On February 1, 2022, the reNature Foundation started a global campaign to support their mission to regenerate 2% of the planet by 2030.
The first phase of the campaign aims to regenerate 2% of all farmland (100.000.000 hectares) and support 2% of all farmers (10.000.000 farmers) in the transition to regenerative farming. The 2% for the Planet campaign challenges individuals and corporations to pledge funds towards regenerative projects. The campaign makes use of Patreon to collect donations.
reNature has built up a pipeline of projects around the world in the past two years. Of the over 200 projects that are submitted through the website renature.co, 85% has no access to funding. The funding need for a single project lays between €20,000 to €50,000, depending on country, size of land, number of farmers, and crop.
Farmers who are willing to change their farming method to regenerative agriculture and agroforestry have to cover the first year of the new system before becoming profitable.
This first phase is a high threshold for farmers in emerging countries. The 2% for the Planet campaign is to fund this phase. With only 1,000 patrons, the foundation will be able to finance multiple projects per year and help hundreds of farmers in the transition to regenerative agriculture.
“Farmers who start regenerative agriculture systems are often an example for others because of their better harvest results and greener fields. This multiplier will help us reach our goal,” says Jacqueline Smit, Chairman of reNature Foundation.
reNature chose Patreon as a membership platform. reNature’s patrons will have exclusive access to special content, interviews, and live reports on a monthly basis. In the highest tier, the patrons receive voting rights to select a project that is going to be funded with the raised donations.
“We notice a growing engagement on the topic of regeneration. With over 55,000 followers throughout our social media, this is the moment to call upon our community to take action,” says Marco de Boer, CEO of reNature Foundation.
Companies and other organizations can support the 2% for the Planet campaign by donating 2% of their sustainability budget. This will give the full company access to the exclusive content and provide voting rights to choose a project to support. It also includes the right to use the campaign identity in their merchandise.
“With the financial support of this campaign we can create a tipping point for smallholder farmers towards more sustainable farming all over the Planet. Let’s do this together and show that 2% can make the difference!” says Chris van der Haak, a board member of reNature Foundation.
As originally documented in the 2002 book, The Restoration Economy, regenerative agriculture covers farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter, restoring degraded soil, increasing biodiversity, and improving the water cycle.
It improves livelihood and the economic resilience of farmers. Depending on the system and tree density, it can even lower the temperature locally. Regenerative agriculture is the climate change solution for smallholder farmers.
Photos courtesy of reNature Foundation. Featured photo shows reNature’s local team member discussing regenerative practices with female farmers in Kenya.