A wellness treatment for nature: The BIOFACH industry trend “Holistic.Climate.Regeneration”

In the past, it was thought that maximum profits, intensive soil cultivation and the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides would guarantee food security. The dark side of this approach is soil erosion, loss of humus and the threat to biodiversity and species diversity. Today we’re confronted with the massive task of transforming and stabilising our agricultural and food systems and establishing sustainable farming so that nature can regenerate itself. This is exactly the focus of the BIOFACH industry trend Holistic.Climate.Regeneration, which was selected by the BIOFACH trend jury, consisting of industry experts Anne Baumann (Deputy Managing Director of AöL), Karin Heinze (Founder of BiO Reporter International), Michael Radau (Chairman of the Board of SuperBioMarkt AG), Jens Schinnerling (Chief Procurement Officer of dennree GmbH) and Julian Stock (Co-Director of Good Food Collective).

Although we’re seeing the start of a transformation away from exploiting the planet and toward revitalising the ecosystems, the challenge is still enormous and requires a fast response. “Every delay in the fundamental transformation of our food systems results in tremendous hidden costs, including costs to our health, our social well-being and the functions of the ecosystems,” warns Josefa Voigt, Project Manager of Farm-Food-Climate, ProjectTogether.

Farm-Food-Climate is a mission of ProjectTogether that advocates for future-ready food and agricultural systems. It is sponsored by Cem Özdemir, the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture. In a coordinated learning and testing process, Farm-Food-Climate works with a pool of stakeholders from practical farming, the start-up world, politics, administration, business and science on future-driven, sustainable solutions for transforming our agricultural and food economy. “The complexity of the task shouldn’t paralyse us or keep us from acting. On the contrary, a dialogue between different stakeholder groups from society, business, science, politics and administration is necessary and their coming together for the purpose of taking action must be encouraged,” says Voigt. Farm-Food-Climate wants to galvanise the European Commission’s “Farm-2-Fork” (F2F) strategy which, as part of the Green Deal, aims to promote a fair, healthy and eco-friendly food system in Europe. The movement includes over 1,000 initiatives like “Du bist hier der Chef”, farmers like Heiner Willenborg, companies like Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, consumers, municipalities and researchers like the Thünen Institute. “We’re currently focusing on three spheres of activity – the food revolution in community catering, the scaling of agroforestry systems and the establishment of paludiculture to rewet peatland – because we see tremendous potential in these areas,” Voigt explains.

The BIOFACH industry trend Holistic.Climate.Regeneration also deals with holistic, regenerative systems like agroforestry and peatland rewetting to bind CO2 as well as with finding sustainable practices for agriculture that can be widely implemented and therefore promise the greatest utility for people and the environment.

Within this context, the concept of regenerative farming is also a promising approach that is primarily aimed at revitalising the soil. Its greatest benefit is that both conventional and organic farms are involved. Voigt also sees it as a great opportunity. “The regenerative approach permits an exchange and rapprochement between the two groups, which have tended to diverge over the past few decades. We need to seize this opportunity so that future-oriented practitioners can explore new solutions together.”

Ultimately, that’s what really matters, that we all work together for a healthy environment and food security.