What Consumers Really Think About Regenerative Agriculture (And Why It’s Not What You Expect)

Most consumers say they care deeply about sustainability, including soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Yet when asked about regenerative agriculture, 71 percent say they are unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with the term.

This contradiction sits at the heart of regenerative agriculture’s current moment. It is gaining visibility and momentum across the food and beverage market, but it is not yet anchored in clear consumer meaning. This matters because regenerative agriculture is no longer only a farming discussion. It is becoming a market signal and a shared question explored across the value chain.

Regenerative agriculture is often positioned as a response to these pressures. By restoring soil health, supporting ecosystems, and strengthening farm resilience, it offers a framework that aligns environmental, economic, and social outcomes. However, while the production case for regenerative agriculture is strengthening, the consumer perspective remains less clear.

Using Menti to kick off the session.  

What the Market Is Revealing

Market data shows that regenerative agriculture is moving faster than consumer understanding. Between 2021 and 2025, new food and beverage launches carrying regenerative farming claims grew at a compound annual growth rate of 44 percent globally. Within Europe, this growth is especially visible in categories where trust and health expectations are high.

Dairy and ready meals currently lead in regenerative launches, with strong momentum also seen in baby and toddler foods, hot drinks, and soups. These categories demand credibility, making them a testing ground for how regenerative agriculture is communicated. 

Rather than asking consumers to learn a new concept from scratch, brands are building understanding through familiar cues linked to quality and health.

On pack, regenerative agriculture rarely stands alone. It is consistently paired with claims consumers already recognize. Organic appears on 39 percent of regenerative launches, gluten free on 34 percent, and no additives or preservatives on another 34 percent.  

This approach reflects how consumers make decisions. Price, taste, and convenience remain central, particularly in an inflationary environment. Sustainability tends to influence choice when it feels concrete and justified. Consumers are more accepting of higher prices when brands demonstrate transparent sourcing, environmental protection, and tangible benefits to farmers and communities.

The power of regenerative agriculture is in the storytelling, while organic plays a more prominent role on pack.

Consumer understanding: is it a necessity?

This dynamic raises important questions for the food system, questions that cannot be answered in isolation. Do consumers need to fully understand regenerative practices to trust them, or is trust built through outcomes that align with existing values such as better taste, improved nutrition, and ethical production? Should regenerative agriculture be communicated as a label, a narrative, or an emerging standard embedded within broader sustainability frameworks? Or not being communicated to the consumer at all? Rather than converging on a single answer, participants explored these questions together, reflecting the reality that regenerative agriculture is still evolving. 

The data suggests that translation matters more than explanation. Brands making progress are not leading with technical detail. They are focusing on what regenerative practices deliver. Ethical claims related to environmental care, animal welfare, and human impact are among the fastest-growing signals associated with regenerative agriculture. These claims help bring the concept closer to everyday relevance, particularly in Europe where sustainability expectations are high, tolerance for vague claims is low, and legislation on green claims is actively developing. 

Looking Ahead: From Signal to Meaning

Regenerative agriculture is not yet a consumer-led movement, but it is no longer peripheral. Momentum is building even as familiarity remains limited. Consumers appear emotionally receptive, behaviourally cautious, and selective about what they trust.

The opportunity lies in bridging this gap. Between ambition and affordability. Between inspiration and proof.

For farmers, offtakers, brands, retailers, foodservice and policymakers, the next phase will depend less on promoting regenerative agriculture as a standalone idea and more on embedding it within narratives of taste, quality, health, and shared values throughout the value chain. Progress here will require collaboration, aligning roles, learning from pilots, and openly sharing what works and what does not.

Transforming farming practices is essential. Ensuring those practices are understood, trusted, equally valorised throughout the value chain and meaningfully connected to consumer priorities may prove just as regenerative for the future of our food system. 

A Community in Conversation

Our Regenerative Agriculture Community partners present in this Acceleration Session did not leave with a definitive answer. Instead, the session fostered debate, collaboration, and collective exploration of the playing field of the regenerative agriculture transition. Participants examined where they could contribute, who they might collaborate with, and how different roles across the system could come together to initiate change. Each actor brings a unique perspective, capability, and responsibility to the transition. This ongoing dialogue, grounded in data, enriched by diverse viewpoints, and driven by shared ambition, is what a vibrant community is all about!

Join the Movement

Want to help drive the regenerative agriculture transition? 
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