Regenerating Agriculture: Coordinating Action Across the Global Food System

From volatile weather to shifting geopolitics, farming is under pressure as never before. To feed a growing global population while reducing emissions, agriculture must increase crop yields by 70% by 2050 and significantly cut its carbon footprint. To meet these goals, many of the world's farms are evolving fast, blending profit with sustainable practices. Rabobank, Arva, and a consortium of bioenergy companies and experts—Sevana Bioenergy, EcoEngineers, South Jersey Industries, LF Bioenergy, and ag sustainability expert Cyn French—were interviewed for this report. They are among those powering this shift, showing how finance, technology, and bioenergy can transform the food system at scale.

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Scaling Regenerative Agriculture: A Conversation with Rabobank's Justin van der Sluis

As climate volatility and geopolitical shifts converge, agriculture faces a transformation more complex than any in the last century. Justin van der Sluis, Rabobank's chief food and agriculture economist, outlines the urgent shift to regenerative and climate-resilient farming, the critical role of supply chain partnerships and the policies and capital needed to drive change.

The urgency of regenerative transformation

"The most urgent transformation is the transition to more regenerative and climate-resilient farming systems." Van der Sluis points to increasingly erratic weather and geopolitical instability as dual stressors that are compressing farmers' margins and threatening food system stability. While decarbonization remains vital, adaptation must take center stage. This transformation entails restoring soil health, enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration —all while maintaining productivity and building resilience. Farmers can't do this transition alone; you need the whole value chain to change and the system to work together.

The power of value chain collaboration

"The one thing that is really undervalued is supply-level decarbonization and adaptation partnerships between farmers and food companies."

While agtech continues to draw headlines, van der Sluis emphasizes partnerships between farmers, food companies and financiers as the true catalysts for climate-smart agriculture. A Rabobank collaboration with Farm Frites and McDonald's incentivizes regenerative potato production with premiums and discounted loans. These partnerships decarbonize supply chains, build long-term relationships and secure resilient supply amid climate volatility.