The European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) has unveiled what it calls the first farmer‑led assessment of the rapidly expanding landscape of regenerative agriculture frameworks, certifications and claims.
Presented during Regenerating Europe Week in Brussels, Regen Compass – Volume 1.0 is positioned as a much‑needed navigation tool for farmers, buyers and policymakers struggling to interpret a fragmented and fast‑commercialising ecosystem.
Benchmarking 29 MRV systems
It evaluates 29 Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and aims to offer the sector a trusted, independent reference point rather than yet another standard or certification. EARA says the goal is to help decision‑makers “see more clearly where we are, what exists, and where improvement is urgently needed” as regenerative agriculture gains traction across Europe.
A compass, not another certification
EARA stresses that the Compass is not designed to “crown winners”. Instead, it acts as a strategic orientation tool, mapping strengths and exposing gaps across existing MRV approaches – many of which, EARA argues, have yet to integrate ecological, social and economic outcomes with equal rigor. The organisation says this lack of consistency risks undermining credibility just as regenerative agriculture becomes a focal point for food companies, investors and policymakers.
Farmers push back against greenwashing risks
The central message is that farmers need a dependable compass to navigate – and ultimately help shape – the emerging rules and markets around regeneration. Without coordinated, independent leadership from farmers, EARA warns that regenerative agriculture is vulnerable to greenwashing, greenhushing and corporate capture as more actors rush to claim “regenerative” credentials.
EARA is calling for a holistic minimum MRV foundation that is scientifically robust, locally adaptable and co‑owned by farmers. Such a foundation, it argues, is essential to maintain integrity, ensure outcome‑based verification, and scale regenerative practices affordably across Europe.
Next steps: harmonisation and deeper data
Over the coming months, the alliance will work with partners across Europe and globally to refine the Compass. Future iterations will incorporate deeper data, clearer evaluation criteria and more granular clustering to guide continuous improvement.
“Without independent, farmer-led coordination, regenerative agriculture as a movement has no power to oppose dilution by greenwashing and corporate capture,” said Naomi Oakley, Founding Farmer of EARA. “The Regen Compass creates for the first time a shared reference point so we can see more clearly where we are, what exists, and where improvement is urgently needed.”
EARA positions this first volume as the beginning of a longer collaborative process – one it hopes will move Europe’s regenerative agriculture community from fragmentation toward coherence, and ensure that regeneration remains authentic, outcomes‑driven, and farmer‑led.
