Regenerative agriculture as a pillar of a sustainable ESG framework
How regenerative agriculture can strengthen a sustainable ESG framework and offer effective responses to climate challenges was the central topic of the NALED roundtable, as the official EIT Food Hub for Serbia, with the support of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and in cooperation with Donau Soja. The aim of the event was to highlight the importance of these practices through dialogue between the public and private sectors and to identify joint solutions for improving policies and regulations in the field of sustainable agriculture.
The roundtable gathered agricultural producers, companies from primary production and the food industry, retail chains, food distributors, financial institutions, research organizations, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Activities in the field of agricultural policy were presented by Milan Ćuprić, Head of the Arable Farming Group within the Agrarian Policy Sector.
Participants were presented with the preliminary results of a comparative analysis of the nutritional values of products from regenerative and conventional production, conducted by NALED and the FINS Institute with the support of the Government of Sweden. The need for continued research in the coming years was highlighted, in order to collect more data and determine whether significant differences in nutritional composition exist.
Recommendations from NALED’s Grey Book were emphasized, including proposals to integrate the regenerative agriculture model into the new Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy, as well as into other regulations such as the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Law on Agricultural Incentives, and related by-laws. It was also proposed that producers applying regenerative methods should receive direct support and access to investment incentives for equipment procurement.
One of the key conclusions was that more investment is needed in knowledge transfer and education for all stakeholders across the “farm-to-table” chain. Participants stressed the importance of developing digital solutions for monitoring soil and crop parameters, as the basis for precise resource management and increased productivity. The need to strengthen demonstration farms was also highlighted, in order to showcase how production aligned with regenerative agriculture practices works in practice.
The banking sector expressed its readiness to provide more favorable credit lines to producers applying sustainable methods, but challenges were noted, including the lack of education and the absence of a clear regulatory framework for monitoring and verifying these practices.
Participants agreed that developing a certification scheme for regenerative agriculture would enable objective verification of product quality, open opportunities for targeted subsidies, and help producers achieve better market prices. It was also concluded that stronger links are needed between research institutions, the private sector, and individual farmers to boost competitiveness and improve connections within the food supply chain.
The roundtable confirmed that regenerative agriculture represents an important opportunity to enhance sustainability, reduce climate risks, and advance the development of a modern and competitive food system in Serbia.
