Regenerative Organic Alliance

What Regenerative Organic Alliance does

Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that operates the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) certification program. The organization certifies agricultural producers and licenses brands and supply chain actors across food, fiber, and personal care, using USDA Organic as a required baseline and adding third-party-verified requirements across three pillars: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness (including living wages, freedom of association, and fair farmer payments). ROC certification is offered at Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, with documentation required through a Regenerative Organic System Plan (ROSP) and supply chain actor disclosure forms, and audits conducted through 13 ROA-approved certifying bodies globally.

ROA generates revenue from three primary streams: one-time producer application fees ($350-$1,000 depending on operation size), annual brand licensing fees tiered by ROC product revenue (with tiers ranging from $0-$500K to >$10M), and FOB-based textile licensing fees. Additional funding comes from the Allies Consumer Campaign (launched 2025) and ongoing support from founding allies Rodale Institute, Patagonia, and Dr. Bronner's. The organization serves five primary segments: agricultural producers, brands and supply chain actors, retailers (via the Retailer Impact Network), fiber and textile companies, and smallholder farmers in global supply chains. At present, ROA has certified 540 farms and ranches across 354,460 acres, licensed 374 brands, and certified 315 products, with a stated goal to transition 10 million additional acres to regenerative organic agriculture by 2030.

Name

Regenerative Organic Alliance

Legal name

Regenerative Organic Alliance

Website

https://regenorganic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Regenerative Organic Certified® program, certifying farms and licensing brands across food, fiber, and personal care against high-bar standards for soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD), Traceability & Chain-of-Custody Certification (Mass Balance, Segregation, Identity Preserved) (AFALAMAK), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Accreditation & Oversight Bodies for Food Safety Certification (ABs/Scheme Owners) (AFALACAB)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• Regenerative agriculture standards
• Sustainable supply chain verification
• Soil health certification
• Animal welfare compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastopol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Producer Certification Fees: One-time application fees for farms and ranches seeking ROC certification. Fees are tiered by operation size: $350 for operations with fewer than 5 parcels, $550 for operations with 5 or more parcels, and $1,000 for ICS-managed grower groups/cooperatives. Annual license fees are also assessed based on the cost and fee structure.
2. Brand Licensing Fees: Annual license fees for brands and supply chain actors making ROC claims. Fees are based on revenue tiers: $0-$500,000, $500,001-$2,000,000, $2,000,001-$5,000,000, $5,000,001-$10,000,000, and greater than $10,000,000. Desk audit fees are also charged 3-6 months after licensing.
3. Textile/Fiber Licensing: Annual license fees for textile brands and supply chain actors based on FOB (Freight on Board) value tiers. Includes fiber-forward procurement, yarn/fabric procurement, and turnkey finished product programs.
4. Allies Consumer Campaign Contributions: Allies (founders, catalysts, system shifters, ecosystem pioneers, pollinators, sustainers, contributing allies) provide financial and other support to ROA through the Allies Consumer Campaign launched in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Regenerative Organic Alliance operates the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) program, a third-party certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients built on a USDA Organic baseline with added criteria across three pillars: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. ROC certification is offered at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels to farms, ranches, grower groups, brands, and supply chain actors. The organization also runs a Fiber & Materials Program for textiles and a Retailer Impact Network for retail partnerships.

Product overview

The Regenerative Organic Alliance operates the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) certification program — a platform consisting of producer certification for farms/ranches, brand licensing for companies using ROC ingredients, and a specialized Fiber & Materials Program for textiles. The core certification uses USDA Organic as a baseline and adds requirements across three pillars: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. Related services include the Retailer Impact Network for retail partnerships, a Resource Library with documentation, and an online application portal. The ROC certification is available at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Regenerative Organic Certified: The certification mark for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients meeting standards for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness. Offered at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels.

Products and services

• Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) Certification Program
• ROC™ Producer Certification
• ROC™ Brand Licensing
• ROC™ Fiber & Materials Program
• ROA Retailer Impact Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 354,460 certified acres and 540 certified farms/ranches demonstrate scale of adoption
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, regional and founding.

