Alignment Statement

Our principles and commitments.

Top 50 Farmers was created with a clear belief: change happens through people.

As our community grows, we believe it is important to be transparent about the principles that guide our work - how we think about regenerative farming, how farmers are selected, what “Top 50” means, who we work with and fundraise from, and the responsibility we have to the farmers who place their trust in us.

This statement sets out those principles. It is intended to create clarity, hold us accountable and evolve as we continue to learn alongside our community

What does “Top 50” mean?

“Top” does not mean that the farmers selected are the 50 best farmers in Europe, nor that one approach to regenerative farming is better than another.

Each year, we set out to discover 50 inspiring farmers whose farms, experiences and journeys show what is possible when agriculture works with nature using regenerative practices and management. Together, they offer 50 real-world examples from across Europe - different farming systems, geographies, generations, farm sizes and stages of the regenerative journey.

We select farmers whose work, experience and perspectives can contribute something valuable to the collective. We look for curiosity, commitment, a willingness to learn and openness to sharing experiences with others. What matters is not perfection, but direction and the potential to contribute to and learn from the community.

By bringing these farmers and their stories forward, we want to make regenerative farming more tangible and inspire others to see what is possible.

The value is not in identifying who is best. It is in what becomes possible when inspiring farmers are discovered, recognised and brought together.

What we mean by regenerative farming

Regenerative farming is not one prescribed model or a fixed checklist of practices.

For us, regeneration is as much a mindset as it is a way of farming. It starts with curiosity, observation and a willingness to learn and adapt - understanding the farm as a living system and continually asking how it can become healthier, more resilient and more connected to the ecosystems and communities around it.

The practices that follow from that mindset will look different from farm to farm. A vegetable farm in Denmark, an olive grove in Spain and a livestock farm in the Alps operate within very different ecological, economic and cultural contexts.

What connects them is a direction: working with nature to restore and strengthen soil health, biodiversity and ecosystems, while building resilient farms, businesses and communities.

We believe the future of farming is one that does not depend on synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, but builds fertility, resilience and ecological balance through living soils and functioning ecosystems. We also recognise that getting there is a transition, and that the pathway will look different depending on the farm, its starting point and its context.

We therefore look at the whole farm and the direction it is moving in - the farmer's intentions and decisions, the practices they use, the progress already made, and their commitment to continued learning and improvement.

Regeneration is not about reaching a perfect end point. It is a continuous process of observing, learning, adapting and improving.

Farmers in transition

The large majority of farmers selected for Top 50 Farmers already farm without synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. At the same time, we intentionally welcome around 10% of farmers who are in transition.

We do this because we believe transition stories can be powerful catalysts for change.

Top 50 Farmers is about making inspiring examples visible and showing what is possible. For a farmer considering a different way of farming, seeing someone who started from a similar place - and is successfully making the transition - can make change feel tangible: If they can do it, perhaps I can too.

By sharing these journeys - the decisions farmers make, the practices they change, the challenges they encounter and what they learn along the way - transition farmers can offer a real-world roadmap for others considering a similar path.

For us, being “in transition” requires more than an intention to change. We look for meaningful action already underway, a clear commitment to moving away from conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, and a direction that aligns with the future of farming we believe in.

We want to show not only what regenerative farming can look like, but how farmers can get there.

How we select the 50

Selecting 50 farmers from across Europe means comparing farms that can be very different from one another. We do not believe regenerative farming can be assessed through a single metric or checklist.

Our selection therefore looks at the whole picture: how a farmer works with soil and nature, the direction and development of the farm, the resilience of the business, their mindset and willingness to learn, and what their experience could contribute to and inspire within the wider community.

We also intentionally look for diversity across geography, generations, farm sizes, farming systems and experiences. The aim is not to find 50 farmers who look alike, but to bring together 50 different and inspiring examples of regenerative farming across Europe.

Applications are reviewed by an independent Selection Committee with perspectives and experience from across agriculture and the wider food system. We use a structured selection process and shared criteria, while recognising that context matters and that judgement is an unavoidable part of selecting a diverse group of farmers.

We are not looking for the 50 “best” farms. We are looking for 50 farmers whose work, journeys and perspectives can inspire, contribute to the collective and show what is possible.

Different approaches, shared direction

There is no single way to farm regeneratively.

Across Europe, farmers draw on different traditions, philosophies and approaches - from organic and biodynamic farming to agroecology, agroforestry, holistic grazing and other regenerative practices. Many do not define themselves through only one label.

