Celebrating 10 Years of Regeneration International: Cultivating Soil, Solidarity, and System Change

Roots of Regeneration: How a Movement Took Hold 10 Years Ago

Ten years ago on July 8, 2015, a visionary group of farmers, scientists, organizers, and activists gathered at a biodynamic farm called Finca Luna Nueva in Costa Rica with one unified purpose: to create a regenerative alternative to industrial agriculture. Driven by concerns about soil degradation, climate breakdown, and corporate control of food systems, the gathering planted the seed of a global movement rooted in a vision for a healthy global ecosystem. This seed was also the catalyst for the formation of Regeneration International, an organization with a mission to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems.

From Climate Papers to Global Assembly

In 2013, André Leu, a veteran organic farmer and then President of IFOAM, published a peer-reviewed paper titled ‘Mitigating climate change with soil organic matter in organic production systems’ for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT REVIEW. This paper demonstrated how scaling up organic agriculture could sequester excess CO2 in the soil and help mitigate climate change. The Rodale Institute and others cited this paper, and global figures like Tom Newmark, co-founder of Carbon Underground and the Soil Carbon Initiative, helped spread the message. This momentum led to the formation of an international steering committee through early Zoom calls, which included André, Tom, Ronnie, and Vandana Shiva. 

A Biodynamic Birth in Costa Rica

In 2015, André, Ronnie, and Rose Welch, co-founder and International Director of the Organic Consumers Association, helped gather over 60 leaders from across the globe. They provided financial support for travel and accommodation to bring important voices together. By day’s end, Regeneration International was officially born, aiming to restore soil, climate, and communities . 

The Power of Collective Leadership

Ten years after that first gathering, our movement has grown into a “forest” of global grassroots action, rooted in solidarity, science, and seed sovereignty. This interview brings together four important voices from these early days to discuss the genesis of this movement. 

Mercedes López Martínez is Director of Vía Orgánica in Mexico and a key leader in the ‘Sin Maíz No Hay País’ campaign. This year, she helped secure a national reform to ban GMO corn, protecting Mexico’s native varieties and advancing food sovereignty.

Dr. André Leu is RI’s co-founder and International Director, a longtime organic farmer and author, and former President of IFOAM. He’s been a driving force behind RI’s global policy work and helped lead the creation of the new Regeneration International Standard.

Ercilia Sahores is RI’s Latin America Director and Campaigns Director at Vía Orgánica. With roots in political science, she’s been a vital connector across movements, working with farmers, educators, and policymakers to defend traditional seed systems and build just, local food economies throughout Latin America and around the world. 

Precious Phiri is RI’s Africa Coordinator and founding trustee of iGugu Trust in Zimbabwe. Through her work in holistic grazing and community resilience, she has helped regenerate degraded landscapes and support rural livelihoods across Southern Africa and across the world. 

Turning Seeds into System Change

The last decade has seen these early efforts grow into global initiatives at Regeneration International:

• The People’s Food Summit, amplifying grassroots voices
• The Billion Agave Project, reforesting arid lands
• Regenerative education programs worldwide
• And most recently, the Regeneration International Standard, ensuring “regenerative” remains a meaningful label

This work has been a true community effort. We thank all of you for being a part of this movement for the last decade, and we want to give a special shout-out to the rest of our team members. Judy Linman is at our main office and is the warm and welcoming voice on the other end of the phone, answering questions and helping people feel connected to our movement. Liz Welch who has been working by Rose and Ronnie’s side from the beginning. And we’re deeply grateful to Scott Funkhouser, Kaare Melby, Heather Sve, Becca Kehoe, Paco Oviedo, Danielle Enblom, and Alexis Baden-Mayer, whose invaluable work in organizing, tech systems, and media have been essential in helping us share our message and expand our reach around the world.