Marketing & Communications Regeneration & Resilience

Researchers, Brands Broadening Public’s Understanding of Regenerative Ag

A new report highlights the public’s lack of understanding of regenerative agriculture and its benefits; illycaffè and Kiss the Ground continue to help scale messaging that fills this gap.

Published 2 months ago | About a 10 minute read

Image: illycaffè

Report: Most consumers are unfamiliar with regenerative agriculture

Image credit: Polina Zimmerman

Many members of the public lack familiarity with the farming methods known as regenerative agriculture, according to the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report (CFI).

The report from Purdue University's Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS) surveyed 1,200 consumers across the US on food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources.

Regenerative agriculture refers to farming methods that improve soil health, carbon capture, biodiversity and water health. And while pretty much every multinational consumer goods company with an agricultural supply chain has committed to transitioning its growers to regenerative practices — and many are raising awareness of these efforts through campaigns, metaverse games and more — roughly 43 percent of survey respondents said they were still "not at all familiar" with the term "regenerative agriculture," and another 28 percent are only "slightly familiar."

"This reveals an opportunity for producers and industry leaders interested in expanding regenerative agriculture practices in their operations to clearly communicate to consumers what regenerative agriculture means to their operations," said Joseph Balagtas — professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, CFDAS director and the report's lead author — echoing Purdue professor Brenna Ellison’s recent assertions about the importance of clear consumer education on the subject if regenerative agriculture is going to be more than a buzz phrase.

After presenting respondents with the broad definition of regenerative agriculture, CFDAS researchers gauged support for or opposition to the practice in the context of four hypothetical scenarios: The first two scenarios involved practicing regenerative agriculture on US farms and the voluntary adoption of its methods by farmers; the other two related to industry or government plans that provide financial incentives for adopting the practices but that would result in higher prices or taxes to pay for the incentives.

"While consumers say they generally support regenerative agriculture initiatives, the level of support goes down when given additional information about the cost," Balagtas said. An education policy study published in 2018 revealed a similar result in the context of spending on education. "Understandably, food policy is likely to be less popular when it comes at the expense of consumers — who are already dealing with high food prices.”

For the consumers surveyed, affordability outweighs other benefits of regenerative agriculture including improving soil health or reducing water use.

"The benefits of regenerative agricultural practices come at a cost, part of which may be borne by food consumers or taxpayers. Advocates of regenerative ag will need to consider the willingness of consumers or taxpayers to pay for those practices," Balagtas said.

Other findings

The new CFI Report also assesses how educational differences potentially correlate with certain CFI indicators — such as food security, values, behaviors and beliefs.

CFDAS researchers asked respondents to allocate 100 points to six food attributes based on their importance when grocery shopping. Taste and affordability have been the most important attributes for the nearly three years that the center has tracked these data.

"Among food values, nutrition is a distant third — and social and environmental sustainability are least important," said Elijah Bryant, a survey research analyst at CFDAS and a co-author of the report.

Consumers who have received at least a four-year college degree place more value on food nutrition relative to those with little or no college education; the latter prioritize food affordability.

"We observe higher rates of food insecurity among those with lower levels of education, with 31 percent of those earning a high school degree or less reporting household food insecurity," Bryant explained. "As education is correlated with income, the food value and security findings underscore the importance of ensuring our food system is able to supply nutritionally adequate foods at affordable prices. Otherwise, consumers may shift more of their purchasing focus away from the nutritional value of their food in favor of affordability."

Consumer response to statements about the food system also reveal differences according to educational attainment. Despite scientific evidence showing the safety of genetically modified foods, over one-third of those with a two-year college degree or less disagree with the statement that foods derived from GMOs are safe to eat. However, 41 percent of four-year degree earners and 51 percent of graduate-degree earners agree with the statement.

The CFDAS trust index further revealed that adults with less education tend to trust family members or friends as sources of information about healthy and sustainable foods, while highly educated consumers to a greater degree trust organizations such as the American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration. All four groups tend to be less trusting of the media and fast-food chains regarding food matters.

illycaffè’s ‘Mind the Coffee Cup’ project aims to engage public on regenerative ag

Image credit: Business People

Meanwhile, in celebration of International Coffee Day (October 1), Italian family-owned coffee brand illycaffè has launched “Mind the Coffee Cup: The Future of Coffee Examined in Depth” — a project designed to inspire collaborative efforts in developing sustainable solutions to climate proof coffee production.

