A programme for supporting regenerative agriculture initiatives across land and water will launch in October, advisors Bright Tide has said.
The Regenerative Agriculture Accelerator Programme, backed by fintech provider Credit Nature and its parent consultancy Ecosulis, will open for applications on Oct. 16, London-based company Bright Tide said in a post on LinkedIn.
Initiatives working in land-based regenerative farming, rewilding, seaweed farming, kelp farming, and other aquaculture solutions will be able to apply for support, Bright Tide said.
The programme will offer a range of assistance from mentorship on raising capital to networking with NGOs, corporates, and government officials, through to scientific, legal, and tax advice, Cain Blythe, CEO of Ecosulis and Credit Nature, said.
“The marine environment is a bit under-supported,” with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on land “not as well funded” as those on land, Blythe told Carbon Pulse.
“We thought it was important that blue food and aquaculture have a place [in the programme] alongside some of the more commonly discussed land-based regenerative agricultural practices,” he said.
Funding to kickstart marine initiatives is growing but compared to investment in land-based solutions is much smaller, according to Blythe.
Challenges to engaging with the marine environment include difficulty identifying who owns the seabed, monitoring environmental outcomes, and the lack of an established market.
The programme hopes to benefit soil health and biodiversity while supporting local communities through an approach that supports land and water-based solutions, Blythe said.
Last month, UK-based company CreditNature won a £500,000 contract from the Scottish government to develop a voluntary biodiversity credit system. Regenerative agricultural practices are among those Credit Nature is piloting in biodiversity credit projects across the UK, he added.
The regenerative agriculture support initiative follows two other ‘accelerator’ programmes supporting ocean impact startups and blue carbon projects from Bright Tide, and the market in regenerative agriculture had a value of $8.7 billion in 2022 globally, a report published this week by Emergen Research claimed.
The sector is “anticipated to maintain a consistent revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14%” from last year, reaching $32 bln annually by 2032, the Canadian consultancy predicted.
Emergen broke the market up into three segments: seeds that support regenerative practices, organic inputs to farming such as fertilisers, and “others”.
Major companies engaged in the fragmented market include General Mills, Danone, and Corteva Agriscience, it said.
Constraints on the sector include the need for standardised definitions and certifications for regenerative products to ensure their credibility, it said.
By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com
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