As you know, regenerative farming is our thing. So we’re really happy to have been picked as test pilots for a new accreditation programme run by A Greener World (AGW), which will result in us being “Certified Regenerative”.
We are all about looking after this precious planet of ours, so that’s why our focus is on the soils and pastures at Greenway Farm.
By looking after those first and foremost, we encourage a fantastically diverse range of species, and the bi-product of that is our great tasting meat.
AGW have selected us as one of 50 farms who will follow a programme to gain further accreditation for our regenerative practices.
We’ll be measured on things like the health of our soil, water, and air, the amount of biodiversity on the farm, as well as infrastructure, animal welfare and social responsibility.
The programme features boast broad access to regenerative markets; a pragmatic, science-based approach, and total transparency.
Being Certified Regenerative by AGW involves a five-year Regenerative Plan developed in partnership with ourselves, and alongside experts, we’ll assess risk, set goals and track progress toward meaningful milestones at Farm2Fork.
Experienced agricultural advisors at the UK’s Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) will also be providing training and support in the development of Regenerative Plans. The role of AGW is to assess farms’ compliance with their own plan.
Currently, most regenerative claims are not verified at all, and the few verified labels are either limited in scope or require organic certification as a prerequisite, excluding the vast majority of farmland which are inherently not regenerative.
The pilot farms are based across four continents and over ten species, with products ranging from grass-fed lamb to herbs and vegetables.
They are in Australia, Namibia, South Africa, the UK, Canada and the U.S. and over the next year our partnership with AGW will help to evaluate standards, plans and auditing procedures. This allows the programme to be trialed and assessed in a range of environments, climates and socioeconomic parameters to ensure meaningful outcomes are achieved, with refinements made as needed. AGW expects to announce its first fully Certified Regenerative by AGW farms and products in 2021.
The cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys and geese at Greenway Farm have already been Certified Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Non-GMO by (AGW), and the beef cattle and sheep are also Certified Grass-fed by AGW. Greenway Farm is also the first farm in the UK to meet the programme’s standards for geese and turkeys.
Europe Executive Director Wayne Copp, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Farm2Fork in celebrating their farm, and our growing family of farms in the UK and Europe. It has never been more critical for farmers to be fully understood by consumers, and we are honoured to support this though an uncomplicated, independent and credible certification marque that can be trusted to mean what it says on that label: Non-GMO. Animal – Welfare – Approved.
“The interest in our Certified Regenerative by AGW programme has been overwhelming—and the excellent applications made for a difficult selection process, but we are thrilled with the results. The innovative farms participating in this pilot are helping to deliver a certification that both farmers and consumers can trust to deliver a genuinely positive outcome: on the farm, at the table, and for the planet. We know that truly regenerative farming requires accountability to each other and to all of the communities to which we belong—whether they be plant, animal, human, or the environment we all share. We have been humbled by the groundswell of interest from farmers and eaters alike and look forward to sharing our collective journey.”