Coffee is more than just a beverage; it is a beloved ritual in the lives of millions. Every day, over three billion cups are consumed globally; and the coffee industry supports 25 million farming families. As this critical crop is increasingly threatened by climate change — a growing number of industry giants, startups and researchers are hard at work on solutions that will safeguard coffee production worldwide for the long term.

For its part, illycaffè has long been a champion of regenerative agriculture practices — which not only ensure a sustainable income for farmers but also help to secure the future of coffee. Illycaffè says its Arabica Selection Brasile Cerrado Mineiro, certified by regenagri®, is the first coffee made entirely from regenerative agriculture.

Arabica Selection Brasile Cerrado Mineiro is the product of a longstanding partnership between illycaffè and the Cerrado Mineiro Producers Federation — which have worked together to find and implement best practices for adapting to, mitigating and regenerating ecosystems affected by climate change.

“To safeguard coffee cultivation, it is crucial to support farming communities in adopting sustainable agronomic practices and investing in research,” said Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. “On International Coffee Day, we seized the opportunity to promote our ‘Mind the Coffee Cup’ campaign — aimed at raising consumer awareness about the importance of developing sustainable agricultural and social models. Only by doing so can we continue to enjoy this extraordinary beverage while preserving the rich cultural heritage it embodies.”

To increase consumer awareness and understanding of the importance of such initiatives, this month, illycaffè will promote “Mind the Coffee Cup” in cities worldwide through both physical and digital channels:

In Milan, until October 14, the newsstand in Piazza San Babila will be transformed into a café where visitors can enjoy coffee produced entirely from regenerative agriculture while learning more about the project through special publications. Additionally, the San Babila metro station will be completely redesigned by illycaffè, offering passengers a unique journey into the future of coffee. Throughout October, illy’s directly managed stores and select bars and restaurants in Milan — including the Michelin-starred Andrea Aprea — will serve Arabica Selection Brasile Cerrado Mineiro.
In Seoul, a special tasting with 4 exclusive recipes based on Arabica Selection Brasile Cerrado Mineiro will be organized to highlight the different phases of the coffee plant's life cycle.
Selected illy customers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States will also be activated.

The project will also extend to educational and entertaining content available on digital platforms including Meta, TikTok and YouTube.

Kiss the Ground launches brand partnerships program

Kiss the Ground CEO Evan Harrison speaks to Anthropologie employees | Image credit: Kiss the Ground

Kiss the Ground — a nonprofit promoting regenerative ag as a viable solution for our wellness, water and climate crises through storytelling and education — is also working to address the lack of widespread consumer awareness and understanding through its new Partnerships Program, designed to engage industry-leading brands seeking to make an impact.

Building on existing partnerships with brands including Mars Petcare’s Nutro brand, Kiss the Ground’s new program aims to continue inspiring companies and consumers to recognize the benefits of regenerative agriculture for planetary and human wellness.

“It’s incredibly rewarding partnering with companies spanning various industries, who are all aligned as it pertains to doing their part in promoting regeneration,” says Kiss the Ground CEO Evan Harrison. “The creativity and energy levels are palpable as they dive in deeper with us, and in turn, the messages reach new audiences in an authentic and impactful way.”

Businesses have a significant opportunity to influence the regenerative movement. With growing interest from employees, boards and shareholders in regenerative agriculture, Kiss the Ground guides earnest companies in engaging in the conversation responsibly.

“On the one hand, regenerative agriculture makes so much intuitive sense: We take care of the land and it will take care of us,” says Carolyn Gahn, Senior Director, Mission & Advocacy at new partner Applegate — the US’s leading natural and organic meat brand, which earlier this year committed to transition its entire line of grass-fed beef hot dogs to beef raised on verified regenerative grasslands by the end of 2025. “But how exactly healthy soil makes such a big difference can be hard to explain, especially to consumers who are so far removed from food and farming. The team at Kiss the Ground inspires us with their passionate and creative storytelling about this essential movement.”

In addition to helping businesses join the conversation and build awareness, Kiss the Ground’s Partnerships Program enables supporters’ donations to directly increase regenerative agriculture acreage. Every $100 donation goes toward working directly with farmers, consultants and partners to catalyze the transition of 10 acres into regeneratively farmed land.

“We are incredibly inspired by the work our friends at Kiss the Ground have been doing and are in awe of their ability to inspire millions of people across the country to participate in the regenerative movement,” says Elizabeth Preis, Chief Marketing Officer at fashion and lifestyle brand Anthropologie — which will work with Kiss the Ground on internal education and storytelling.

Kiss the Ground invites organizations of all kinds to get in touch to discuss how they can support regeneration and drive meaningful change.