RTRS shared key insights on the Regenerative Incentives System (RIS) project in Brazil
The webinar highlighted the transformative potential of regenerative agriculture in the soy sector. The RIS is an add-on module currently under development by RTRS, aiming to quantify the regenerative practices being implemented by producers. While the pilot project in Brazil’s Cerrado region has not yet started, it marks a crucial step toward global scalability, and the event provided an opportunity to discuss the approach, progress so far, and the expectations for the next stages.
On March 6, 2025, RTRS, in collaboration with NewForesight, hosted the virtual webinar, “Key Insights into the RTRS Regenerative Incentives System (RIS) Project – Brazil.” The event was funded by the ISEAL Innovations Fund and supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The event aimed to support soybean producers implementing regenerative practices, creating lasting benefits for people and the planet. Over 100 participants worldwide attended the event, with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and Portuguese.
The webinar featured speakers Luiza Bruscato, RTRS Global Executive Director, Ana Laura Andreani, RTRS Global Standard & Assurance Manager, and Joost Backer, NewForesight Advisory Support. The objective of the session was to present the RTRS pilot project in Brazil and discuss its potential to generate key learnings on how regenerative practices could be tested and adapted in real-world conditions. RTRS also shared its vision for the possible expansion of these practices globally, starting with local pilots in the Cerrado region.
The discussion highlighted the expected role of regenerative agriculture in reducing emissions, enhancing soil health, and promoting sustainability. The webinar outlined the objectives and vision of the pilot project in Brazil, which aims to test regenerative practices in the Cerrado region. The focus was on identifying the challenges producers may face and how the insights gathered could contribute to the development of tools and incentives to support the broader adoption of regenerative agriculture.
Luiza Bruscato emphasized the broader vision of regenerative agriculture: “Embracing regenerative agriculture is not just about transforming farming practices; it’s about creating a sustainable future that benefits both people and the planet.” She also stressed the importance of collaboration, saying, “Achieving global scalability requires strong cooperation among stakeholders to overcome barriers and create meaningful change.”
Ana Laura Andreani shared the practical challenges of implementing regenerative practices, stating: “the pilot project in Brazil is still in its early stages, and the goal is for it to provide valuable insights into how regenerative practices can be tested and adapted in real-world conditions. Through this initiative, we aim to gather the key learnings necessary for producers to effectively adopt these practices, while also identifying the challenges we need to overcome to scale the project globally.”
Joost Backer provided insights into the project’s inception in April 2024, highlighting: “The biggest challenge has been answering the question: how can we create a market mechanism that incentivizes regenerative transition worldwide? We believe the current system that is to be piloted is an answer here.”
Backer also emphasized the role of diverse project partners in driving this effort, saying, “We created an Implementation Group comprised of organisations with broad expertise. This includes market players, verification experts, and agronomists. We have also worked with an Advisory Group representing sectors such as sugarcane, cotton, and palm oil — where the regenerative transition holds great potential. The key milestone is that we have a Regenerative Incentives Model that is ready to be tested on the ground.”
Barriers to scaling regenerative agriculture
The global agri-food system faces critical challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. In response to these issues, regenerative agriculture offers a powerful solution by restoring soil health, improving water retention, and capturing carbon efficiently. However, to achieve large-scale adoption, certain barriers must still be overcome:
Technical challenge: the lack of standardized definitions and regional variations makes the uniform implementation of regenerative practices difficult.
Solution: technical alignment, through clearly defining desired outcomes and practices, is key to ensuring consistent progress.
Assurance challenge: the absence of a shared and credible verification system limits the credibility of the process.
Solution: the development of an assurance system that verifies adherence to standards and enables credible claims is essential for building market trust.
Market challenge: the lack of adequate financial incentives hinders the transition to more sustainable practices.
Solution: creating market platforms that incentivize buyers to invest in producers’ transitions is crucial for unlocking the economic potential of regenerative agriculture.
Coordination challenge: the lack of alignment between global and national efforts hinders more effective and cohesive action.
Solution: a robust governance system, coordinating both global and local efforts, is essential for ensuring a successful transition at all levels.
Pilot phase in Brazil
RTRS developed the Regenerative Incentives System (RIS) to address these barriers and facilitate the adoption of regenerative agriculture.
Phase 1 involved the design of the conceptual framework in April 2024, which was then tested with key stakeholders. This framework was launched in the pilot phase in the Brazilian Cerrado region, focusing on farm transitions, financing, buyer engagement, and scaling the initiative.
Phase 2 (August–December 2024) followed, during which a single RIS scenario was tested and validated for implementation. And phase 3 (January–March 2025) focused on full implementation and evaluation, collecting recommendations for improvement.
The RIS will be optimized based on insights gained from the pilot phase, with recommendations for scaling to other regions and commodities.
Key learnings:
- Simplicity is essential for farmers and buyers.
- Regenerative practices must be tailored to local contexts.
- Engaging stakeholders early is challenging but vital.
- Flexibility is necessary to achieve broadly agreed outcomes.
- Measurable progress requires cost-effective key performance indicators.
- Different farm realities require varying support levels.
- Buyers need reliable environmental and social impact data.
- Collaboration is critical for successful implementation.
The webinar concluded with an interactive Q&A session, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the event.
RTRS invites stakeholders, including agri-food companies, NGOs, financial institutions, and government agencies, to join pilots or engage in learning sessions. Benefits include meeting sustainability targets, enhancing brand recognition, reducing risks, and saving future costs.
For more information on this project and how you can be part, please contact [email protected]
Watch the webinar
