Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing resources for regenerative agriculture, is calling for a transformative shift in how the United States food system funds sustainable practices. In a recent paper, they argue for a new economic model of collective action to directly support regenerative farming and combat the climate crisis.
“I think our survival depends on the transition of at least 50 percent of agricultural lands for the sake of resilience and water and climate and biodiversity,” Zero Foodprint Executive Director Anthony Myint tells Food Tank. Despite growing consumer demand for climate solutions, Myint explains that only 16 percent of each food dollar reaches farms, none of which is specifically earmarked to fund future regenerative practices.
Regenerative agriculture focuses on creating closed nutrient cycles, increasing diversity, reducing the use of harmful chemicals, using more perennials instead of annual crops, and mirroring natural ecosystems.
Zero Foodprint views these practices as vital for carbon sequestration, which can help reduce global temperatures and slow the climate crisis. But the organization argues that many farmers across the U.S. lack the financial flexibility to invest in soil health projects. They don’t have the opportunity to practice cover cropping or composting, because most of their revenue goes to cover basic costs.
Myint explains that “whether the product is regenerative organic certified or conventional extractive, the purchaser is getting a unit of food that was produced a certain way—past tense.” Zero Foodprint challenges the idea that eaters who vote with their dollar by purchasing more sustainably produced foods can drive the transformation that is needed in agriculture systems.
The organization advocates for a model of “collective regeneration,” where economic stakeholders work together to directly fund proactive climate solutions. They believe this can shift the focus from consumer-driven change to a system-wide effort aimed at directly supporting farmers who are adopting regenerative practices.
According to Zero Foodprint, the U.S. food economy generates approximately US$1.8 trillion annually in grocery and food service revenues. “If the U.S. food economy utilized 1 percent towards healthy soil projects on farms, it would generate US$20 billion per year. Enough to meaningfully impact something like 50 million acres per year,” Myint tells Food Tank.
Zero Foodprint envisions a funding model to address gaps in agricultural climate solutions through an opt-out percentage added to food purchases in the U.S. “Opt-out… simply means that someone could choose not to participate. But if they take no action, then they are participating. This is common for renewable energy programs like US$1 per month on the energy bill to improve the grid,” Myint explains, referring to utility companies’ practice of adding a small fee to energy bills to support renewable energy development and grid improvements.
This opt-out funding mechanism aims to fill critical gaps left by federal conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP allocates approximately $4 billion annually—roughly US$4 per acre—to conservation practices on farms.
Zero Foodprint argues that their model will generate as much as US$20 per acre each year. Their position paper states that this additional funding can create “a path forward for a rapid transition to regenerative agriculture that is unconstrained by the tax base, through public-private collaboration.”
In practice, the collective regeneration model aims to unite six economic stakeholders—producers, processors, brands, distributors, retailers, and consumers—to fund agricultural transitions directly. Zero Foodprint facilitates these connections through initiatives that enable participating businesses to allocate a portion of their revenues toward regenerative projects. Restaurants, for example, may add a small “opt-out” surcharge to bills that Zero Foodprint redirects to local farmers through regenerative agriculture grants.
“Lives and businesses depend on the agricultural transition. It’s just a matter of when each government or company gets started,” Myint emphasizes. He hopes Zero Foodprint’s model will inspire businesses, policymakers, and producers to take collective responsibility for the future of the food system.
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Photo courtesy of JB Douglas
