Regen Network Announced Rockefeller Food System Vision Prize Semi-Finalist
The Rockefeller Food System Vision Prize invites organizations from around the world to create compelling and progressive visions of the world’s system by 2050. The prize invites organizations, universities, institutions, companies, cooperatives, and partnerships from around the world to create and realize concrete and actionable Visions of food systems that deliver sustainable, nourishing diets by 2050.
In 2050, Regen Network envisions a vibrant agroforestry industry in the Connecticut River, Housatonic River, and Hudson River watersheds in western Massachusetts and eastern New York, where quick-growing perennials have ignited the agroforestry industry, resulting in local ciders and chestnut flour pizza parties. By partnering with Breadtree Farms, a commercial chestnut production that partners with regional growers, Terra Genesis International, the co-authors of the BioRegional Agroforestry Suitability Analysis (BRASA), and Propagate Ventures, an organization that works with farmers and land managers to design and install tree-crop systems that work in tandem with existing farm operations, Regen Network will issue scientifically-verifiable and auditable ecosystem credits to agroforestry operations so that farmers, ranchers and land managers implementing bioregional agroforestry can be recognized for and paid for their positive ecological practices.
During the refinement phase of the competition, Regen Network and its partners will solidify the vision implementation plan, including extending the TerraGenesis International BRASA analysis across Berkshire and Columbia counties to inform new agroforestry planting strategies, working with mature agroforestry farms in the Propagate Ventures network to verify ecological outcomes and issue ecosystem services credits, and activating local networks of farmers exploring and interested in implementing new agroforestry systems in Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire and Columbia counties.
Out of 1319 international submissions, Regen Network is one of 79 semi-finalists in the Rockefeller Food System Vision Prize! Up to 10 finalists will be announced in May 2020, will progress to an Accelerator, and on September 13, 2020, Top Visionaries will be announced. A prize of $2 million will be distributed among the winners.
Regen Network and its partners are humbled to be a part of this community of food system visions! Check out the Rockefeller Food System Vision Prize on their website.