Top 50 Farmers does not promote one methodology over another. We are interested in what farmers are learning from their land, the decisions they make in response, and the direction in which their farming system is developing.

What matters is the shared direction: working with nature to build healthier soils, greater biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and farms and businesses that can thrive over the long term.

This also means remaining curious. Regenerative farming continues to evolve through experience, experimentation, observation and knowledge shared between farmers. We believe there is value in bringing different approaches into conversation rather than defining one model that everyone should follow.

Our principles remain clear - including our belief in a future of farming that does not depend on conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilisers - while recognising that there can be many pathways towards that future.

Different farms. Different contexts. Different pathways. A shared direction.

Our responsibility to farmers

Farmers are at the heart of Top 50 Farmers, and with that comes a responsibility.

When a farmer joins Top 50 Farmers, they place trust in us - not only with their story, but with their time, knowledge, relationships and participation in the community.

We take that trust seriously.

Our programme and activities are designed around the farmers and what can create meaningful value for them. We listen to the community, respond to emerging needs and create spaces for farmers to learn from one another, build relationships and explore opportunities that can strengthen them and their farms and businesses.

As Top 50 Farmers grows, so does the number of people and organisations interested in connecting with our community. We see great potential in creating meaningful connections between farmers and the wider ecosystem - but access to farmers is never something we sell.

We curate introductions, partnerships and opportunities carefully, considering their relevance and potential value to the farmers involved. Participation is always the farmer's choice, and we aim to protect their time and agency rather than treating the community as an audience or resource for others.

The same principle applies to farmers' stories, knowledge and experiences. We aim to tell stories with farmers, not simply about them, and to use what we learn through the community in ways that respect farmer agency, privacy and trust.

As our relationships deepen, we also gain a richer understanding of what farmers need, what is emerging, where the gaps are and what is working. We believe this collective intelligence can contribute to better decisions across the wider agricultural ecosystem - but it should create value with and for farmers, not extract value from them.

Our relationship does not end when a programme year finishes. Once a Top 50 Farmer, always a Top 50 Farmer. Farmers remain part of the community and can continue building relationships, sharing knowledge and contributing to what the collective becomes.

Trust comes before access. Farmer agency comes before opportunity. And the value we create should flow both ways.

Independence, partnerships and funding

Top 50 Farmers cannot create the conditions for regenerative farming to thrive alone. We believe meaningful change requires relationships and collaboration across sectors, disciplines and communities - including far beyond agriculture and food.

We therefore actively seek partnerships with organisations and people who share our ambition for a regenerative future and can contribute resources, knowledge, relationships, perspectives or opportunities to the work.

At the same time, our independence matters.

Funding or partnership does not provide influence over which farmers are selected, how farmers are represented, or the positions and priorities of Top 50 Farmers. Our selection process remains independent, and the interests of farmers and the integrity of our mission guide our decisions.

We recognise that organisations wanting to contribute to the regenerative transition may themselves be at different stages of change. We do not expect every partner to be perfect, but we look carefully at alignment, intent, actions and the potential implications of working together.

We will not enter partnerships that we believe compromise our values, our independence or the trust farmers place in us.

Where relationships can create meaningful opportunities for farmers, we act as a bridge - not a gatekeeper selling access. Introductions and collaborations are curated based on relevance and potential value, and farmers always retain the choice of whether to participate.

Partnership should create shared value without compromising farmer agency or our independence.

Our commitment to learning

Regenerative farming is continually evolving, and so are we.

Top 50 Farmers does not claim to have all the answers. We learn from the farmers in our community, from the different perspectives and experiences they bring, and from the people and organisations we work alongside.

We believe in staying curious, listening carefully and being willing to question our own assumptions. As we deepen our understanding of what farmers need, what is working and where gaps remain, our programme, selection process and wider work will continue to evolve.

This also means being open about where we can do better. We welcome constructive challenge and feedback and take responsibility for adapting when something needs to change.

Our principles give us direction. Learning shapes how we get there.

The future we are working towards

Across Europe, farmers are already showing what is possible when agriculture works with nature.

Our role is to discover them, bring them together and create stronger conditions around them - increasing visibility, strengthening connections and contributing to the long-term viability of their farms and businesses.

We believe that when pioneering farmers thrive, their knowledge, experiences and ideas can travel further. They can inspire other farmers, influence how people think about agriculture, and contribute to a wider shift in how we farm and care for the land.

Our vision is a future where regenerative farming is the norm.

And we believe the people already pioneering that future are one of the most powerful places to start.