For the good, from the ground up.
Whether it’s the leather in your shoes, the cotton in your T-shirt, or the wool in your sweater — nature provides the raw materials for our clothes.
But most of our clothing is not produced sustainably. Deforestation, water use, pesticide pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are just some of the environmental impacts linked to the agricultural practices that underpin fashion. However, agriculture can be transformed to support climate, nature and livelihoods.
The Regenerative Fund for Nature was established in 2021 by Conservation International and the global Luxury group Kering — with Inditex joining in 2023. Its mission is to support innovative agricultural practices and transform the supply chains that provide the raw materials for fashion.
1 MILLION HECTARES
The fund aims to transform 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of farms and rangeland in fashion’s supply chains to regenerative agriculture spaces by 2026.
4 MATERIALS
The fund currently focuses on leather, cotton, wool and cashmere.
60,000 PEOPLE BENEFITTING
The fund currently benefits 60,000 farmers, ranchers and others around the globe.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
The Regenerative Fund for Nature provides grants to farming groups, project leaders, non-governmental organizations and others that are ready to test, prove and scale practices that ensure the long-term health of the land while delivering benefits for farmers, nature and the climate.
Regenerative agriculture promotes the cultivation of crops and raising of animals in a way that enables production to be sustained for generations to come while conserving natural ecosystems, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and supporting economic development of rural communities. The Regenerative Fund for Nature focuses on five core principles, which guide project selection and design:
Soil Health
Increasing lands’ capacity to sequester carbon, hold and filter water, and improve other elements of soil functionality.
Biodiversity
Protecting, restoring and enhancing biodiversity, both on farms and in surrounding lands.
Livelihoods
Supporting the livelihoods of farmers and local communities.
Synthetic Inputs
Reducing and eliminating the use of synthetic agrochemicals by favoring ecological solutions.
Animal Welfare
Enhancing the welfare of farmed livestock and surrounding wildlife.
Regenerative practices include rotating crops, carrying out little or no tillage, expanding tree cover on farms, eliminating synthetic chemicals and integrating crops with managed grazing systems to name just a few. In addition, the fund ensures high standards for animal welfare. Many of the approaches underpinning regenerative and sustainable agriculture were developed by and have been practiced within Indigenous communities long before these terms existed.
Current projects and grantees
Through grants and partnerships, the fund invests in farming communities, project leaders, and non-governmental organizations to implement regenerative approaches that create value and deliver measurable outcomes for nature, climate and livelihoods. With increasing positive impacts and the addition of new investment partners, the Regenerative Fund for Nature is at the forefront of reshaping the fashion industry’s relationship with nature.
The Regenerative Fund for Nature’s first grants were funded by Kering and awarded to seven projects that are supporting cotton, wool, leather and cashmere producers in their efforts to transition to regenerative agriculture across 840,000 hectares (2 million acres) of land. With Inditex joining the fund we have the opportunity to expand the reach of the Fund and support additional projects.
Country: Mongolia
Core raw material: Goat cashmere
Overview: The Good Growth Company is identifying and restoring ecosystems that produce raw materials while involving the herders who work on-site. Regeneration plans are focused on a unique “place-based” model for specific regions. The grant is being used to develop and roll out a toolkit to implement this model, which is being adapted to different regions. The Good Growth Company brings together science and community partnerships to create value for people and places.
Country: India
Core raw material: Cotton
Overview: The Organic Cotton Accelerator has two objectives: helping conventional farmers in their transition to organic agriculture through training and maximizing the adoption of regenerative practices by organic producers. The project, which targets approximately 50,000 farmers, stands out for its positive impact on the environment and business.Country: Argentina
Core raw material: Cowhide leather
Overview: Solidaridad works with Creole and Indigenous smallholder cattle producers to promote sustainable management of grazing lands in Argentina’s Gran Chaco biome. The project also restores native forests. Upon completion of this pilot approach, Solidaridad expects to increase local producers’ revenues.
Country: Spain
Core raw material: Goat leather
Overview: Fundación Global Nature is focused on creating pilot experiences to transform traditional grazing systems and restore goat-farming environments. In regions with high biodiversity where goat farming is a key resource, supporting vulnerable farmers is critical. The project provides micro grants to the most vulnerable shepherds and trains them to use biodiversity monitoring tools.Country: Argentina
Core raw material: Sheep wool
Overview: This unique project in Patagonia combines regenerative approaches with wildlife-friendly practices for livestock management. The Wildlife Conservation Society and The Wildlife-Friendly Enterprise Network not only focus on wildlife conservation, they also offer a market-based approach to fibers like merino wool and mohair.
Country: France
Core raw material: Wool and sheep leather
Overview: In the Midi-Pyrénées region of Southwestern France, recent climatic changes have negatively impacted local vegetation, with cascading effects on biodiversity and livestock fodder. The Epiterre project restores ecological balance and safeguards producer livelihoods by implementing a resilient agro-ecological model that promotes nature-friendly fodder.Country: South Africa
Core raw material: Sheep wool
Overview: Conservation-South Africa offers a two-year partnership to integrate small stock farmers into existing grazing associations — and create an environment for these grazing associations to effectively implement regenerative agricultural practices. This improves producers’ market access and enhances their livelihood opportunities.Current Partners
Conservation International is working to promote regenerative agriculture as a global solution for people, nature and the climate. By combining science, field programs, corporate partnerships and government engagement, Conservation International is aligning stakeholder commitments and investments in priority landscapes to drive conservation, sustainable production and improved livelihoods at scale. In addition, Conservation International manages the fund and provides technical input into project selection and implementation.
A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods and Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, Ginori 1735 as well as Kering Eyewear and Kering Beauté. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination.”
Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers -with brands as Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home-, operating in more than 200 markets through its online platform and stores. Its integrated business model is focused on meeting customer demands through a quality fashion proposition and a unique customer experience. The Group is firmly committed to sustainability, with ambitious goals as using only preferred textile fibers by 2030, achieving net zero emissions by 2040 and promoting nature conservation.