• 1% For the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit ally providing exposure and credibility for ROA's environmental mission.
• Kiss the GroundminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit ally focused on regenerative agriculture education and advocacy.
• Point Blue ConservationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit ally focused on conservation and environmental science.
• RegenagricoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Launched 'Journey to ROC' initiative in partnership with Regenagri to reduce greenwashing and scale regenerative agriculture through a collaborative pathway.
• EdaciouscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Four-year partnership to assess nutritional quality and toxicity of ROC crops compared to conventional, organic, and regenerative non-organic alternatives. Will test 200+ ROC products through Edacious Food Lab to build evidence base linking agricultural practices to human health outcomes.
• ICEA (Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale)regionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 July 2025Became European Ambassador for the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Strategic agreement signed in Bologna to consolidate ROC standard in Europe.
• GRIT AgencyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Developed the 'Heal the Earth, Nourish Your Life' consumer marketing campaign for ROA, which received dual awards in 2025.
• NSF InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Managed the ROC Pilot Program in 2019 with 19 farms and brands, conducting audits and providing feedback for framework revision.
• Rodale InstitutefoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-founder of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Rodale Institute popularized the term 'regenerative organic' and has been instrumental in developing ROC standards and farmer outreach.
• Dr. Bronner'sfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-founder of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Major supporter providing funding and operational resources. David Bronner serves as Board Member.
• PatagoniafoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-founder of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Paul Lightfoot serves as Board Chair. Patagonia and Patagonia Provisions participated in ROC Pilot Program.
• Compassion in World FarmingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Alliance member providing expertise on animal welfare standards for ROC framework development.
• Fair World ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Alliance member providing expertise on social fairness and farmer/worker equity standards.
• Textile ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Alliance member providing expertise on textile/fiber supply chain standards and market development. LaRhea Pepper, co-founder of Textile Exchange, serves as Board Vice Chair.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade USA operates a third-party certification across agricultural supply chains spanning food, apparel, and home goods, with producer certification fees and brand licensing. ROA's social fairness pillar overlaps directly with Fair Trade USA's mandate, making it comparable on certification model and target market.
• Regenagri: Regenagri operates the leading international regenerative agriculture certification program for crops and textiles. Both ROA and Regenagri certify regenerative claims across food and fiber, and the two partnered in 2025 on the 'Journey to ROC' initiative, making Regenagri ROA's most directly comparable competing scheme.
• Demeter USA: Demeter USA manages the Biodynamic® certification, the original third-party regenerative/organic-style standard covering farm and processing operations. Comparable to ROA in being a third-party standards owner with tiered integrity claims and global reach for food and fiber.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): GOTS is the leading third-party organic textile certification covering processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and distribution. ROA's Fiber & Materials Program parallels GOTS in targeting textile brands and supply-chain actors with certification marks and traceability requirements.

Emerging players

• Textile Exchange: Textile Exchange is a nonprofit alliance member of ROA and co-founder LaRhea Pepper sits on ROA's board. It develops standards (e.g., the Organic Content Standard, recycled standards) for fiber and materials comparable to ROA's Fiber & Materials Program but focused more on input claims than farm-level regenerative practice.

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: NSF International is a large global standards body that managed the ROC Pilot Program and operates overlapping food/agriculture certifications and supply-chain audits. Comparable as a certification scheme owner and audit provider targeting agricultural producers and food brands.
• Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance is an established sustainability certification operating globally across agriculture and forestry with farm certification and brand licensing. While broader in scope than ROC, it is comparable as a multi-pillar third-party sustainable agriculture standards body serving brands and producers worldwide.
• Oregon Tilth: Oregon Tilth is a long-established organic certification agency providing USDA-NOP certification and additional regenerative add-ons. Comparable to ROA as an organic certification body whose framework underpins ROC's USDA Organic baseline and which serves overlapping agricultural producer customers.
• CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): CCOF is one of the largest USDA-NOP organic certifiers in the US, providing farm certification to a national network of producers. Comparable to ROA in certifying the same organic-producer base that represents ROC's required baseline.

Regional players

• Soil Association (UK): Soil Association is the UK's leading organic certification and standards body with farm and food certification, plus regenerative and organic textile standards. Comparable to ROA as a third-party organic/regenerative certification owner serving primarily a different geography (UK and EU).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/regenerativeorganicalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/regenerativeorganic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regenerative-organic-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/regenerativeorganic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Regenerative Organic Alliance