Summary
This interpretivist study examines how the term 'regenerative agriculture' has been adopted and contested across different stakeholder groups since its emergence in public discourse around 2019. Through 19 semi-structured interviews with farmers, researchers, companies and NGOs, the authors identify significant divergence in how the term is understood: whilst some view it as signalling necessary systemic change on climate and food equity, farmers particularly expressed concerns about greenwashing and corporate appropriation diluting its meaning. The findings reveal underlying political and economic tensions obscured by 'win-win' framing, and highlight unresolved debates about whether standardisation or flexible definition would better serve the concept's development.
Regional applicability
Whilst the study was conducted in the United States, the findings on terminology discourse and stakeholder conflicts around regenerative agriculture are broadly transferable to United Kingdom policy and farming contexts, where similar debates about definition, standardisation and corporate adoption of the term have emerged. The identified tensions between farmer perspectives and corporate marketing would likely resonate with United Kingdom farming organisations and certification bodies currently grappling with regenerative claims.
Key measures
Semi-structured interview coding and thematic analysis across 19 interviews with farmers, researchers, private companies, and NGO/nonprofit representatives; qualitative assessment of term interpretation and application
Outcomes reported
The study examined how different stakeholder groups (farmers, researchers, companies, NGOs) construct, interpret and employ the term 'regenerative agriculture' through qualitative interviews. It identified tensions between perceptions of regenerative agriculture as a transformative concept versus concerns about greenwashing, corporate co-option, and definitional ambiguity.
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