Duchy tenants offered support to prove regen progress

The Duchy of Cornwall has launched a new partnership with Regenified to help tenant farmers measure progress towards its target for all equipped farms to follow regenerative principles by 2035.

The estate announced the collaboration at Groundswell, giving tenants fully funded access to Regenified’s 6-3-4 verification standard.

The framework is designed to help farmers track regenerative outcomes, benchmark progress and show how changes on farm are improving soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience.

The Duchy said the initiative forms part of its wider ambition to become a nature-rich and net zero estate, while supporting resilient and productive farming businesses.

Tenants who choose to take part will receive funded access to the Regenified programme, alongside advice, direct funding and peer-to-peer learning through the Duchy’s Farming and Nature programme.

Regenified, co-founded by regenerative agriculture advocate Gabe Brown, works with farmers and food businesses to measure and verify regenerative outcomes.

The Duchy said the partnership would be open to farmers across the estate, including upland, lowland and island farms, as well as tenants on existing agreements and those moving into new tenancy arrangements.

The partnership is being launched alongside the Duchy’s new regenerative Farm Business Tenancy, known as rFBT, a long-term tenancy model designed to support more resilient, productive and nature-rich farming systems.

Monkhall Farm in Herefordshire, currently being offered as a flagship regenerative farming opportunity, will be the Duchy’s first tenancy of this kind.

The rFBT sets out how the Duchy will work with tenants to apply regenerative land management principles in line with the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice.

Wider support will continue through the Duchy’s Farming and Nature programme, including specialist advice, help with grants and agri-environment schemes, direct funding, farm walks, events, peer-to-peer learning and access to industry specialists.

Matthew Morris, rural director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said regenerative farming had an important role in building resilient and profitable farm businesses.

He said: “Regenerative farming has an important role to play in building resilient, profitable farm businesses while improving soil health, biodiversity and the long-term condition of the land.

“At the Duchy, our ambition is for 100% of our equipped farms to be following regenerative principles by 2035, but we recognise that every farm is different and that this transition will take time.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Regenified to support our tenants on this journey and give them the tools, advice and confidence to adopt regenerative practices, measure their progress and build more resilient farming businesses over time.”

Mr Morris said the new regenerative tenancy model was another important step, particularly for tenants already moving in that direction.

He added: “Monkhall Farm will be the first tenancy of this kind, but we’re already seeing interest from other tenants who want to take a similar path.

“This gives us confidence that, by working closely with tenants, regenerative farming can become a defining part of the Duchy’s future.”

Salar Shemirani, chief executive at Regenified, said regenerative agriculture was “not a fixed destination, but a journey of continuous improvement”.

He said that journey became more powerful when farmers could “measure, evidence and build on the progress they are making”.

Mr Shemirani added: “We are delighted to partner with the Duchy of Cornwall to support its tenant farmers with practical tools to farm regeneratively, helping them build resilient, productive, profitable and nature-friendly businesses.

“For an organisation of the Duchy’s history and stature to back its farmers in this way sends an important signal: that producing good food, restoring nature and building profitable farming businesses are not competing aims.

“They are the foundation of a more resilient future for British agriculture.”

The Duchy will also provide training for staff on Regenified verification and run webinars for farm tenants this autumn, explaining the partnership, verification process and new tenancy approach in more detail.

The estate said the approach would help tenants understand where their farms are today, track progress over time and demonstrate the value of regenerative farming.