Regenerative Organic Learning Center (ROLC)

In 2024, the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) recognized an invaluable opportunity to resist our current existential crisis and created the Regenerative Organic Learning Center (ROLC) program to create a series of regional hubs for farmers to learn regenerative organic agricultural methods and exchange their own best practices. With extreme weather disrupting food systems and a growing population exacerbating health issues, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions. Conventional agriculture practices have led to severe land degradation, soil erosion, and depletion of our freshwater resources. 

The first year of the ROLC Program saw the establishment of five learning centers with flagship Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC™) farms, fostering relationships among farmers, buyers, and experts in the regenerative organic movement. We organized webinars that attracted over 600 participants from more than 20 countries, showing a surge in engagement around regenerative practices. The demand for ROLC has grown significantly, as farmers recognize the importance of building alliances and the economic potential of ROC™ on a broader scale. 

Our vision for the ROLC program is to enhance local food systems, thus benefiting the land, the farmers, and the communities they support. We aim to further develop regenerative organic hotspots and facilitate a strong network across various regions and industry sectors. We are seeking a minimum of $1M per year to expand and build this proactive program. The project will use funds to strengthen our organizational framework, further develop educational resources, provide on-farm consultations, and engage farm leaders to provide workshops and spaces for on-site demonstrations. 

This will be done in the key areas of consultation and innovation, farmer impact and training, and market expansion with consumer engagement. The ROLC program will provide farmers with the space to implement and offer their own field-tested and region-specific feedback on these practices. In partnership with the Rodale Institue, the ROLC program can continue to empower farmers with rigorously tested solutions for transitioning to regenerative organic farming.  ROC™ products create market access for farmers that enable a market-driven solution designed to provide consumers a conscious choice!