Defining Sustainable & Regenerative Agriculture
Shared Definitions Created and Supported by the Full Agricultural Value Chain
Shared definitions make progress measurable and impact scalable. Field to Market has convened stakeholders from across U.S. agriculture to establish clear, consensus-driven definitions of sustainable and regenerative agriculture, ensuring that goals, indicators, and actions align.
The Core Definitions
Field to Market defines sustainable agriculture as meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by:
- Increasing productivity to meet future food, feed, fiber, and fuel demands
- Improving the environment
- Improving human health
- Improving the social and economic well-being of agricultural communities
Using a systems-based perspective, regenerative agriculture sequesters carbon in the soil and intentionally improves soil health, biodiversity, water quality and air quality while ensuring the viability of farm production.
Principles of Regenerative Agriculture
The principles of a regenerative agriculture system are based in Indigenous ways of land management and are adaptive to local physical conditions and culture. These principles include:
- Minimizing soil disturbance
- Maintaining living roots in soil
- Continuously covering bare soil
- Maximizing diversity with emphasis on crops, soil microbes and pollinators
- Integrating livestock where it is feasible
Our Approach to Defining the Terms
Our definitions are designed to be practical and actionable, supporting measurable progress through collaboration.
Consensus-Driven by Design
These definitions were developed through collaboration across the agricultural value chain, aligning stakeholders on shared language and goals for sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Outcomes-Focused and Grounded in the Latest Science
We prioritize definitions that translate into measurable outcomes, enabling progress to be tracked and improved with the Fieldprint Platform rather than merely discussed.
Built for Continuous Improvement
Sustainability and regeneration are ongoing practices, not boxes to be checked or finish lines to be crossed. Our approach supports learning, iteration, and improvement over time.
Grounded in Real-World Agriculture
No two farms or regions are the same. The practices that work in one operation may not work in another. These definitions are designed to be flexible enough to reflect that diversity, while still providing a shared language that the value chain can use consistently.
Resources
See How These Definitions Are Applied Through Measurement, Guidance, and Real-World Insights
See the On-the-Ground Results
Get a peek into how these definitions translate into measurable outcomes with the Fieldprint Platform.