October 9-10, 2024 | Denver, CO
October 9-10, 2024 | Denver, CO
Agenda | Speakers | Bootcamp | Venue | Sponsors
Thank you for joining us at the 2024 RFSI Forum!
The 2024 RFSI Forum was held on October 9-10 in Denver, CO. A special thank you to everyone who made it such a great success! We look forward to seeing everyone in Fall 2025!
<ATTEND ANCHOR>
About
The 2024 RFSI Forum will take place October 9-10 in Denver, Colorado. With 500+ attendees, 55+ speakers and 9+ hours of networking, the Regenerative Food Systems Investment (RFSI) Forum is the ONLY event that exclusively brings together investors, food and agriculture entrepreneurs, and critical stakeholders working to build resilient food systems.
The RFSI Forum is THE gathering for learning the why, how and where to invest capital in agriculture and food for financial and impact returns. Whether you have been engaged in the regenerative space for decades, are ready to dig in to this emerging opportunity, or are just a little curious, this event offers unparalleled insight and networking opportunities.
Farmer Scholarships
Farmers and ranchers are an essential part of the regenerative food system and to the ecosystem of capital and solution-builders at the RFSI Forum. To better enable farmers to join the conversation we offered a limited number of Farmer Scholarships to cover registration fees to the RFSI Forum and the RFSI Bootcamp. The winners of the Farmer Scholarships were announced on August 14, 2024.
We would like to say a very special thank you to The Nest and the generous individuals who contributed to the farmer scholarships!
<PITCH>
RFSI Pitch Session with The First Thirty
Solutions to Accelerate Regeneration
The application period is now closed for the 2024 RFSI Forum Pitch Session on October 9. This exciting pitch session, hosted by The First Thirty, will feature four early stage companies working on diverse solutions to accelerate and enable regenerative agriculture and food systems, pitching to our audience of nearly 500 investors, funders and systems stakeholders.
Agenda at a Glance
We have a lot planned for this year’s RFSI Forum – you won’t want to miss a single moment!
- October 8: RFSI Bootcamp – a half-day workshop before the main RFSI Forum
- October 9-10: RFSI Forum
- October 11: Regen Farm & Food Systems Tour
*****
Preliminary RFSI Forum Agenda
*Subject to change.
Soil health and the way we do agriculture influences farm well-being, climate, water, biodiversity, human health, and so much more. But the way we finance agriculture and food plays a critical role in either enabling or inhibiting the adoption of practices that bring these benefits. Explore these relationships as we frame the conversations for the coming 2 days.
Meet four very different farmers who have made the decision to transition on-farm practices and production systems. Learn what opportunities and obstacles have characterized each of their journeys, where capital has – or could have – played a role, and what is still needed to create thriving, regenerative systems from the farm up.
What does it take to transition a large-scale produce operation from conventional to regenerative? Commitment, resources, time and tools. Investigate what this looks like with the case of Braga Fresh.
Farmers are a critical piece to systems-wide transition to regeneration but they depend in part on the markets that exist for regenerative products. Infrastructure, processing, emerging brands and corporate off-takers need to move in lock-step with the on-farm transition. What investments need to be made into these missing links to ensure this happens?
Jacob Israelow, Dirt Capital; Cortney Renton, Proofing Station; Brandon Welch, Mad Capital
Diverse types of capital can be invested in regenerative agriculture and food systems transition but different types of capital and the strategies behind them can produce different outcomes. This discussion will dig into what investment in regenerative systems looks like today, how capital is being used to move the space forward, and what outcomes for the farmer, investors and systems can be expected.
The integration of agroforestry into existing farming systems offers significant benefits – to the farmer, to ecosystem health… and to investors. Learn how capital is being put to work to create these benefits in Keavin Hill’s Kentucky operation.
What sets agriculture and food apart from so many other investment opportunities is how it touches nearly every aspect of human existence. this unique interconnected nature means investing in these systems effectively beckons for a systems-based approach.
– What if you have already started investing and want to shift to a systems approach and how does this show up in a portfolio?
– How does one measure outcomes in this approach, especially at the early stage?
Explore the recent investment in Mad Markets PBC and Timeless Seeds by Terra Regenerative Capital, Builders Vision, and others. The investment represents a much needed lift for the underfunded middle supply chain for regenerative. Here you’ll learn what it took to make it happen (it wasn’t easy) and how it will seed a larger vision to support the missing middle.
