New industry roadmap highlights farm advisers as leaders in regenerative agriculture

The roadmap, "Advancing Regenerative Agriculture Through Trusted Farm Advisors: A Collaborative Roadmap for Action," outlines a coordinated strategy to strengthen and support the critical role of private‑sector farm advisers—such as agribusinesses, independent agronomists, and CCAs—who are among farmers’ most trusted sources of guidance to shape on‑farm decision-making across millions of acres.

“For regenerative agriculture to truly scale, it must be embedded in everyday farm decisions—and that requires the buy-in and support of farmers’ most trusted advisers,” says Luke Petersen, farmer adviser strategy manager at The Nature Conservancy. “This roadmap provides a framework for funders, policymakers, agribusinesses, and conservation leaders to invest more strategically and unlock the full potential of farm advisers to drive both farm profitability and positive outcomes for nature.”

Developed through a year‑long, multi‑stakeholder process, the roadmap identifies four core barriers limiting progress—ranging from insufficient workforce capacity to unclear business value propositions—and lays out three interconnected pillars with nine actionable recommendations to address them. These recommendations emphasize coordinated investment, workforce development, clearer value propositions, and stronger alignment between public and private efforts to deliver high‑quality technical assistance.

“Ag retailers and advisers want to help farmers adopt regenerative practices, but they must be able to do so in ways that make economic sense for both parties,” says Daren Coppock, president and CEO, Agricultural Retailers Association. “This roadmap provides a clear path de-risking innovation and  aligning sustainability goals with emerging business opportunities.”

^{—Source: The Nature Conservancy}