The Convening to Catalyze Investment in Europe’s Regenerative Agriculture & Food Sector
There’s a diverse and growing ecosystem of organizations working to transform Europe’s agriculture and food system from extractive and degrading to resilient and regenerative. This transition will require profound shifts in mindset, deep collaboration, bold innovation … and capital.
RFSI Europe will explore the critical role capital plays in enabling food systems transformation across Europe and beyond. Presentations, panel discussions, Q&A, round table discussions, pitches and lots of networking will work to connect the dots between the people, organizations, concepts, and concepts that will drive lasting change for soil health, food quality, human nutrition, and planetary well-being.
Who Should Attend?
RFSI Europe is the only event in Europe that exclusively brings together the investors, funders, and changemakers working to advance the agriculture and food systems. Listen and learn from the leaders of regeneration. Meet existing and new connections to advance your goals in this movement.
Who Should Attend?
Investors, fund managers, foundations, debt providers, wealth managers and financial advisors
Farmers, entrepreneurs, small and large food companies, advocates
Investment service providers, policy makers, advocates, and media members
Anyone seeking to learn more about how to build and invest in regenerative agriculture and food systems
Farmer Scholarships
Farmers and ranchers are an essential part of the regenerative food system and to the ecosystem of capital and solution-builders at RFSI Europe. To better enable farmers to join the conversation, we are offering a limited number of Farmer Scholarships to cover registration fees. *Travel, accommodations, and add-on activities are not included in the scholarships.
We would like to say a very special thank you to The Nest Family Office and several individuals for making these sponsorships available!
What You’ll Learn at RFSI Europe 2024
In January 2023, we hosted the first RFSI Europe virtual event, bringing together 700 people from across Europe to kick off our work in Europe. Click here to view the 2023 RFSI Europe agenda and speakers, plus watch the entire event recording!
Topics we’ll explore in the 2024 RFSI Europe event include:
The successful on-farm transition to regenerative agriculture: The potential, the barriers, and how capital can play a de-risking role.
The capital landscape for regenerative and agro-ecological food systems across Europe.
How different types of capital – including real assets, debt, venture and philanthropy – can work together to invest across projects, landscapes, and systems.
Case studies of regenerative investments from farmer to food company and everything in between.
The role of policy in shaping the development and expansion of regeneration and how public finance can work with private capital.
Plus much more!
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2024 RFSI Europe Agenda
Capital is a critical tool in enabling and incentivizing new practices within agricultural and food but capital is only as effective as those who deploy and activate it. The RFSI Europe program will bring a diverse European community together to address the current funding landscape for regenerative agriculture and food in Europe, how investments are facilitating land transformation and building new supply chains, who some of the most innovative solution-builders are today, and how funders and investors are allocating to the space and why.
Agenda
(subject to change)
Day One
Scroll to right for Day 2 programming
Day 1: Wednesday, February 28
REGISTRATION / OPENING COFFEE | 8:00 am
9:00 a.m.
Welcome
9:25 a.m.
Rooted in the Soil: Farmer Perspectives
Benedikt Bösel, Gut & Bösel; Isabelle D’Ursel, Smissenbroek; Dimitri Tsitos; Anne van Leeuwen, Bodemzicht
Moderated by Koen van Seijen
Food systems transformation starts with those that steward the land. In this session we hear from four young farmers about their experience with regenerative agriculture and what they think investors and entrepreneurs need to know about the realities on the farm.
10:15 a.m.
The Investment Case for Regenerative Agriculture
Paul McMahon, SLM Partners
With more than a decade of experience making investments and working with farmers across Australia, Europe, and the U.S., Paul McMahon of SLM Partners has learned a lot about investing in regenerative agriculture. In this session he explores the economic case for regenerative agriculture and how, in certain circumstances, it can deliver superior financial returns, plus strategies to invest in this theme.
NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK | 10:45 a.m.
11:25 a.m.
Showcase: Diverse Approaches to Funding Land Regeneration
Titus Bahner, Kulturland; Fanny Corpet, Lively Earth; Wood Turner, Agriculture Capital
Moderated by: Bart van der Zande, Fresh Ventures
We know that broad transformation of agricultural land to regenerative will bring positive systemic outcomes, but barriers exist to transition – both to adopting new production practices and to allocating investment capital to regenerative operations. This session will showcase three diverse approaches to using capital (through investment and finance) to transform the land.
