Mapping the Regenerative Standards Landscape 16. January. 2020 COMMIT. ACT. IMPACT. THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS! Alter Eco Grove Collaborative New Hope Network Sambazon Annie's Guayaki New Morning Market Stonyfield Associated Labels and Happy Family Organics Numi Organic Tea Strategic Rise Partners Packaging Harmless Harvest Nutiva Straus Family Creamery Aurora Organic Dairy INFRA Oregon's Wild Harvest Studio Fab Cheer Pack Justin’s Organic India Sweet Additions Clif Bar & Company KeHE Organic Valley Tiger Cool Express Danone North America Lotus Foods Outpost Natural Foods Traditional Medicinals Decker and Jessica Lundberg Family Farms Patagonia Trayak Rolph MegaFood Plum Organics Whole Foods Market Dr. Bronner’s MOM's Organic Market Pluot Consulting Eatsie.us Mountain Rose Herbs Presence Marketing Foodstirs National Co+op REBBL Gaia Herbs Grocers Rogue Creamery General Mills Natural Habitats Safe Sterilization USA gimMe Snacks Nature's Path West Griffith Foods Our Speakers Moderator Lisa Spicka Associate Director Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA) Sarah Andrysiak Elizabeth Whitlow Chris Kerston Senior Director, Climate and Executive Director Director of Market Engagement Agriculture Networks Regenerative Organic & Public Outreach Green America Center for Alliance Savory Institute Sustainability Solutions Today’s Program - Program Development Process/Status Soil Carbon - Standards & Verification Process Index - ROC’s 3 Pillars and Standards Regenerative Organic Certified - Pilot Project Reflections - Hub Management Model Savory Institute - Key Standards - Land to Market Program Discussion - Q&A from Audience Please submit Q&A throughout session! All three standards agree: Healthy soil is foundational to healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet. ❖ Shared principles across all three standards: What gets measured and tracked: • 5 principles of soil health: ✓ Soil armor (cover crops) ✓ Roots in the ground ROC ✓ Biodiversity SAVORY Social fairness, ✓ Minimal disturbance (reduced tillage) Ecosystem ✓ Integration of animals animal welfare, function, soil and land • Continuous improvement is key including soil management • Need for regionally specific, farmer-to-farmer education and outreach SOIL HEALTH • Need for third party verification / validation • Desire to improve agricultural data • Interest in alignment with other standards to grow the market and accelerate soil regeneration ❖ Differences: Soil Carbon Initiative • On pack or not Soil health and • Practices vs. outcomes carbon only • The audit process January 2020 THE SOIL CARBON INDEX (SCI) A Verification and Recognition Standard To Facilitate Improvement in Soil Health Sequestering soil carbon and building soil health to address climate change and restore farmer livelihoods | 8 The goal of the Soil Carbon Initiative is to encourage, motivate and aid in the adoption of regenerative agriculture as a means to drive robust soil health and to mitigate – and even reverse – climate change, and provide all of the many benefits of soil health. The Soil Carbon Index (SCI) standard – with growing interest from governments and farmers in the US, Thailand, Australia, Ecuador and more – will beneficially transform our soil, our climate, and our future. | 9 SCI Design Team In addition to the leadership of our design team, over 150 stakeholders, including farmers, farmer advocacy organizations, brands, retailers, ingredient suppliers, seed dealers, and technical advisors aligned on the design criteria and reviewed iterations of SCI. We are grateful to Paloma Blanca Foundation and Kristina Hall for essential support of this work. | 10 SCI Design Criteria and Vision Design Criteria Vision > Provide independent, third-party verified > SCI motivates everyone who touches the standard for soil health and carbon soil to sequester carbon and build soil sequestration health so that agriculture can help reverse climate change > Measure outcomes (don’t dictate practices) > SCI becomes the independent, third- party standard & verification process for > Achieve verified and meaningful results carbon sequestration and soil health > Complement, and not compete with, > Over time, SCI’s data connects on-farm existing standards: design for inter- actions (regenerative agriculture) with operability carbon draw down to improve the > Engage the entire agriculture spectrum – validity of sustainability outcomes from organic to conventional tracking (scope 3, science based targets, etc.) > Ensure that it works for farmers agronomically & economically > SCI is incorporated by on-pack certifications who want assurance of soil- > Evolve as new testing technologies emerge carbon impact > Require ongoing improvement | 11 To ensure scientific rigor and on-farm utility, we formed