No Food Left Behind

The report examines the transition to regenerative agriculture across four case studies (Braga Fresh, Fresh Del Monte, Shepherd’s Grain, and Zirkle), finding that while regenerative practices can reduce input costs and improve soil health, they often lead to higher initial food losses. It argues that 'circularity'—measuring and repurposing on-farm loss—is essential to mitigate these risks and boost economic resilience. The document highlights a disconnect between buyer demands for sustainable produce and their unwillingness to pay price premiums or adjust strict cosmetic specifications, which hinders the scaling of regenerative practices.

• Regenerative pilots across several case studies showed an increase in food loss compared to control fields, suggesting that producers face higher risks and uncertainty when testing new practices.
• Braga Fresh reduced overall production costs per acre by 12.3% through reduced tillage and cover cropping, which also resulted in 6.98 tonnes of CO2 saved per acre in sweet baby broccoli fields.
• Fresh Del Monte's regenerative banana pilots in Costa Rica saw loss rates nearly double those of control plots (5.8% vs 3.5%), with significant losses occurring in the spoiled category.
• Fresh Del Monte achieved significant cost savings by reducing fertilizer use by 30% and implementing manual weed control, though these were partially offset by increased labor costs for organic matter application.
• Shepherd’s Grain utilizes a pricing model that ensures farmers receive at least a 5% rate of return, protecting them from market volatility and reducing risk for lenders.
• Zirkle's implementation of drip irrigation reduced water usage by one-third, providing long-term economic benefits despite initial installation costs.
• Circularity can boost profitability by creating new sales channels for surplus or off-spec products, as demonstrated by Earth University selling 'dedos sueltos' (imperfect bananas) to the Costa Rican domestic market.
• Fresh Del Monte's investment of $11 million in a processing facility to convert residual pineapple fruit into juice has eliminated food waste to landfills from its main Costa Rican operation since late 2022 and saves nearly $1.2 million annually in freight and fuel.
• A primary barrier to scaling regenerative agriculture is the disconnect between buyer requests for sustainable products and their refusal to pay price premiums or accept produce with cosmetic imperfections caused by pollinator habitats.
• The US Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) is identified as a barrier to adoption because its annual nature does not account for long-term ecological investments or cover crops.

APA

WWF International (2022). No Food Left Behind. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/640/5j3ldqkwi8_WWF_NoFoodLeftBehind_Part7_250326.1.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. No Food Left Behind. 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/640/5j3ldqkwi8_WWF_NoFoodLeftBehind_Part7_250326.1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=No Food Left Behind |date=2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/640/5j3ldqkwi8_WWF_NoFoodLeftBehind_Part7_250326.1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022food, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{No Food Left Behind}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/640/5j3ldqkwi8_WWF_NoFoodLeftBehind_Part7_250326.1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }