“The responsibilities of farmers and food producers, and the role they play in our supply chain are imperative to the health of our planet,” said Sarela Herrada, Co-founder of SIMPLi, in the press release. “Our quinoa and bean producers becoming Regenerative Organic Certified™ validates our work and ongoing commitment to source ingredients that meet the strictest quality standards, all while ensuring consumers have access to nutrient-dense products that improve the livelihoods of farmers and restore our environment.”
ROC requires farms to hold USDA Organic Certification and a social fairness certification. ROC then adds further criteria to ensure that farms and products meet the highest standards in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness, the press release states. The bronze, silver, and gold levels require farms and businesses to phase in more rigorous regenerative organic practices over time.
“Using indigenous agricultural practices as our guiding principles, we source and work with farmers to grow crops that optimize our operation to limit carbon footprint,” said Matt Cohen, Co-founder of SIMPLi. “By focusing on sustainable ingredients such as quinoa, amaranth, chia seeds, and lupini beans, and farming practices like conservation tillage, cover crops and crop rotation, rotational grazing, no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and composting, we’re taking significant steps forward in ethical food production on a global scale.”
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To date, SIMPLi products have helped ensure nearly 300 farmers receive fair compensation and increased profitability.“It has been wonderful to work with SIMPLi on their ROC journey,” said Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of the ROA. “SIMPLi’s dedication to invest in their supply chains and find ways to work with their farmers to implement practices that will increase soil health and carbon sequestration is completely in alignment with our mission: to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through regenerative organic agriculture.”