Regen Ag has been put forward by many as a potential solution to different aspects of the current poly-crisis of climate change, biodiversity destruction, food insecurity, diet-related ill-health, and inequality which faces the UK and its food system. It is visible as a farmer-led movement in festival-style agricultural events and has been taken up by some supply chain firms as a focus for improving their impacts and image.

In this context, this study aims to help policymakers, citizens and other stakeholders to:

• Understand and navigate the ambiguities of Regen Ag
• Consider perspectives around its definition and their implications
• Explore different forms of Regen Ag and its implications for the wider food system, for health and diets, and for sustainability in the UK and globally
• Consider the requirements it places on different forms of assessment
• Through addressing these questions, identify sources of distrust and facilitate more open and informed debate across and beyond the food and farming sector.

A range of other recent reports have focused on the evidence and uncertainty associated with, particularly, the environmental impacts of on-farm practices associated with Regen Ag, including BES (2025) and Burgess et al (2023). In contrast, this report sought to shift focus off the farm, and onto Regen Ag’s connections with the wider food system – how it might affect the way we grow, eat, shop and trade. We explore different perspectives on Regen Ag, and the tensions it embodies, and bring clarity to a complex and controversial topic. We provide key messages for policymakers and other stakeholders on the potential and risks of Regen Ag and options for its governance.