The co-optation of regenerative agriculture: revisiting the corporate environmental food regime
Anja Bless
Abstract
There is increasing concern regarding the influence corporations have over the global food system. The extent of this power is so great that it is described as a defining feature of the current global food regime. In this paper, I explore the case study of regenerative agriculture, a growing transnational sustainable agriculture movement which has received increasing interest from corporate actors. Existing literature has highlighted the risks of corporate co-optation in regenerative agriculture but has failed to explore these patterns in any great depth. To address this gap, I analyse 21 multi-national corporations with regenerative agriculture programs and policies. Combining food regime theory with a three faces of power framework, I document the nature of corporate involvement in regenerative agriculture and how it reflects a broader attempt by agri-food corporations to legitimize their power in the global food system via the corporate environmental food regime.