and plastic-free ‘seed to bottle’ oil producer offering homegrown alternatives to olive oil.
The message of Regenuary resonates with many consumers and there is a lot of interest from farmers in regenerative practices. However, it is a more complex message than simply cutting something out from the diet and it remains to be seen whether the movement will become mainstream.
Regenuary, regenerative agriculture, and future trends
The potential increase in popularity of regenerative consumer trends, such as choosing plant-based foods, highlights how our deep understanding of specific sectors can help pinpoint various factors that might influence your future interests and investment decisions.
Farrelly Mitchell provides advice to our clients on market intelligence, identifying growth opportunities and risk management. By leveraging our deep understanding of the food and agricultural industry, our clients are empowered to make the right decisions. You can benefit from the experience and knowledge that we have from working across different continents and sectors within the industry.
If you are interested in getting deeper insights into your market and designing strategic business plans to seize growth opportunities, get in touch with our team today.
