ROC: Regenerative Organic Certification

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

What criteria do you look for in the products you buy? Perhaps you check the nutritional value or list of ingredients. Maybe you look for non-GMO, fair-trade, or organic-certified products. As consumers, we are faced with many choices, and we can take a stand on a variety of issues (or not at all) with every item we buy.

There is a new label many people will be looking for whether they’re shopping for food, clothing, or personal care products, and if you see it, you can feel terrific about what you’re buying. It’s called “ROC”, which stands for Regenerative Organic Certified.

ROC checks all of the boxes. Although new to the marketplace, it is already being called the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world. Consumers who purchase products with this stamp of approval know that they are supporting soil health, farmworkers, and pasture-based animal welfare.

The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) is behind the new certification. The group includes various experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and fair trade. The goal of the ROA is to heal a broken system, repair the planet, and empower farmers and consumers through better farming practices.

First established in 2018, the ROC pilot phase took place last year. The standard is now open for general certification. Before being eligible, farms must be organic-certified by the USDA. After that, they must meet additional criteria to ensure thriving soil life, animal welfare, and social fairness.

For example, a USDA-recognized organic farm must also provide a tillage action plan, soil lab test results, and a record of native fauna and flora on the farm to get the ROC.

Beyond that, they must also have not cleared any forests for agricultural purposes since 2015. Year-round cover crops and crop rotation are also necessary. These are just a few examples of the environmental criteria ROC farms must meet.

Fair labor and social justice are also paramount in the certification process. Businesses who achieve the ROC respect all laws associated with working conditions and the health and safety of their employees.

Already a certified organic and biodynamic property before receiving the ROC stamp, California’s Tablas Creek Vineyards says the focus on employee wellness was a significant attracting factor to the certification.

“What really drew us in was ROC’s commitment to the importance of the Social Responsibility pillar/standard,” explains viticulturist Jordan Lonborg. “In the world of agriculture, all too often are the workers overlooked. This certification ensures that it is not the case on your farm.”

There are three levels to the certification -- bronze, silver, and gold. To make it to the top tier, farms and businesses must strive to include more rigorous regenerative organic techniques. When a product makes it to gold, it truly is the cream of the crop.

The good news is some ROC products are already available for purchase on the marketplace wherever organic products are sold. They include:

• Apricot Lane Farms: Avocado Oil from Moorpark, CA

• Dr. Bronner’s: Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil from Serendipol Ltd. in Sri Lanka

• Nature’s Path: Oats from Legend Organic farm in Saskatchewan, Canada

• Grain Place Foods: Popcorn and Cornmeal from Marquette, NE

• Patagonia Provisions: Regenerative Organic Chile Mango from Sol Simple, Masaya, Nicaragua

• Lotus Foods: Brown and White Basmati Rice from Rohini, India

• Sol Simple: Banana from Masaya, Nicaragua

Other certified farms and businesses with ROC products rolling out shortly include:

• Tablas Creek Vineyards: Paso Robles CA

• Herb Pharm: Williams OR

• Guayaki Yerba Mate: Misiones, Argentina

The Time Is Now

There is no better time for farms and companies to be pushing themselves to meet the standards set out by the ROC. With the United Nations estimating the world population will hit 9.7 billion by 2050, it has become clear that we need to revamp the agricultural system so that future generations have food security and a healthy planet.

Stuart McMillan of Legend Organic Farm Nature’s Path

“Growing food and fiber with industrial techniques and harmful chemicals is having devastating effects on human health and the health of our planet,” says Birgit Cameron, Head of Patagonia Provisions. “This type of farming degrades soil, which over time reduces our ability to grow healthy crops and contributes to the loss of topsoil and water-limited resources we can’t afford to waste. Switching to Regenerative Organic practices builds healthy soil and draws even more carbon back into the ground, turning our agricultural system from problem to solution.”

The COVID-19 health crisis is another wake-up call. The ROA says the outbreak has shown how many inequalities exist in the global food supply. Regenerative organic farming techniques can help heal the broken food system and as a result, improve human health.

The Rodale Institute and The Plantrician Project recently released a new white paper called The Power of the Plate: The Case for Regenerative Organic Agriculture in Improving Human Health. The report discusses how farming and healthcare are very much intertwined, and yet the link between them is often ignored.

The increased industrialization of our food system has led to environmental degradation, empty food, and unhealthy people. The report above urges the farming and healthcare sectors to work together to create better food and a healthier future. “Let the food be thy medicine, and the medicine be thy food.” (Hippocrates, 400 BC)

Sol Simple

We are in both a race against climate change and a fight for human health, neither of which we can afford to lose. By nourishing the land, animals, growers, and consumers, the ROC stamp of approval is a step in the right direction. We can all take a stand with the products we buy. Anything with “ROC” attached to it makes a significant impact and an even greater statement.

For more information, visit regenorganic.org.

If you’re looking to shop for ROC products online, check out the Patagonia Provisions website: patagoniaprovisions.com