Question 1

How does the selection process work?

Accepted Answer

Applications open once a year and are limited to approximately 150 applications. This allows every eligible application to receive the time and attention it deserves.Once applications close, eligible applications are reviewed by the Selection Committee.Selected questions are assessed against the Top 50 Farmers selection criteria, after which the cohort is considered as a whole.The aim is not simply to select the 50 applications with the highest scores. The aim is to build a strong and representative cohort reflecting the many different ways regenerative farming is developing across Europe.All applicants are informed of the outcome before the new cohort is publicly announced in March.

Question 2

How is a diverse and representative cohort created?

Accepted Answer

There is no single picture of a pioneering regenerative farmer.Each Top 50 Farmers cohort aims to represent different countries and regions, farming systems, farm sizes, business models, backgrounds, generations and stages of the regenerative journey.The composition of the cohort is therefore considered alongside the individual assessment of each application.Top 50 Farmers also actively seeks to discover farmers in countries and regions that have historically been underrepresented in the applicant pool.This is one reason the annual Recommend a Farmer campaign matters: it creates opportunities to discover farmers beyond the people and places already connected to Top 50 Farmers.

Question 3

Who is on the Selection Committee?

Accepted Answer

The Selection Committee is an independent, voluntary group bringing together different perspectives and expertise from across farming, food systems, science, business and regenerative agriculture.Its role is to review eligible applications against the Top 50 Farmers selection criteria and contribute to selecting each year's cohort.The composition of the committee changes from year to year. Members are announced on the website and across channels.

Question 4

Why 50 farmers?

Accepted Answer

Fifty is intentional.It is small enough to build meaningful relationships with each farmer - getting to know them, telling their stories professionally and creating a high-quality programme experience.But it is also large enough to create critical mass.Regenerative farming across Europe is diverse and often fragmented across countries, languages, farming systems and communities. Bringing together 50 farmers each year creates greater representation, stronger peer relationships and enough collective visibility to reach beyond the individual farmers.A much smaller group could create depth, but not the same diversity, reach or collective power.And the impact compounds. Every year, another 50 farmers join, strengthening the relationships, knowledge, visibility and opportunities around pioneering farmers across Europe.50 is therefore not about creating a list. It is about creating enough depth and scale to strengthen the conditions for change.

Question 5

When will applicants know if they have been selected?

Accepted Answer

All applicants are informed of the outcome before the public announcement.Selected farmers are asked to keep the news confidential until the new cohort is officially revealed at the annual virtual Announcement Ceremony. Timeline is found on the website.

Question 6

How is application information used?

Accepted Answer

Individual application responses are treated with care. Raw application information is accessible only to the Top 50 Farmers team and those involved in the selection process. When insights are shared more widely, they are anonymised and aggregated so individual applicants cannot be identified.Farmers are not data points. The purpose of building this intelligence is to make farmer experience more visible and influential -  and ultimately create stronger conditions for pioneering farmers and their businesses to thrive.Application information is first and foremost used as part of the selection process and to understand each farmer, farm and business.For selected farmers, the information also plays an important role in shaping the programme and creating relevant opportunities for the cohort. It helps Top 50 Farmers understand what farmers are working towards, the challenges they are facing, what they want to learn and where new relationships, resources or opportunities could be valuable.Beyond each individual cohort, the applications also contribute to something bigger.Together, applications from farmers across Europe create a unique picture of how regenerative farming is developing on the ground - what farmers are experiencing, what they need, what is changing, where barriers remain and what new approaches are emerging.Combined with insights from the programme, farmer profiles, listening sessions and long-term relationships with farmers, this contributes to a growing body of farmer-led intelligence about regenerative agriculture across Europe.If selected, a farmer’s name, photos, video is solely used to create their public Top 50 Farmers profile. More information about photos, videos and usage rights is available in the Application Guide.

Question 7

How are applications assessed?

Accepted Answer

Our selection is not about judging or comparing farms according to one fixed idea of what regenerative agriculture should look like. We want to understand each farm within its own context and select a diverse group of farmers who can benefit from and contribute to the programme and community. Some application questions directly inform the selection process, while others support us to get to know your farm, understand your work, your vision and the wider realities of regenerative agriculture across Europe. They also help us identify the kinds of knowledge, connections, and support that farmers need, so that we can shape the programme and bring relevant people and opportunities into the network.Not every answer is assessed in the same way, and there is no “best” farmer. Reviewers are asked to consider the substance and context of an application, rather than writing style, confidence on camera or individual farm facts.

Applications

are closed

Meet the 2026 Cohort

You are already a role model

Imagine a world where regenerative farming is the norm

Applications for Top 50 Farmers 2027Opening · October 6, 2026

Each year 50 new farmers join the Top 50 Farmers, a diverse community of:

26

0.5-4,000 ha

Can you apply?

We are looking for farmers who are working with nature to build healthy soils, increase biodiversity, grow healthy foods and strengthen the resilience of their farms and businesses. The eligibility criteria is:

Currently transitioning?

Stage 1: Application Phase

Stage 2: Screening

Stage 3: Selection Committee Review

Stage 4: Alignment Review

Stage 5: Results Shared with Applicants

Stage 6: Announcement to the public

Top 50 Farmers nomination process

Application Process

Selection Committee Members

Marin Rose

Position / Role

Position / Role

Sandra Villumsen

Position / Role

Position / Role

Lars Olav Stavnes

Position / Role

Position / Role

Lily Maxwell

Position / Role

Position / Role

Dario Fornara

Position / Role

Position / Role

Kitty Grubb

Position / Role

Position / Role

Antonella Ilaria Totaro

Position / Role

Position / Role

Alexander Zimmer

Position / Role

Position / Role

Audrey Bourolleau

Position / Role

Position / Role

Laura Preising

Position / Role

Position / Role

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the selection process work?

How is a diverse and representative cohort created?

Who is on the Selection Committee?

Why 50 farmers?

When will applicants know if they have been selected?

How is application information used?

How are applications assessed?

You are already
a role model

Applications for Top 50 Farmers 2027
Opening · October 6, 2026

Each year 50 new farmers join the Top 50 Farmers,
a diverse community of:

We are looking for farmers who are working with nature to build healthy soils, increase biodiversity, grow healthy foods and strengthen the resilience of their farms and businesses.

The eligibility criteria is: