Sustainable Food Systems: A New Study on Regenerative Approaches

Strategic Insights -

A new study on sustainable food systems, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, highlights the urgent need for effective solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring food security. According to the research, food systems account for approximately 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the importance of adopting regenerative approaches. The study presents the Initial Perception of the Regenerative Approach (IPRA) tool, designed to evaluate the alignment of food businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean with regenerative principles and practices.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IPRA tool evaluates the alignment of food businesses with regenerative principles and practices across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
  • The tool comprises four main instruments that support the systematic collection of business information and the evaluation of regenerative attributes.
  • A scoring system (0-4) is used, integrated with qualitative data from interviews, to provide a general overview of the regenerative approach adopted by businesses.
  • The IPRA was employed in the analysis of 55 food businesses drawn from a previous mapping of 181 businesses across the Amazon and Central American Dry Corridor.
  • The results showed varying levels of alignment among the businesses, with an overall correspondence with regenerative practices highlighted in existing literature, particularly in agronomic and environmental aspects.
  • The tool proved adaptable, effective, and cost-efficient for gathering data across the food system, including agricultural production, forest food gathering, or commercial processing.
  • This rapid overview offered by the IPRA could play a key role in supporting the urgent development of public policy frameworks and other actions aimed at strengthening and advancing the regenerative approach throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Statistics:

  • Food systems account for approximately 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The IPRA tool was employed in the analysis of 55 food businesses drawn from a previous mapping of 181 businesses across the Amazon and Central American Dry Corridor.
  • A scoring system (0-4) is used to evaluate the alignment of food businesses with regenerative principles and practices.
  • The tool proved adaptable, effective, and cost-efficient for gathering data across the food system, including agricultural production, forest food gathering, or commercial processing.

Sources:

  • A practical tool to assess regenerative approaches in food businesses. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2025,9. (Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems#)
  • NewsRx. Study Findings on Sustainable Food Systems Described by Researchers at Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) (A practical tool to assess regenerative approaches in food businesses). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 11, 2025; p 2627.