12:00 p.m.
Panel: A Systems Approach to Investing
Richard Azarnia, The Good Investors; Ivana Gazibara, Transformation Capital; Anouk Schoors, The Nest
Moderated by Ivo Degn, Climate Farmers
Agriculture and food are central to all aspects of life on earth, and as such it’s essential that investments in the space take a systems-based approach to transformation. Moderated by Ivo Degn of Climate Farmers, our panel of investors and systems builders will address what this means to them and how it has influenced their approach to the space.
LUNCH | 12:45 p.m.
1:50 p.m.
Panel: Assessing Complexity Within Food System Investments
Adele Jones, Sustainable Food Trust; Hans Von Zinkernagel, Biovision Foundation; Big Valley
Moderated by: Tim Crosby, Transformational Investing in Food Systems (TIFS)
Transformational investing in food systems requires intentionality, but for many investors it can be daunting to try to figure out where to start. Tools to help investors understand where they are on the path toward transformational and systemic investing can be valuable in both providing context and mapping a path forward. This session will explore three tools that can help funders assess the complexity of food systems and equip them with information that can help them move their investments toward transformation.
2:30 p.m.
Workshops
Workshop 1: Closing the Missing Middle of Food Systems Investing
David Bennell, Transformational Investing in Food Systems
Investing in regenerative agriculture goes beyond on-farm investments. Producers need reliable supply chains to market to. This interactive conversation invites all value chain participants and diverse funders to explore: – Where are the greatest needs for investment along the food value chains? – How do we get collaborative capital to put money into food value chains? – How do investors find good opportunities? – How do farmers link to where capital is?
Workshop 2: Investing in Emerging Markets Impact
Laura Ortiz Montemayor, SVX México & Thekla Teunis, Grounded Investment Company
Emerging markets present a unique opportunity for those seeking impact and financial returns from investments in regenerative agriculture. This workshop will offer an inside look at two different approaches to investing in emerging markets in Africa and Mexico and will address the unique considerations and return expectations.
Round Table Discussions: Synthesizing the Day
Partway through Day 1 of RFSI Europe and there’s already a lot of information and concepts to digest. You don’t have to do that alone. Join small group, self-facilitated round table discussions dig deeper into the topics of the day.
COFFEE BREAK | 3:25 pm
4:05 p.m.
Case Study: How Investments in Biodiversity Can Help Transform Farmland
Alfonso Chico de Guzman, La Junquera; João Roseiro, SLM Partners; Karin van Dijk, ASN Biodiversity Fund
Moderated by: Quentin Werrie, Buildinvest
The ASN Biodiversity Fund is a listed fund for natural capital that uses investment from the retail sector and institutional sector. It targets funds and listed companies that have a measurable positive impact on biodiversity and nature restoration through sectors such as agroforestry and sustainable fishery. This session will take a closer look at why ASN’s fund invested in SLM Partners’ European permanent crops strategy and how that capital is being put to work on the ground.
4:40 p.m.
Creating Markets To Appropriately Value Nature
Dr. Sonja Stuchtey, The Landbanking Group; Andrew Voysey, Soil Capital
Moderated by Alessia Lenders, SLM Partners
Soil carbon markets are widely viewed as one means to incentivizing on-farm transition to regenerative practices because they offer payments to farmers for their efforts and outcomes. But these markets are also relatively nascent and carbon is only a piece of the larger regenerative agriculture puzzle. This session will explore the status of soil carbon markets, the future of other ecosystem service markets, and emerging opportunities to value nature more appropriately.
5:20 p.m.
Featured Presentation: The Role of Policy and the Future of Farming – A Miracle or a Disaster?
Henry Dimbleby
UK-based businessman, author, and former food policy strategist Henry Dimbleby has spent a lot of time working to understand how policy can play a role in correcting the shortcomings of today’s food systems. In this exciting session, Henry will walk the audience through how our food systems got to where they are today, where we are going next and what that means for investors and farmers?
5:45 p.m.
Closing of Day 1 Content
EVENING RECEPTION | 5:45-7:00 p.m.
Day One
Scroll to the left for Day 1 programming
Day 2: Thursday, February 29
OPENING COFFEE | 8:00 am
9:00 a.m.
Welcome
9:20 a.m.
