Reimagining Corporations through Regenerative Agriculture

Koen van Seijen

20 years: Food and agriculture

In this final video, Koen van Seijen explores the 4th and final theme, corporate regeneration. He focuses on the potential for transforming major players in the food and agriculture sector, such as supermarkets and input companies. He addresses the risks and challenges involved, as well as strategies for achieving meaningful change in this complex system. Get ready to delve deep into the world of systems change!

Agriculture

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Reimagining Corporations through Regenerative Agriculture

10 mins 42 secs

Key learning objectives:

Understand the significance of corporate regeneration in the food and agriculture sector
Identify strategies for fostering systems change within existing corporate frameworks
Identify investment opportunities that can support corporate regeneration
Outline the framework needed to implement corporate regeneration

Overview:

Can corporate giants shift from extractive practices to regenerative ones? Explore the 4th and final major theme of regeneration and investigate the concept of corporate regeneration within the food and agriculture sector. We need to disrupt the existing oligopoly structure that harms farmers and the environment. Koen presents a framework for catalysing change - building new corporations, supporting existing ones to evolve, and facilitating the decline of harmful practices.

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Summary

Why is corporate regeneration crucial for the future of food and agriculture?

The current food system is dominated by a concentrated market of companies profiting from chemical inputs, processed foods, and commoditised agriculture—often at the expense of farmers and the environment. This oligopoly creates significant power imbalances and fosters practices that prioritise short-term profits over long-term sustainability. To effect real change, we must shift from a worldview of scarcity and extraction to one of abundance and regeneration.

How can we achieve corporate regeneration?

A simple framework that could offer a path forward is as follows:

1. Build new corporations - Innovators and entrepreneurs must develop new business models that challenge the status quo. While many startups may fail, they are essential for cultivating a new system, much like the organic movement, which started small but has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.

2. Help the current system change - The existing food and agriculture system is facing multiple crises, from rising input costs to shifting consumer preferences. Supporting farms on a regenerative journey can lead to lower costs and higher profitability, attracting interest from major corporations. However, we must be wary of greenwashing, as many companies make promises without backing them with concrete commitments.

3. Help the current system fall - We need to facilitate the decline of harmful practices in the industry while using the opportunity to plant the seeds for new initiatives. Just as a fallen tree nourishes new growth in a forest, the decline of outdated practices can create space for innovation.

What investment opportunities can drive corporate regeneration?

There is a need for startups focused on regenerative practices that pay farmers fairly and tell compelling stories of change. Rethinking food processing methods to enhance quality and nutrient density is also vital. Companies like Advancing Eco Agriculture exemplify how modern agronomy can transition farms from chemical inputs to biology-driven practices, leading to increased soil health and resilience.

Pasturebird, a leading pasture-raised chicken company, showcases the potential for scaling regenerative practices through partnerships with larger corporations. Their integration into Purdue has allowed them to expand their operations while promoting sustainable farming methods.

As we push for change, we must also support legal action against companies that perpetuate harmful practices and remain sceptical of corporate claims. We need to continuously demand transparency and results, holding corporations accountable for their commitments to regenerative agriculture.

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Koen van Seijen

Koen van Seijen is a regenerative agriculture and food expert, has been exploring the carbon sequestration potential of regenerative farming since 2011. He is the founder and host of the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast. In the last decade through 300 podcast interviews with investors, fund managers, scientists, entrepreneurs and farmers, Koen explored the role of money and entrepreneurship all over the world in regenerating soils, ecosystems and communities. Koen also works at Toniic, a global community of asset owners seeking deeper positive net impact across the capital spectrum. Toniic members consist of around 500 high net wealth individuals, family offices, and foundations, who are deepening their impact in over 25 countries.

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