Accelerating the transition to a just and regenerative food system


Unlocking Capital for a Regenerative Revolution

As regenerative agriculture has become more of a household name over the last decade, there’s been a robust discussion about what it would take to transition our food system to better-align with its principles. Whether it is consumers changing their purchasing patterns, major food companies changing their sourcing practices, or government entities offering new technical assistance programs, there is one part of the dialogue that is often forgotten: how – and more importantly, who – will finance the regenerative revolution?

The Playing Field isn't Level

Conventional agriculture benefits from a well-developed ecosystem of financial products and services including historical price data, loan guarantees, robust supply chains, comprehensive insurance, secondary markets, etc. For many reasons, however, the existing conventional agriculture finance infrastructure is a poor fit for regenerative agriculture. 
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Producers who adopt regenerative practices can be disqualified from receiving federal crop insurance, for example, and many existing agricultural loan programs are reluctant to extend loan guarantees to the emerging class of impact lenders willing to provide patient, flexible, and non-extractive debt capital to regenerative producers.

Changing the Culture of Capital

There’s a strong connection between how farms are financed and the kinds of agricultural practices farmers are able to employ. If we are to transition from today’s broken food production system to a more regenerative style of agriculture, the farm finance system must evolve as well. We cannot expect producers to shoulder the burden and risks of transformation through bootstrapping or working a full-time off-farm job to foot the bill. ​
At a very high level, the solution to this financial conundrum is convincing all capital providers –heads of government agencies, private investors and lenders, philanthropists, and more—to start viewing themselves as capital partners. It also lies in creating a financial safety net akin to the one conventional food producers currently access.
The changes we need—financially and in other ways—to create a more regenerative agricultural system may seem daunting. But they don’t have to happen overnight—and they shouldn’t. Long-term, sustainable change is the goal, and such change is driven just as much by ordinary citizens as it is by philanthropists, policy-makers, investors, and farmers. Join us in the effort to create a financial ecosystem that allows regenerative agriculture to thrive—one dollar at a time.

Towards a 6th Food System


We pursue work that leads to these impacts:

Sustainable Ecosystems

Local and regional agricultural and distribution practices that reduce waste, conserve land, support biodiversity and encourage regeneration.

Healthy People

Programs, services and products that promote healthy, nutritious food, ensure the well-being of all people and connect communities to their food system

Vibrant Farms

Economically-viable models that allow sustainable family farms to thrive, while caring for farmers, farm-workers and farm animals.

Justice and Fairness

Entrepreneurial solutions and systems that increase equitable access to food, pay food and farm workers fairly, provide opportunities for wealth creation and ensure community food sovereignty.
*The FS6 impact areas are adapted from Whole Measures for Community Food Systems, a values-based strategic planning and evaluation framework developed by the Center for Whole Communities and the Community Food Security Coalition.

Help Build a Regenerative and Just Food System


As a 501c3 non-profit, Food System 6 is built by and for our community.

Join the growing network of visionary donors, big and small, who are building a more just and regenerative 6th food system today!