a soil committee of expert farmers and soil scientists > Steven Apfelbaum, M.S., Applied Ecological Svcs. > Daniel Kane, PhD., Yale University > Dr. Kofi Boa, Howard G. Buffett Foundation Centre > Rattan Lal, PhD., The Ohio State University for No-Till Agriculture > Tim LaSalle, California State University, Chico > Roland Bunch, Consultant > Andre Leu, Regeneration International > Rebecca Burgess, M.Ed., Fibershed > David Montgomery, PhD., University of Washington > Jill Clapperton, PhD., Rhizoterra > Henry Rowlands, The Detox Project > Rick Clark, Consultant and Farmer > Richard Teague, PhD., Texas A & M University > Cynthia Daley, PhD., CA State University, Chico > Eric Toensmeier, The Carbon Farming Solution > Richard Haney, PhD., USDA ARS > Steve Tucker, AgriForce Seed > Will Harris, White Oak Pastures > Chris Weigert, Healthy Food Ingredients > Jerry Hatfield PhD., USDA ARS > Allen Williams, PhD., Joyce Farms > David Johnson, PhD., New Mexico State University | 12 Soil Carbon Index Progress Expand SCI Draft Innovation Standard Create Curate Agreements Circle Public Refine soil SOIL Farmer with Pilot Companies Comment Incorporate sampling Launch SCI COMMITTEE Support Delivery (Spring Comments and testing Foundations Pilots (150 Resource Partners 2018) protocol Donors Stakeholders Library (Labs, Data involved!) Platform) Pilot Supply Chains Q1/2 Q1-3 2020 2020 | 13 Highlights Open to everyone who touches the soil, regardless of production system, scale, crop or geography Measures and verifies soil health & carbon sequestration outcomes (improvement & achievement) Awards points for soil health, soil health knowledge and applying the five soil health principles Functions at the field level not the product level (could be embedded in on-pack certifications) Creates a common measurement framework to facilitate tracking and reporting at multiple scales Launching pilots this spring to test and refine our protocols | 14 SCI collects two types of data to verify outcomes: evidence of on-farm actions & soil test results COMMITMENTS PERFORMANCE (self-reported OUTCOMES evidence) AREAS (soil test) • Learn/Teach re soil • Soil Organic Carbon & ecosystem health • Carbon • Aggregate Stability • Act to improve soil • Water Infiltration Sequestration health 1.Min soil disturbance • Microbial Biomass • Improved Soil 2.Max biodiversity or Activity Health 3.Soil covered 4.Living roots lab test results or Verified outcomes based 5.Integrate animals farmer-reported on lab tests results of in-field Checklists, tests Directional indication of photos, etc. leading indicators outcomes from self- to monitor progress reported data | 15 All producers can participate in SCI STEP ACTION ELEMENTS FARMER STEPS 1 Enrollment Location, acreage, crops, other certifications Sign up for the program (fields or farm) 1. Advance ecosystem & soil health knowledge • Engage in education 2. Make plans/take actions aligned with core • Submit annual Commitment Plans 2 Make SCI Commitments soil health principles • Implement On-Farm Actions and 3. (Complete baseline performance area test) monitoring Earn Stamp of 3 Recognizes that the farm is committed to Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration Participation Measure Performance - Baseline Test: gauge soil quality starting 1. Soil Organic Carbon Areas through soil tests point through 4 performance area tests 2. Water Holding Capacity 4 Two tracks: - Test Performance Areas every 3 years 3. Aggregate Stability - Points for improvement and for achievement • Reported (SCI-R) 4. Microbial Biomass (or microbial activity) • Verified (SCI-V) - Use SCI sampling plan and testing protocol Receive Verification Farms that achieve required SCI points are designated "SCI-Verified” or 5 (Points) “SCI-Reported” depending on their performance area testing track. | 16 SCI’s two tracks provide flexibility SCI Supply Chain requires third-party verification of carbon sequestration and soil health impact When desired, SCI Verified facilitates participation Track Farmers comply with sampling and lab test protocols in verified carbon (baseline, and sampling every 3 years) market programs by allowing aggregation Farmers are encouraged to track leading indicators to at landscape scale monitor progress on an annual basis SCI Supply Chain desired directional evidence of soil Reported carbon accumulation and soil health Track Farmers must complete baseline tests and required in- field tests and monitor and report on leading indicators SCI will audit on-farm results periodically | 17 SCI helps farmers build healthy soil – and reap the benefits Healthy Soil Ecosystem Services Performance Commitments: • Reduced Inputs Baseline Area Tests: Degraded Learning & • Improved Yield Testing Feedback, Soil Action • Improved Resilience Validation • Carbon Sequestration