THEORY OF CHANGE
Mission
Accelerate the shift to a just & regenerative food system by ensuring farmers & ranchers have the financial security they need to adopt practices that nourish people & the planet.
The Problem
Regenerative producers are asked to transition to new practices without the financial safety net conventional producers rely on. Many regenerative producers — often smaller, more diversified, & from historically excluded communities — face the same economic headwinds without conventional agriculture’s protections.
Vision
A vibrant & resilient food system that restores ecosystems, produces nutrient-rich food, supports rural economies, & uplifts everyone across the supply chain — where healthy soil & healthy balance sheets go hand in hand.
Core Beliefs
Regenerative agriculture will never compete at scale until its capital supply chain is as robust, de-risked, & well-resourced as the safety net that props up conventional agriculture.
If regenerative producers continue to face financing barriers, the transition to a just & regenerative food system will stall, leaving producers vulnerable to financial collapse & rural communities at risk.
Strategies
Expand Immediate Access to Capital.
Scale tools that level the playing field for regenerative producers & the innovative capital providers backing them.
Launch Financial Disaster Prevention.
Intervene early to stabilize producers before financial distress leads to irreversible consequences.
Develop a Regenerative Safety Net.
Design & pilot risk support tools that reward soil health, biodiversity, & rural resilience — not just yield.
Strengthen Organizational Infrastructure.
Build the internal capacity needed to deliver impact at scale.
Short-Term Outcomes
3 – 5 Years
Increased lending capacity for mission-driven lenders
Reduced financial losses & foreclosures among regenerative producers
Pilots developed & implemented for new safety net components due to improved financial stability
Greater adoption of regenerative practices due to improved financial stability
Long-Term Impact
20+ Years
A competitive, resilient regenerative agriculture sector
Restored ecosystems & healthier soil
Equitable participation in the food system’s prosperity
Strategic Plan: 2026-2028
Executive Summary
Healthy soil starts with healthy balance sheets
Farmers can’t farm for the future if they can’t survive the present.
Producers face mounting financial distress as high interest rates, rising input costs, and climate shocks converge — echoing the 1980s farm crisis, when hundreds of thousands of farms were lost. The agricultural finance system remains optimized for large-scale, commodity-based operations backed by a multi-billion dollar federal safety net, while regenerative farmers — often smaller, more diversified, BIPOC, and women-led producers — are largely excluded from comparable protections. Unless we rebalance the system, regenerative agriculture will remain out of reach for all but the most resourced. Food System 6 is on a mission accelerate the shift to a just & regenerative food system by ensuring producers have the financial security they need to adopt practices that nourish our planet.
Three-Year Priorities
Expand Immediate Access to Capital: Scale support tools for regenerative producers and the innovative capital providers backing them
Launch Financial Disaster Prevention: Intervene early to stabilize producers before financial distress becomes irreversible.
Develop a Regenerative Safety Net: Design and pilot risk support tools that reward soil health, biodiversity, and rural resilience—not just yield
Strengthen Organizational Infrastructure: Build the internal capacity needed to deliver impact at scale
Strategic Roadmap
Increase the flow of capital to regenerative farms, ranches, and food businesses through risk-adjusting tools, including:
Scaling Guarantees for Regenerative Agriculture program
Expanding EQIP Bridge Loan access.
Build out the infrastructure for financial disaster prevention, including developing, supporting, and/or disseminating:
The FEWS framework
The Bankruptcy Diversion Fund.
Strengthen organizational capacity through:
Fundraising growth
Leadership expansion
Operational systems upgrades
2026: Scale & Respond
Analyze data from GRA, FEWS, and the Bankruptcy Diversion Fund to refine program design and increase impact. Disseminate key findings to the field.
Pilot regenerative safety net tools based on R&D and sector feedback.
Strengthen partnerships with lenders, TA providers, and capital orchestrators to align resources for greater scale.
Use State of Ag Lending and FEWS reporting to influence policy and lending practices.
2027: Learn & Fortify
Work with stakeholders and experts to produce a fully mapped regenerative safety net framework that supports regenerative outcomes such as soil health, biodiversity,and local food resilience.
Position FS6 as a farmer-centric advocate for regenerative capital, amplifying producer voices in the design of financial systems.
Demonstrate measurable reductions in foreclosures, increased access to affordable capital, and accelerated adoption of regenerative practices.
Share sector-wide lessons to inspire continued innovation and cross-sector investment in the regenerative capital supply chain.