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Response to “Neither Conventional nor GMO Article. What’s the Place of ‘New Genomic Techniques’ in Organic Agriculture?”

08/03/2025

The article,” Neither Conventional nor GMO. What’s the Place of ‘New Genomic Techniques’ in Organic Agriculture?” was inserted by error into the Regeneration International newsletter. We strongly disagree with this article for several reasons.This article is a GMO industry reiteration of many similar articles they have used to lobby industry, governments, and consumers to get the newer methods of modifying genetic material in plants and animals (‘new genomic techniques’ or ‘NGTs’) not classified as GMOs.

Celebrating 10 Years of Regeneration International: Cultivating Soil, Solidarity, and System Change

07/23/2025

In this special 10-year anniversary conversation, we revisit the pivotal moment when farmers, scientists, and organizers from around the world came together to chart a new path for food, farming, and the planet. Join four founding members of Regeneration International: Mercedes López Martínez, Dr. André Leu, Ercilia Sahores, and Precious Phiri, as they reflect on what brought them together in 2014, the shared vision that sparked a movement, and the early strategies and struggles that shaped what we now know as “regeneration.”

Glyphosate and GMOs Are Damaging Our Health. It’s Time to Ban Them

07/16/2025

Research shows that GMOs and glyphosate cause multiple serious chronic diseases. Over 50 years of regulation since glyphosate's introduction in 1974 clearly highlight regulatory failure. Authorities should fulfill their duty to protect the public by banning these substances.

Organic Food – Protecting Our Children

07/10/2025

Currently, for consumers, the only way to avoid synthetic pesticides is to eat organically grown food. Most children are exposed to pesticides either directly by consuming food with pesticide residues or indirectly through the placenta and breast milk, as a result of pesticides in their mothers’ food. Multiple scientific studies show that consuming organic food is the most effective way to protect children, as most pesticide exposure occurs through the consumption of food from industrial farming systems.

Hormone System Disruption

06/30/2025

Testing shows that most foods and, consequently, people worldwide carry a mix of pesticide and chemical residues. Regulatory authorities then contend that any residue levels below the ADI or MRL are too low to pose health risks. This model assumes that the toxic effect declines in a steady, linear fashion with lower doses until the compound is no longer toxic. It is based on Paracelsus's maxim, the sixteenth-century physician and father of toxicology, who stated, “All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” This has been summarized as, “The dose makes the poison.”

The Industry Misinformation and Deception on Pesticides, Food Additives, and Chemical Safety Testing

06/24/2025

In the previous articles in this series, I showed that the official requirements set by regulatory authorities for specific testing of pesticide-induced diseases in children are nearly non-existent. The developing fetus, young children, and adolescents going through puberty are three critical stages in human development that are completely overlooked in the guidelines for diseases, endocrine disruption, and cancer.

The Special Needs of Children, the Developing Fetus, and Newborns

06/22/2025

Many scientific researchers have voiced concerns that the current methods for testing pesticides and toxins (including vaccines) are severely inadequate for children. The U.S. President’s Cancer Panel (USPCP) report, written by prominent scientists and medical specialists from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Cancer Institute, stated, “They (children) are at special risk due to their smaller body mass and rapid physical development, both of which magnify their vulnerability to known or suspected carcinogens, including radiation.”

Serious Deficiencies in the Regulation of Toxic Chemicals

06/10/2025

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a global epidemic of noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs), which include heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. You cannot contract these diseases from others. The primary causes are environmental factors and lifestyle choices. This means we can prevent them by altering our habits, food choices, and farming practices; reducing industrial pollution; and avoiding environmental exposures and lifestyle factors that contribute to them. Pesticides and chemicals are strongly implicated in this global epidemic; however, researchers and health professionals largely overlook the extent of their role.

Vapor Pressure Deficits – Regenerating the Local Climate

06/06/2025

Avoiding bare ground by maximizing vegetation cover is crucial for reducing VPDs and increasing SOM. SOM enhances the soil's ability to capture and retain rainfall, improve fertility, and prevent the erosion of fertile topsoil during heavy rain events. Adopting these regenerative organic practices is essential for reversing the trend of increasing adverse weather events and ensuring a productive future for our farming and ranching systems, as well as providing our civilization with healthy, nutritious, poison-free food. We can avoid repeating the past's failures.

The Benefits of the Regeneration International Standard and Certification – Growing and Selling with Integrity

05/23/2025

Our goal is to clearly position Regenerative Agriculture within the organic agriculture paradigm of nature-based systems. IFOAM - Organic International’s four principles of organic agriculture serve as criteria to evaluate whether practices are regenerative or degenerative. Degenerative practices, which are, by definition, the opposite of regenerative, cannot be deemed regenerative.

Carrying Regenerative Voices to Central Asia: Reflections from Uzbekistan

05/08/2025

Last month, I had the privilege of representing Regeneration International at the Uzbek-German Expert Dialogue on Agroecology in Uzbekistan, alongside my dear friend and colleague André Leu, Director of Regeneration International. It was an incredible experience to bring our global network’s voice to this important conversation on transitioning Uzbekistan’s agriculture toward sustainability and climate resilience. André shared powerful global insights on regenerative agriculture, drawing on decades of experience worldwide. He emphasized how practices like soil regeneration, biodiversity enhancement, and ecological balance can restore degraded lands, improve farmer livelihoods, and strengthen food security.

Launching Certification to The Regeneration International Standard

04/27/2025

Although AROES is still under development following the results of our pilot programs, the directors of Regeneration International have chosen to publish and initiate certification for this standard to combat greenwashing and the hijacking of regenerative and organic practices. A key aspect of our standard is clearly defining what is prohibited and therefore not permitted in regenerative agriculture.

Plant Sentience Changes Everything

04/20/2025

I have always had a love and fascination for plants. I began growing them as a young boy at the start of grade school. I spent my childhood in the forest, learning the names of the plants and animals and understanding how they functioned as an ecosystem. I was destined to be a farmer because growing plants is fundamental to our work. Now, in my 70s, I continue to farm because my passion for growing plants and raising animals remains strong, and I will never quit. Two events profoundly influenced my approach to agriculture. In 1973, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird published " The Secret Life of Plants," which confirmed what I had known as a child: plants are sentient beings that communicate.

The Fourth Regeneration International Certificate Course in Partnership with The South Seas University

03/20/2025

The Regeneration International Academy, in collaboration with South Seas University, has conducted its fourth online certificate course in regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and organic farming. Integrating the three major global nature-based agricultural movements—agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and organic farming—is essential as complementary systems.

Guidance Document for Certifying and Operating to The Regeneration International Standard

03/15/2025

This Guidance Document is written to assist certifiers and operators in understanding how to comply with the standard. The Regeneration International Standard has been crafted in a format that is more accessible for farmers, rather than adopting a regulatory standard format. The standard is mainly informative rather than normative. It includes the Definition, General Principles, Guidance, and clear Prohibitions.