Case Study: Building a Regenerative Wheat Supply Chains
Andy Cato and Edd Lees, Wildfarmed
Moderated by: Phil Taylor, Mad Ag
Appropriate infrastructure, processing, distribution and markets are all critical pieces of regenerative systems and unfortunately are largely missing in today’s food system. Wildfarmed is one answer to the enormous challenge. In this session, Wildfarmed co-founders Andy Cato and Edd Lees will share their journey to building an entire supply chain – from regenerative farmer to ingredient processor and baker, to consumer. We’ll learn why and how they built it, what the biggest pain points have been, and how they plan to scale it.
9:55 a.m.
From Farm to Consumer: Bringing Regen to the Masses
Joséphine Bournonville, Omie; Hannes Van Eynde, Danone
Moderated by: Anthony Corsaro, ReGen Brands & Outlaw Ventures
Both emerging brands and multi-national corporations are playing increasing roles in bringing regenerative ingredients and food to consumers. This fascinating session will share perspectives from both and look at how each are building procurement strategies, creating stakeholder alignment with farmers, and generating consumer trust and awareness.
COFFEE BREAK | 10:40 a.m.
11:20 a.m.
PANEL: The Role of Technology in Advancing Regeneration
Simon Evill, Pelican Ag; Adele Jones, Sustainable Food Trust
Moderated by: Thomas Slattery
The right technology has the ability to enable both the on-farm and supply chain transition to regenerative. But what defines regenerative technology? How can venture capital enable entrepreneurs to advance these technologies?
12:05 p.m.
Innovation for Regeneration Pitch Session – Hosted by The First Thirty
Pitchers: Daniel Reisman, Collie; Pete Russell, Ooooby; Anthea Stephenson, Willow; Phil Taylor, Mad Agriculture; Tashia Tucker, Olombria
Hosted by: Antony Yousefian, The First Thirty
In this exciting pitch session, five diverse companies will share their regenerative innovation and address investor questions. Then, the audience will decide who goes home the pitch session winner!
LUNCH | 12:55 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
PANEL: Investor Insights from Across the Capital Spectrum
Tessa Etkin-Silver, Be the Earth; Christopher Knowles, Independent Advisor and formerly European Investment Bank; Adam Kybird, Triodos Food Transition Europe Fund; Freija Vermeer, Stichting DOEN
Agriculture and food systems transformation will require a lot of capital to meet the different needs of the many players and projects. This session will gather diverse capital allocators to discuss their engagement in and approach to the sector so far, why we don’t see more capital investing in the space yet and how we can change that, the role of policy and regulation, and much more!
2:45 p.m.
Workshops:
Workshop 1: Measuring and Reporting Regenerative Impact
Clara Cecil, Proof
How do you quantify regenerative impact? Over the past year, Proof and Trailhead Capital have convened 20+ leading investors, enterprises, and NGOs to establish the standard KPIs for regenerative agriculture – designed for and by regenerative trailblazers. From Expanding Regeneratively Managed Land and Reducing Atmospheric Carbon to Reducing Food Waste, they’ve defined 20 KPIs to date and are setting the standard to inform impact investing benchmarks. Whether you’re seasoned in impact measurement or just starting out, dive into our discussion and gain invaluable insights into the key indicators driving regenerative success.
Workshop 2: Building Cooperative Driven Supply Chains
Nicolas Verschuere, CultiVae
CultiVae has built a unique farmer cooperative-led regenerative supply chain for barley – connecting growers with off-takers, and then brewers for incredible regenerative beer. This workshop will explain how the cooperative came together to address the financial needs of all the stakeholders involved, while also solving for some of the failures of the conventional supply chain. Come learn how this model can work, ask lots of questions, and learn where you might fit into this story.
Round Table Discussions: Reflection for Activation
As the 2024 RFSI Europe program nears its end, take some time for small group discussion around the topics you have learned about and explore how you can activate your learnings outside of this gathering.
3:45 p.m.
It’s Not Just About Capital: Building Collaborative Relationships Across Stakeholder Silos
Ivo Degn, Climate Farmers; Michiel Lenstra, Wire Group; Casper Zulim de Swarte, OP2B
Moderated by: Guido Laman, Food Valley NL
Capital is a critical and often missing piece to regenerative transition but it is not the only piece. Policy, education, and relationships are also key to systems change. If we really want this transition to a more regenerative food system to work, we need to find a way to work beyond our usual silos and start moving as a collective to derisk the average farmer and operators along the supply chain. Explore this opportunity with a panel of experts working in different corners of the regenerative transition.
