Beyond greenwashing: Is regeneration the real deal?
As one must have heard, these last few years, "regeneration" or, more precisely, regenerative agriculture is the latest buzz word in fashion and textiles. Yet the buzz is as fuzzy as it is buzzy: what exactly is regenerative agriculture? Why does it matter? Can it ever be captured in a single, universal definition? In this article we’ll explore those questions; in the next, we’ll dive into practical implementation.
Fashion often discusses sustainability, yet seldom addresses the foundational role of soil. Every garment—be it a cotton T-shirt, wool jumper, or leather shoe—originates from the land. While synthetics derive from fossil fuels—a critical topic in its own right—it only underlines the urgency of freeing from our dependency on them and securing natural-fibre supplies, which still account for roughly one-third of global fibre production.1 Alarmingly, the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) reports that up to 40 percent of the world’s land is now degraded, impacting over 3.2 billion people and threatening the very resources upon which fashion depends. This degradation undermines raw-material availability while exacerbating climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity. 2
| Regenerative agriculture emerges not merely to minimise harm but to actively restore ecosystems. By enhancing soil health, increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon, regenerative practices offerr a pathway to rebuild natural systems. As Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, aptly stated, “Sustainability is not enough. We need to regenerate.” In this context, regenerative agriculture isn’t a trend—it’s a transformative approach to healing the planet. Now that’s something to take a moment to reflect on: at its core, regenerative agriculture is not only about doing less, or no harm. It is about actively doing GOOD. A holistic, proactive alternative to conventional farming (and even to organic, to which it ideally should be associated). Restoring fertility, biodiversity, preventing erosion, and giving back to nature. | ©Nandhu Kumar |
Yet because ecosystems vary by region, and because regenerative systems may or may not incorporate organic certification, there can be no single checklist of practices. Instead, regeneration is inherently place-based and culturally specific, drawing on older pre-industrial cultivation methods, Indigenous deep wisdom and modern soil-science insights. And this matters hugely, because farmers—whose real incomes in France have fallen by some 40 percent since 19903 are at the heart of the system. Textile Exchange emphasises that regenerative agriculture is, and must be
"a fundamentally holistic systems approach that puts humans and ecosystems at the center and acknowledges its roots in Indigenous practices : We want to highlight how important it is for brands to clearly define their own use of the term, and to ensure that social justice, equity, and livelihoods are meaningfully embedded in any project deemed regenerative."
Textile Exchange, Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis
Although regenerative agriculture prioritises farmers and focuses on outcomes—improved soil health, carbon sequestration and livelihoods—it also aligns with brands’ compliance requirements and extends far beyond carbon accounting. More than a sustainability metric, it is an opportunity to invest in a fundamentally different system—one that moves away from extractive models and reimagines both growth and degrowth through a radically different lens.
Why it matters to fashion
©Illiya Vjestica | Fashion’s link to agriculture is often invisible, but profound: cotton is one of the most chemically intensive crops, wool, leather and rubber all derive from grazing lands or agroforests. Degraded soil therefore threatens raw-material availability. Regenerative practices can restore ecosystems while also producing higher-quality fibres—clear benefits for brands, farmers and the planet. |
But what does regenerative agriculture look in practice?
Unlike conventional or even organic farming, regenerative agriculture treats the soil as a living organism. It actively feeds the land, rather than merely extracting from it. Common methods include: It involves methods like:
- Minimal or no tilling
- Cover cropping
- Rotational grazing and cultivation
- Integration of animals, livestock and crops
- Promotion of biodiversity, a.o.
Crucially, it focuses on outcomes—such as improved soil health and carbon sequestration—rather than prescribing fixed techniques.
One of regeneration’s greatest strengths, its adaptability, is also its weakness. Unlike “organic”, there’s no single global standard. A farmer might sow cover crops and call it regenerative while neglecting grazing patterns or biodiversity. This fuzziness exposes the movement to greenwashing and underscores the need for robust measurement tools and credible certifications.
Key programnes, standards and certifications
While FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a reference for wood-based products, and NATIVA™ for merino wool, among the key players of specifically regenerative practices, one can mention :
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Along these the major programs and standards, the exhaustive list being found in Textile Exchange’s Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis.
A systemic shift
Implementing regeneration is not simply a matter of sourcing “regenerative” cotton. It challenges business-as-usual across the supply chain, an its implementation is complex. It really implies :
| Nandhu Kumar |
As these lines are written, Earth Day (22nd April) has just passed, and as Paul Polman reminds us:
"We are, as it’s been said, the first generation to fully understand our impact on the planet—and the last with the power to meaningfully redirect it. That’s not just a poetic turn of phrase; it’s an empirical reality. The longer we wait, the more expensive and less effective every intervention becomes.The irony is that many of the solutions are not only within reach—they’re economically rational. Clean energy now outcompetes fossil fuels in much of the world. U.S. battery storage rose 70% in just one year. And companies integrating sustainability are outperforming — sustainability leaders have delivered 20% higher returns than their peers. [...]
The real obstacle is not feasibility. It is the courage to act."
In our next article, we’ll explore the how—and the role that technology can play in driving this regenerative transition.