Workshop 1: Bridging the Funding Gap: Mobilizing Venture Capital, Philanthropy, and Everything In Between for Regen Ag
Explore the critical need for a diversified funding approach to support and scale regenerative agriculture projects. By leveraging the strengths of venture capital alongside concessionary public and philanthropic dollars, we can create a robust financial ecosystem that accelerates the transition to regenerative farming practices. Designed specifically for alternative asset fund managers, investors, and philanthropists, this session will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the unique roles each type of funding can play and how they can be effectively combined to maximize impact. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable strategies and insights to attract and deploy these diverse funding sources to their regenerative agriculture initiatives.
Workshop 2: Breaking Down Silos: Creating a Missing Middle Strategy Using a Systems Approach
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 the greatest needs along the supply chain and how to appropriately put capital to work toward those needs.
Workshop 3: Consumer Demand for Regenerative: The Case for Optimism & A Blueprint for Collaboration
Delve into the growing evidence that consumer demand can and should play a game-changing role in scaling regenerative agriculture in the food industry. This dynamic workshop will explore the case for optimism about consumer demand, along with key elements of a demand creation blueprint, as informed by Smoketown’s white paper, “Unlocking Consumer Demand for Regenerative”. This white paper was informed by interviews with over 20 executives across the ecosystem. Attendees will leave with a more nuanced understanding of the consumer demand opportunity for regen, along with a refined understanding of their potential role in the blueprint for accelerating demand.
Workshop 4: Is it Regenerative If….
The past decade has brought a growing focus on systems transformation in the name of climate, agriculture, and human health but these efforts are rarely tied to the justice and equity in a way that impacts at scale. This workshop will dig into why it’s so important to account for and address equity in the transition and how we better integrate it into systems change.
Conceptually, carbon markets offer a win-win for farmers and investors but the market is still nascent and it can be hard for farmers and investors to decipher the latest science and program. Get the latest market update, plus the status of biodiversity credits and what else is coming down the pike for ecosystem service markets.
Hear these 4 innovative start-ups working on new tools to accelerate regeneration. Then vote for your winner!
* Michael Cully, Susterre
* Nicolas Enjalbert, SeedLinked
* Cate Havstad Casad, Range Revolution
* Suzanne Kimbal, Rooted
*****
Click on the green arrows at the top of the agenda to scroll to next day.
After more than a decade of working on investments agricultural transition on the farm, what key lessons can both funders and farmers offer to inform future investment in the space?
*****
Want to learn more about our Women Transforming Food & Finance initiative? Meet up with Robyn O’Brien and other women in the theater lobby (located near registration) during this Coffee Break Discussion.
What are the considerations and barriers to the free flow of institutional scale capital to the regenerative agriculture and food systems space? The next segment of the program will explore these.
Institutional scale asset managers have a key role to play in creating a pathway for institutions a and other scaled capital to come to regenerative agriculture. But the transition of acres at scale is a complex process. What resources are needed to support this process and what outcomes can they make possible? We’ll check in with the people doing the work to hear what lessons they can share.
Some of the most critical financial infrastructure needed to expand food systems transformation are that of the intermediaries that hold the on the ground expertise and relationships needed successfully deploy capital at scale. Dig into the role of these diverse intermediaries and how each can facilitate investment across systems.
To enable capital investment that works in alignment with their deeply regenerative approach, Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and Tree Range Farms built a new investment vehicle: Ecosystem Transformative Capital. In this fascinating case study, you’ll learn about the path they charted to build this and how it works.
As the regenerative agriculture space matures, we’re seeing increasing efforts to think more creatively about how to finance and invest in it. In this discussion, we’ll hear from two finance innovators who worked to create new types of investment vehicles for regenerative agriculture. They’ll explore what these new vehicles look like, their potential outcomes, and what this could mean for regeneration as a whole.
Workshop 1: Shock Scenario: Labor Shift – Executive Orders Mobilize Workforce for Mineral Boom, Satellite Tech Uncovers Treasure Trove for Renewable Energy
In this shock scenario, new satellite enabled geological survey technology reveals a cache of critical minerals required to scale renewable energy technology across the borders of Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota. The demand for mining labor is immediate and at an unprecedented scale. Ag labor policies are adjusted by Executive Order to allow movement of work force to support mining (higher wage).
