Soil & Climate Health Initiative Verified

The Soil Climate Initiative's vision is that everyone who touches soil can be supported to unlock the soil’s potential for advancing a better future for the planet and all her people.

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Transitioning to a regenerative food system is complex. Although the social, economic, and environmental benefits of a successful transition to regenerative agriculture are multiple and profound, there are significant hurdles to overcome along the way.

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SCI's programs ecosystem seeks to address these interwoven challenges, from the Farm through the entire supply chain to the consumer, by using a multi-faceted approach that consists of: 

• Supporting Farmers in adopting regenerative practices, including via direct financial support;
• Working with soil health experts and advancing learning networks to rapidly accelerate the skills and resiliency of participating Farmers;
• Supporting brands and supply chain partners to engage in the transition of their value chains;
• Verifying both Farmer and company participants’ regenerative outcomes; and
• Communicating these stories through trust and transparency to retailers, consumers, investors, and other food system stakeholders.

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• The Verification Program engages both Farms and companies along the supply chain in actions that support the transition to Regenerative Management on an increasing number of Acres over time.
• Enrolled Farms are required to:
  • Develop and implement three-year Field Plans that address the SCI Regenerative Pillars (see below).
  • Target continuous improvement over a baseline.
  • Track and report Soil Health Outcomes.
• Enrolled brands, companies, processors, aggregators and other supply chain actors are required to:
  • Assess the land impact of the agricultural ingredients they source or sell via calculation of an ‘Acre Footprint’.
  • Commit to advancing regenerative transition on acreage equivalent to the Acre Footprint via a participant commitment plan, including by meeting minimum thresholds and milestones.
  • Support Farmer actions on the ground in line with these commitments, including by contributing to SCI's Farm Transition Fund, sourcing, or equivalent methods.
• SCI Regenerative Pillars:
  • Minimize Soil Disturbance
  • Living Roots in the Ground Year-Round
  • Keeping Year Round Soil Coverage
  • Maximize Diversity Above and Below Ground
  • Reducing Synthetic Inputs
  • Continuous Learning
  • Appropriate Integration of Livestock
• Farms that meet the requirements of the SCI Farm Standard (verified by a third-party verifier) receive the SCI Certificate of Verification label. The Farm must undergo an annual renewal process to continue to use the SCI Certificate of Verification label. Farms are required to progress to the next Verification Level by the third year (exceptions may be granted). Failure to advance to the next Verification Level may result in removal from the Verification Program.