This article is part of our first-ever EPIC Impact Journal. For more on this groundbreaking publication and how to get your hands on one, click here. 

With every passing day, consumers are becoming more cognizant of the impact of their purchases and the companies they’re supporting. This movement has given rise to a variety of packaging labels (think Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Certified, etc.) meant to communicate how their suppliers and companies went above and beyond to create better, more responsible products. And while each of these seals stand for significant causes, their programs are all practice-based, not outcome-based. The truth is, there’s never been a verification label that empowers people to make informed food and clothing purchases while healing the environment — until now. Introducing the Land-To-Market (L2M) label: the future of food and fiber consumption.

For nearly a decade, The Savory Institute has been spreading the word about holistic management to ranchers and farmers around the world. They’ve been wildly successful in their mission, compiling a global arsenal of meat, wool, and dairy producers dedicated to regenerative agriculture and responsible land stewardship. Thanks to their labors, the opportunities for true change in worldwide agriculture have never been greater. But there’s always been a missing link that’s hindered these suppliers — who are revolutionizing food production to make it more environmentally conscious — from properly sharing their stories: no direct messaging to consumers. Savory recognized this and deployed their network to forge a full-fledged connection with consumers. The end result is the L2M label, which will appear directly on the product packaging of items that have been produced through regenerative agriculture. This will enable consumers to easily identify food and fashion goods created through practices that enhance water, soil, and climate health.

The significance of this program’s establishment cannot be overstated. By designing an easy, simple way to indicate which products derive from regenerative agriculture, The Savory Institute is giving people the power to vote with their dollars to support producers who are actively working to combat humanity’s greatest ecological challenges. Along with Savory, the organizations behind L2M include Ovis 21, Michigan State University, EPIC Provisions, The Nature Conservancy, Texas A&M University, and Maple Hill Creamery. Collectively, this braintrust spans across thousands of miles, multiple industries, and years of experience. Their differences may be vast, but their belief in this movement is unmatched.

The Land to Market label will funnel consumer dollars directly to operations that are making an impact.          

The L2M label isn’t based in hopes or wishes, though — it’s entrenched in digestible data and real science. Thanks to every participating organization’s dedication to tracking soil health, water retention, carbon content, and other vital metrics, Savory plans to provide impact reports and measure ecological improvements connected to the products purchased by consumers. Imagine: people will be able to certifiably know how their purchases are improving the planet’s health. This makes for good marketing since consumers and producers are far more likely to commit themselves when they’re able to see the fruits of their labor (or dollars).

But little of this matters if nobody can afford to make or buy these products. All too often, cause-based goods are more expensive than their competitors, making them less appealing and accessible for the average customer. The same issues affect producers, too, since many market certifications are expensive and cumbersome to receive. That’s why L2M’s braintrust has worked hard to ensure this process is lean, cost-efficient, and economical across every industry it touches. Unlike many other packaging labels, consumers will associate L2M with its mission, not higher costs.

This is truly the beginning of something special. By giving transparency and access to information back to consumers, people will have the ability to make informed decisions about their world. L2M couldn’t have come sooner, either: with sensitive ecosystems suffering worldwide and communities more susceptible to droughts, floods, and famine, the time to act is now. As daunting as these challenges sound, we have the power to create real change in our world and regenerate our planet’s soil and carbon-sequestering grasslands. The key is making it easier for people to support the cause.

L2M will make every trip to the grocery store an opportunity to heal our land and environment. This is about more than just market trends, quarterly sales, or a seasonal harvest: it’s about creating a better future for our children and grandchildren through our daily purchases. When it’s all said and done, the companies making responsible and forward-thinking choices won’t be the exception — they’ll be the rule.

For more information on the Land-To-Market program, visit www.savory.global/landtomarket