Workshop 2: The American Health Collapse & How to Invest in a More Nutritious Future
The country is facing a human health crisis that food sets at the center of. Dig into what is driving the American health collapse, what powerful levers of intervention exist, and how the movement is being funded.
Workshop 3: Enhancing Brand & Consumer Confidence with Resilient Supply Webs and Creative Financial Strategies
Delve into how to collaboratively create a regenerative supply network for alternative ingredients where every stakeholder wins. This exploration of systemic change applies universally as we examine a diversified and transitional food system that requires coordinated transformation across farms, processing, brands and retail – as well as finance. There is remarkable entrepreneurship required to meet the nuanced barriers that face each of these players. We’ll ask key questions: How is the transition progressing? How can our actions contribute to the greater good? Who will bear the costs?
Workshop 4: A Water Learning Journey
Come on a learning journey with us to better understand the significant role of water in agricultural systems. Join this small group discussion to dive into the questions that are top of your mind all about water.
The past two years of U.S. policy has opened a relative floodgate of public funding to climate smart and regenerative agriculture. What are the various roles that policy can play in de-risking capital to move into the the regenerative space.
The risks and costs of current agricultural systems are becoming increasingly obvious. However, current insurance systems are not built to account for and address these risks. How might insurance, policy and Agriculture evolve to meet this challenge?
*****
Click on the green arrows at the top of the agenda to scroll to next day.
<SPEAKERS>
Speakers
Preliminary speaker list. Check back soon – we’re adding more speakers every week!
<BOOTCAMP ANCHOR>
RFSI Bootcamp – October 8th
Are you an entrepreneur just starting your fundraising journey?
Are you a farmer seeking to understand the full range of funding opportunities that exist for you?
The RFSI Bootcamp – a half-day, pre-course to the RFSI Forum – is geared toward farmers, ranchers, producers, emerging brands and early stage start-ups that would like to better understand the regenerative food systems investment landscape and how best to engage in it.
You do not have to register for the RFSI Forum to attend the RFSI Bootcamp.
Join us from 1:00-5:00 p.m. MT on October 8th!
Thank you Bootcamp supporters:
Understand the different types of capital players funding regenerative farms, farmers, companies and start-ups, and the implications of each type of capital.
Engage with capital allocators and learn what they are looking for in their investments as well as what they will expect from you in the decision-making process.
Learn from others who have been down similar fundraising paths as you and glean lessons learned.
Gain tips for how to engage capital allocators and what questions are most important for you to ask them.
Workshop through challenges you have faced with experience investors, funders and fundraisers.
Walk away with a deeper understanding of the ecosystem, some strong connections with others in the space, what you need to do to be successful in it, and who it is most important for you to engage with.
Join us from 1:00-5:00 p.m. MT on October 8th!
RFSI Bootcamp Agenda – October 8
<TOUR>
SOLD OUT Regen Farm & Food Systems Tour – October 11th
There’s no better way to learn about regenerative farming than by visiting a farm!
After a few days at the RFSI Forum in the city, plan to get out to a farm and learn from the land and those who steward it. The Regen Farm & Food Systems Tour is an optional add-on experience taking place 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on October 11, the day after the RFSI Forum ends.
This year we are excited to tour West Bijou, the Savory Institute’s holistically-managed ranch and learning site. This 7,500-acre landscape dominated by shortgrass prairie is home to a herd of 400+ bison, a thriving wildlife population, and archeological and cultural assets such as one of the world’s most robust and intact sites of the K-T Boundary, a window to past geologic times. In addition to a tour of this working bison ranch, attendees will also have an opportunity to: see a demo of their Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) land monitoring protocol, learn how EOV data feeds into Savory’s Land to Market initiative which has helped bring 1,000+ products from verified regenerating landbases into the food, fashion, and footwear industries, and hear about the new Savory Foundation, based in Denmark.
Air conditioned bus transportation is provided, as is lunch. Tour will start and end at the conference hotel in downtown Denver.
< VENUE ANCHOR >
Venue
1350 Arapahoe St, Denver, CO
The 2024 RFSI Forum will be held at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in the Seawell Ballroom! Seawell Ballroom is conveniently located in downtown Denver, within walking distance to many hotels, restaurants and entertainment options. The ballroom offers stunning panoramic views of the city and mountains and plenty of space for our growing community!
