The regenerative Fund for Nature, initiated by Kering and Inditex in cooperation with Conservation International, has already integrated over 1.1 million hectares of agricultural areas into projects for regenerative agriculture in eight countries. An expansion to five other countries is planned. This progress marks a significant geographical and operational expansion. As the WWD specialist medium reports, the initiative now includes a new participation model that should make it easier to get started and promote the spread of renewable cultivation methods.
The fund was founded internationally by Kering together with the nature conservation organization Conservation in 2021. Inditex was added as a strategic partner in 2023. Conservation International is responsible for the technical and scientific implementation of the projects. Kering and Inditex take over the financing, monitoring and the direct integration of the results into their respective supply chains. Some brands of the Kering Group are already using regenerative raw materials from these initiatives.
The selection of the projects is based on their regeneration potential, the positive effects on the local communities and their long -term feasibility. Regions that are decisive for the procurement of important raw materials such as cotton, wool, leather and cashmere are prioritized. The agricultural communities involved receive training, technical support and price surcharges for the certification of their products. In India, for example, women who grow cotton were certified as organic producers and receive ten percent more for their harvest.
Another example can be found in Argentina: shepherds have introduced non-fatal techniques to protect their herds, which enabled the return of endangered species such as guanako and Andean cat. You will receive a surcharge of fifteen percent for your harvest.
For those who are less familiar with the concept: regenerative agriculture goes beyond traditional sustainability. The aim is to restore soil health, to promote biodiversity, to optimize water use and to bind carbon. At the same time, the living conditions of the producer should be improved. In practice, this means locally adapted methods such as crop rotation and diversification, reduced chemical use and a pasture industry oriented towards natural cycles.
“The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of fashion, give something back to nature and at the same time improve the living conditions of those who produce their raw materials,” summarizes the fund in the statements collected by WWD.
In its new phase, the regenerative Fund for Nature introduced a staggered investment system to make it easier for new brands to get started. At the highest level, that of the founding partner, an investment of $ 30 million (2.77 million euros) is required over three years. This guarantees priority access to the projects and the resulting raw materials. The main level provides for an annual contribution of $ 200,000 (184,000 euros) over three years. This option is aimed at companies that want to achieve a noticeable effect without having to do a high initial investment. Finally, the level of the associated contribution offers a flexible, case -by -case opportunity to support specific initiatives or certain regions without long -term obligation.
All levels of participation offer access to the metrics of action, transparency and the possibility of integrating the results of the fund into the ESG strategies (environment, social affairs and governance). In addition, the fund has developed a new measurement frame that matches the standards of the Science Based Targets Network. A tool enables the precise assignment of the direct and indirect effects of each contribution.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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