From field to aisle: Regenerative won’t work without supply chain buy-in

Key takeaways:

• Regenerative farming can’t scale without buy-in from bakers, snack makers, retailers and consumers, not just farmers.
• Major players like General Mills, PepsiCo, Matthews Cotswold Flour and Quinn snacks are already investing in regenerative grains.
• Verified seals such as Grown Climate Smart are moving from farm fields to packaging, creating both commercial opportunities and supply-chain pressure.

Regenerative farming can’t succeed on farmers’ shoulders alone. That much is clear from Heartland Craft Grains’ new partnership with Grown Climate Smart, which takes the regenerative seal from a niche concept to actual bags of flour and grains. This shift matters because it signals that if regenerative is going to scale, it must involve producers, ingredient handlers, retailers and even consumers.

For Heartland, this means its stone-milled spelt, blue corn grits and bread flour will soon sport the Grown Climate Smart logo – a visual promise the grain inside was cultivated for soil health, biodiversity and purpose. It’s a quiet yet potent reminder that regenerative is moving out of farm sustainability programs and into the everyday supply chain.

Making a noise

For Heartland’s Rochelle and Evan Schnadt, this seal affirms what they’ve laid out on the ground for years – growing heirloom and ancient grains in ways that nurture the land, not deplete it. “From the beginning, our focus has been on flavor and soil health,” said Rochelle. “This partnership lets us put that message right on the bag.”

That message is resonating far beyond Lodi. General Mills has pledged to advance regenerative agriculture across one million acres of farmland by 2030, with pilot projects in wheat and oats – two categories central to bakery and snack production.

PepsiCo has committed to spreading regenerative practices across 7 million acres by the same deadline, covering crops like corn that feed directly into snack supply chains. Patagonia Provisions is also leaning in, partnering with Land to Market to certify regenerative grains for its baking mixes and snack bars.

And it’s not just the multinationals. In the UK, Matthews Cotswold Flour has positioned regenerative at the center of its strategy. Managing director Bertie Matthews told Bakery&Snacks: “Current farming practices have proven to have long term damages to our soils. We need to balance food availability and price with farming practices that regenerate soil fertility, not just sustain it.” He added, “Regenerative farming practices promote healthier soils, provide healthier food, restore biodiversity and sequester carbon.”

Over in snack territory, Quinn is also making regenerative sourcing a core part of its brand. Founder Kristy Lewis explained: “A regenerative farm is like a sponge that creates a resilient ecosystem. This really produces nutrient dense food and improves yield and food security.”

These examples show regenerative grain is climbing from farm trials into mainstream contracts. A seal that starts on a flour bag or a snack pack can quickly become a procurement question for bigger suppliers: which of your flours, dough bases or inclusions are regenerative verified – and at what premium?

“Farmers can’t shoulder the responsibility alone,” said Dylan Vaca, brand and marketing manager of Grown Climate Smart. “The economics only work if the supply chain and the shopper are willing to reward them.” That’s a challenge bakers and snack brands will recognize all too well.

From certification to commercial pressure

The real force multiplier isn’t analyst forecasts – it’s corporate commitments and competitive signaling. When a General Mills or PepsiCo sets regenerative acreage goals, the ripple reaches ingredient buyers quickly. Retailers then follow suit, asking questions about where the regenerative products are in bakery and snack aisles.

Certification programs – whether Grown Climate Smart, Regenified or Land to Market – are positioning themselves to meet that demand. Each has its own criteria, but the point is the same: to make regenerative more than a marketing buzzword.

Once those seals gain traction, they create a visible difference on a product line. One SKU carries it, the next doesn’t. And that raises the stakes for brand positioning. That might mean deciding whether regenerative flour or inclusions can justify a premium price or whether the claim helps secure a retail listing. It might also mean weaving regenerative into sustainability storytelling at a time when shoppers are skeptical of vague ‘eco-friendly’ claims.

There’s another angle, too. Regenerative isn’t only about emissions or soil carbon; it ties directly into product attributes. Producers like Heartland Craft Grains frame it as flavor, nutrition and local identity – “grown here, milled here.” For an artisan bakery, that’s a way to market a loaf with terroir. For a snack brand, it’s a way to differentiate a cracker or bar in a crowded aisle.

Certification is traveling up the supply chain. The question isn’t whether regenerative will matter – it’s how fast it matters and vitally, who’ll benefit. As Rochelle Schnadt put it: “Regenerative agriculture isn’t just about reducing harm. It’s about creating abundance – in soil life, in biodiversity and in flavor.”

In the race from farm to aisle, will your brand be the one that helps harvest that abundance?