The Seawell Ballroom is located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, at the northwest corner of the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
Accommodations
1717 Champa Street, Denver, CO
UPDATE: Our room block is full.
The RFSI Forum room block is located at the Kimpton: Hotel Monaco Denver, 1717 Champa Street, Denver, CO.
We’ve secured a great discount and perks that include: $20 off parking per day and no guest amenity fees for RFSI Forum attendees at the Kimpton: Hotel Monaco Denver.
< SPONSOR ANCHOR >
Thank You To Our Sponsors
DIAMOND SPONSOR
Transformational Investing in Food Systems
TIFS is an impact ecosystem of investors, funders, and enterprises dedicated to unlocking capital for regenerative businesses. We are helping to build a market for a regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient food future.
Further informationDIAMOND SPONSOR
Terra Regenerative Capital
Terra Regenerative Capital is on a mission to transition our agricultural system to a regenerative one so that we may rebalance the climate, reinforce food security, restore biodiversity and revitalize human and planetary health and economic wellbeing. TRC’s first investment vehicle, The Leaders Series, is dedicated to empowering those at the forefront of building regenerative supply chains – ie the “missing middle” – and creating new and value added market access for regenerative producers.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
Propagate & Agroforestry Partners
Propagate is a regenerative agriculture company that makes it easy for farmland owners to design, plant, and manage agroforestry systems so that they can increase the cash yield of farmland. We provide farm planning software, tree planting & management services, and project financing to reduce the risk of integrating fruit, nut, and timber trees with animal or crop farming systems. Agroforestry Partners provides a turnkey financing solution to enable agroforestry conversion for farmers and landowners, while providing an uncorrelated, attractive nature-based investment opportunity for investors. We aim to fix the carbon cycle and improve climate health one acre at a time.
Propagate Agroforestry PartnersDIAMOND SPONSOR
Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is the asset management arm of Manulife Financial Corporation. As the world’s largest natural capital investment manager, we create value through the sustainable management of natural resources for the benefit of our investors, the environment, and local communities. Our agriculture and timberland businesses manage diversified global portfolios of farms and forests covering over 5.8 million acres across the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, and New Zealand. As of December 31, 2023, we manage $15.7 billion in AUM.
Further informationRECEPTION SPONSOR
Good Roots
Good Roots helps farms and food businesses become profitable for good. Our team of remote consultants offers business, management, and marketing services to the agricultural and food sectors, drawing on years of direct experience as farmers and food entrepreneurs ourselves.
Further informationCLOSING RECEPTION SPONSOR
Dirt Capital Partners
Dirt Capital invests in farmland together with best-in-class regenerative farmers and ranchers – helping grow their land base and profitability. We are “impact-first” with a focus on capital preservation while achieving outcomes in ecological stewardship, farmer equity, community benefits and field-building.
Further informationFARMER SCHOLARSHIP SPONSOR
The Nest
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.
Further informationPITCH SESSION SPONSOR
The First Thirty
The First Thirty (TFT,) a venture capital firm, invests in early-stage entrepreneurs building disruptive technology businesses to unlock nature’s value and regenerate at scale, with a goal of influencing the regeneration of 30 million hectares by 2030.
