Why

Growing food and fiber with industrial techniques and chemicals is one of the main causes of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture, along with forestry and other land uses, generates roughly 23% of greenhouse gas emissions every year. If we switch from fossil-fuel-intensive farming to organic and low-till practices that build healthy soil and draw carbon back into the ground, we could turn our agricultural system from problem to solution.

Where We Are

Together with a group of farmers, business leaders and experts in soil health, animal welfare and social fairness, Patagonia helped found a new nonprofit, called the Regenerative Organic Alliance, to own and manage the Regenerative Organic Certified® program.

Through this initiative, we’re working with farms certified to the highest organic standard, which aims to rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare and improve the lives of farmers. These practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could help trap more carbon than conventional agriculture.

In Spring 2020, we launched our first products—mango snacks and cotton clothing—developed from crops grown on farms working toward Regenerative Organic certification. In Spring 2022, we released our first Regenerative Organic Certified products, signifying the program’s high standards for soil health, social fairness and animal welfare.

What’s Next

We believe it’s possible to grow food and fiber in a way that promotes soil health and accelerates positive change for people and the environment. It’s not just about doing less harm, but doing some good through the process, too.