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A new initiative to support farmers and grow the adoption of regenerative agriculture
On November 11, 2024, Top 50 Farmers opened nominations for their first cohort of regenerative farmers across Europe. Farmers will be selected based on their dedication to regenerative farming practices, contributions to local communities, and innovations in agricultural techniques. Selected farmers will become role models and leaders in the transition to regenerative practices.
Recognition for Top 50 Farmers (T50F) is one facet of a larger platform built from the voice of farmers. Selected T50F farmers will have access to a network that encompasses nonprofits, educational hubs, investors, and organizations across Europe as well as new pathways to markets, capital, and peer to peer mentoring.
“We want to address the whole value chain, but always have farmers in the center,” explained Cindie Christiansen, executive director of Foodprint Nordic and Co-Founder of Top 50 Farmers. Not surprisingly, the idea for T50F came about during a discussion about food at an event held by Astanor.
“Denmark had absolutely no food culture for many years. And suddenly, with the New Nordic Manifesto, you saw that chefs became famous. They got new platforms. They got diversified income streams. They became leaders for change,” said Christiansen. “We asked, ‘Why don't we do the same for the farmers?’”
“If you were to go out on the street and ask a stranger, who's your favorite chef? Or who's a chef you like, they'd be able to name 1 or 2 household names,” added Analisa Winther, Co-Founder of T50F.
“But if you ask that same person ‘Who's your favorite farmer?’ Odds are they have no idea who is growing the food that they eat multiple times a day. It's part of our job to build those relationships again and put farmers back in the center of what it means to be a healthy community with healthy food that helps to steward the planet.”
The Top 50 Farmers platform reflects the combined experience of Winther and Christiansen. Christiansen founded the nonprofit organization Footprint Nordic, which directs funds to regenerative farming projects. Winther has a background in building innovation ecosystems and networks to facilitate food system transformation.
T50F aims to put farmers’ voices at the center of an ecosystem designed to foster connections and grow adoption of regenerative practices. The ecosystem model makes perfect sense as farmers are central to building healthy soils and natural ecosystems.
“[Farmers] have the ability to heal the land against mounting threats of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. With only 12% of farmers in the EU under 40, the future of agriculture is facing a generational crisis. We need to inspire the next generation to join the regenerative movement,” says Christiansen.
Attracting that next generation will require solving barriers farmers face. These challenges include systems that are reliant on subsidies, risks from weather and market conditions, and low profit margins. T50F aims to put regenerative farmers, and their stories, at the center of conversations across the whole value chain, helping them access markets and opportunities as they serve as mentors and role models for a new generation of farmers.
“It starts by changing perception, and it starts by telling the good stories of people who are figuring out how to build profitable businesses that steward the planet and healthy communities and building strong networks around them to support them and make sure that they can succeed,” adds Winther.
How to Nominate a Top 50 Farmer
Starting a movement and platform to support farmers requires finding that first 50 cohort. T50F is seeking a diversity of voices, role models, and farmer experience. Nominations can be made by farmers, community members, and peers at the Top 50 Farmers website.
Eligible Farmers:
− Must be located in EU, EEA, or the UK
− Must have been using regenerative practices for a minimum of one year.
− Must be registered as a business
− May be experienced regenerative farmers or those who are transitioning their practices.
Applications are open until December 13, 2024.
The Nest is proud to support Top 50 Farmers. The initiative was seed-funded by Astanor and was also financed by the Avina Foundation and Deon Foundation. Image credit to Charles Post.