Our food system has evolved toward mass-produced, cheap food through intensive monoculture farming. As a result, biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate, soil health is being damaged, and the produce is low in nutrients. Farmers need to transition to regenerative agriculture methods of production, but this shift involves risks. How will they be affected financially by reducing their cash crop planting areas in favour of untested complementary crops? How will yields be impacted by moving away from fertilizers and pesticides? Consumers want access to delicious and nutritious food but are often limited in their choices. The food system is dominated by major industry players built to distribute food grown using conventional methods. This food became poor in vitamins and nutrients due to soil degradation. Recent research (by Herb Young) shows that food grown through regenerative agriculture has a nutrient density 5–8 times higher than conventional food, with some vital vitamins and flavonoids completely absent in the latter. In his own words, “Mass-grown fruit has become nothing more than a sugar-delivery vehicle.”

We believe food and drink companies should play a crucial role in enabling a shift toward regenerative agriculture and be at the forefront of the nature-positive movement, ensuring that regeneratively grown, nutrient-rich food reaches our consumers’ tables. Bemuse will support the transition to regenerative agriculture by incorporating nutrient-rich ingredients - produced with regenerative techniques, such as improved cash crops and cover crops—into our drinks. In doing so, we will enhance our consumers’ health while fostering an ecosystem for pollinators and provide incentives for farmers to transition by offering solutions for their supplementary crops. To source our ingredients, we will partner with players in regenerative agriculture who assist farmers to transition by developing relevant technologies. We have already reached out to Tanit, an SBC alumn. With our extensive experience in drinks we will focus on production, sales and marketing of regeneratively made produce.