A product from Epic Provisions is the first in the world to carry the Land to Market Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) seal for sustainable sourcing. Land to Market was developed by The Savory Institute as a program to verify regenerative sourcing for the food and fiber industries.
Farms that demonstrate positive outcomes in terms of biodiversity, soil health, and ecosystem function such as water infiltration and soil carbon content receive Land to Market verification. Brands and retailers can source from these farms to bring products to market that carry the EOV seal. Epic’s Spicy Sriracha Beef Bites was sourced from Land to Market supplier White Oaks Pastures.
Regenerative agriculture aims to build healthy soil, increase biodiversity and empower farming communities. It also offers a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gases. Regenerative practices work with nature to pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil.
The Savory Institute is a global non-profit that has trained over 5,000 land managers and begun regeneration of 21 million acres of once-degraded grasslands with Holistic Planned Grazing, the organization says. Regenerative agriculture aims to build healthy soil, increase biodiversity and empower farming communities. It also offers a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gases. Regenerative practices such as diverse crop rotations and planned grazing of livestock work with nature to pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil.
Being verified by the Land to Market program may help lead to successful business outcomes. “[It] has given me a tool for continuous improvement and entry into desirable market opportunities,” says one cattle rancher.
Another recently announced agriculture certification structure, Regenerative Organic Certified, will ensure soil health and ecological land management, hopes founding coalition Regenerative Organic Alliance. The alliance is a group of organizations and businesses including White Oaks Pastures, along with Patagonia, Horizon Organic, Dr. Bronner’s, Rodale Institute, Grain Place Foods, and more. Certification will, over time, increase carbon capture in soil, the alliance says.
When it comes to sustainable sourcing, such initiatives have emerged as key business objectives for brands like Tetra Pak, Starbucks and Nestle.