Further informationGOLD + BOOTCAMP SPONSOR
Iroquois Valley Farms
Iroquois Valley is a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B-Corp that offers investors the opportunity to support independent organic farmers with land access and working capital through two unique investment offerings. Our REIT Equity Shares offer both accredited and non-accredited investors the opportunity to own a diversified portfolio of organic farmland that now spans 20 states. We will also be raising capital through a new note issuance – Rooted in Regeneration Notes. The RNR Notes will provide investors with a means to support farmland ownership for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) by reducing the cost of borrowing for eligible farmers.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Builders Vision
Builders Vision is an impact platform that aims to shift markets and minds for good through offering philanthropic, investment and advocacy tools to people and organizations building a more humane and healthy planet.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Agrology
Agrology provides real-time data for growers to measure the outcomes of their regenerative farming practices. Agrology monitors soil health, microbial activity, and a comprehensive set of agronomic data streams, so growers can measure and link practice changes to real-world GHG reductions and ecological impacts.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Canopy Farm Management
Canopy Farm Management provides tree planting and management services to Midwest farmers and landowners. Through its expert staff, thoughtful design, and a mobile fleet of state-of-the-art equipment, Canopy cost-effectively establishes and manages diverse agroecological systems, including perennial crops, timber plantings, and conservation practices.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Mad Capital
Mad Capital provides tailor-fit private credit to mid-sized regenerative organic farmers in the US. They are working to bridge the transition financing gap by providing the longer-term capital it takes to transition a degraded farm to a beautiful, profitable, and regenerative farm.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Biome Capital Partners
Biome Capital is a full service investment platform designed to deploy meaningful capital into regenerative food and fiber systems. We invest in US farmland in equity partnership with best-in-class growers, in infrastructure and brands that support bioregional ecosystems, and in emerging technologies that de-risk and accelerate the transition.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Conservation Resources
Conservation Resources (CR), is an impact investment organization focused on land-based natural resources, managing farmland and timber investments to provide above-market returns while optimizing environmental impact values.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Established in 2006 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, the Schmidt Family Foundation works to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet through grantmaking and investments.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Fractal Agriculture
Fractal invests in U.S. row crop farmland to enable farmers to expand adoption of regenerative practices and scale their impact while driving superior returns.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Soil & Climate Initiative
The Soil and Climate Initiative is a world-changing Regenerative Transition Service program. We transition conventional to regenerative acres at scale, making regenerative financial, market and philanthropic investments more successful, profitable and impactful.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Grounded Capital
Grounded Capital was created to pursue ideas and solve problems through direct investments of private, long-term financial capital on behalf of aligned investors. We believe in a systems-based and holistic approach to responsibly grow capital and achieve Impact across our Five Areas of Focus: Places, Energy, People, Food and Nature.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Pelican Ag
Pelican Ag is the venture fund on a mission to bring food and farming back to nature.
Further informationGOLD SPONSOR
Stepwell Strategies
Stepwell Strategies provides grant writing, project development, and project management services for organizations tackling our most pressing challenges: food security, regenerative agriculture, environmental justice, climate change, and land stewardship. Founded on the belief that food and agricultural businesses and nonprofits are at their best when connected to the resources they need, Stepwell Strategies designs programs and projects that scale impact through creative facilitation, finance and funding approaches, and project design support.
Further informationCREATIVE SPONSOR
Miel Creative
Miel Creative is a full-service design and communications studio making beautiful sense out of a complex world for almost two decades. Our clients include B Corps, nonprofits, and other purpose-driven organizations working to create a positive impact. Recent work includes Soil Wealth (The Croatan Institute), The Fibers Roadmap (SAFSF), and the AccelerateNC community platform (NC Biotech).
Further informationTABLE SPONSOR
Merge Impact
Merge Impact is a software platform that integrates cutting-edge technology to synthesize data from various sources, allowing for precise planning and execution of conservation practices. By facilitating market connectivity, Merge Impact helps farmers access new economic opportunities for sustainably produced crops and ecosystem outcomes, creating financial incentives that encourage the widespread adoption of conservation practices.
Further informationTABLE SPONSOR
Range Revolution
A luxury leather goods brand utilizing 100% traceable, regeneratively sourced American hides. Our mission is to increase economic returns to regenerative ranchers, reduce waste, and give consumers the opportunity to participate in land regeneration through the purchase of heirloom-quality products.
Further informationTABLE SPONSOR
Philosopher Foods
Philosopher Foods offers meticulously crafted, small batch, Regenerative Organic Certified Sprouted Almond Butters and Gut Nuts™Fermented Almonds and Cashews … the world’s first and only fermented nuts! Our mission is to create delicious, nutritious, ethical, and ecological food that nourishes all Life through its cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption.
Further informationTABLE SPONSOR
SnapLands
We work with land owners, businesses, organizations, and ground crews to create and verify sustainable working landscapes.
Further informationTABLE SPONSOR
Chai Five Tea
Regenerating the health of our bodies and soil, transforming our food systems, and creating a global impact one cup of chai at a time!
Further information<DONORS>
Become a Sponsor
Sponsors of the RFSI Forum are the organizations leading the transition to a more regenerative food system. Sponsorship packages are designed for diverse types of businesses and offer unique value, including:
- Increased visibility and thought-leadership among a unique investor and activator community
- Opportunity to showcase your expertise and services
- Media coverage before, during and after event
- Branding throughout the event
For information on how to sponsor future events, please contact us here →