RFSI Europe will be held at the Double Tree by Hilton Brussels City. This hotel offers all of the elegance of a historic city centre building combined with a warm welcome. Recently revamped by a Swedish design studio, the stylish communal areas feature Art Déco styling with a modern twist.
The Double Tree by Hilton Brussels City is centrally located just off Place Rogier where you can find cobbled streets, bars, brasseries and Brussels’ botanical gardens all within sight, and the Grand Place and the Museum of Fine Art are just 15 minutes’ walk away. The International Airport is a 20-minutes taxi ride away and public parking is available underneath Place Rogier.
The Nest is a Belgian family office investing in more resilient food systems. We envision them operating within the planetary boundaries of the Earth. We imagine a mostly circular system, based on respect for all living beings and the farmers and agricultural workers at its core. We see a world in which the true price of food is understood and accounts for the costs borne by society and the planet. In this system indigenous wisdom and technology are intertwined to produce food regeneratively that can serve as medicine and provide enough nourishment for all. And while the dominant system is difficult to overturn, we strongly believe that by creating choices where once there were none, nature based solutions will in the end prevail.
SLM Partners is an investment manager that uses investment capital to scale up regenerative agriculture and forestry. We invest in land and real assets alongside expert local operators. Founded in 2009, we are active in the USA, Europe and Australia.
TIFS, Transformational Investing in Food Systems, is an impact network dedicated to increasing investments in regenerative and agroecological food systems. We support investments that are economically viable and deliver transformative impact.
Domaine de Graux is a regenerative farm located in Tournai, Belgium. Our mission is to demonstrate the immense potential of agroecology on a large scale, that it benefits farmers and the environment. We want to share our knowledge, inspire and support farmers to switch from conventional to more sustainable and regenerative methods. By restoring the Earth, we not only create healthier soils, but we also produce more nutritious food. We are also a haven of peace, where everyone can (re)connect with nature and our food system.
Aqua-Spark is the world’s largest fund investing globally in the sustainable aquaculture industry. Our mission as a global impact fund is to move the aquaculture industry toward healthy, sustainable and affordable production while providing competitive financial returns to our investors. Our investments enable innovative farming of fish, shellfish, algae and plants in fresh and ocean waters. Our synergetic and vertically integrated portfolio comprises of 28 companies, which operate across the whole value chain. We made our first investment in 2015 and we reached 520.3M AUM as of September 2023.
The world’s most undervalued asset, THE FIRST THIRTY cm of the soil. As an impact VC, THE FIRST THIRTY is focused on regenerating nature through soil by supporting early-stage data-driven technology companies that enable them to understand nature’s value and its impact on economic productivity. TFT fosters a collaborative ecosystem of solutions that they describe as “Nature’s digital infrastructure” to redirect capital flows from being extractive to regenerative. Their impact goal is to influence regeneration on more than 30M hectares of land by 2030.
One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B) is an international, cross-sectoral and action-oriented business coalition on biodiversity with a specific focus on regenerative agriculture. We are determined to drive transformational system change and catalyze action to protect and restore cultivated and natural biodiversity within agricultural value chains. We engage institutional and financial decision-makers and develop and advocate for policy recommendations. The coalition is focused on scaling up regenerative agriculture; developing transparent outcome-based reporting for regenerative agriculture; advocating for positive policy for de-risking the transition for farmers; and promoting crop and food ingredient diversification.
Founded in 2018 by Andy Cato, George Lamb and Edd Lees, Wildfarmed is an end-to-end supply chain that works directly with over 100+ farmers across the UK and France, helping them to grow wheat in a regenerative system that prioritises plant diversity. Wildfarmed regenerative flour has fast become the industry choice with chefs and bakers alike and is sold wholesale to a number of partners including the Bread Factory, M&S, Ocado and ASK Italian, across the UK and Ireland, who use Wildfarmed’s diverse variety of flours to create bread, pastries, noodles, pasta, and much more.
In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. We have been recording podcast interviews (250+) with over 700.000 streams, since the summer of 2016.
Sponsors of the RFSI Europe are the organizations leading the transition to a more regenerative food system. Sponsorship packages offer value and flexibility for diverse types of businesses, with benefits that include:
Increased visibility and thought-leadership among a unique investor and activator community
Opportunity to showcase your expertise and services
