From regenerative agriculture to 45Z: Key takeaways from the ISCC Technical Stakeholder Conference – Agri-Food and Feed
On 1 October 2026, the second ISCC Technical Stakeholder Conference – Agri-Food and Feed provided a platform to explore current and emerging topics shaping certification in agricultural, food and feed supply chains. Discussions ranged from the latest developments at ISCC and regenerative agriculture to evolving EU requirements for environmental claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) framework for regenerative biofuel feedstocks, and the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. Throughout the event, Q&A sessions gave participants the opportunity to engage directly with speakers, while a forward-looking panel brought together perspectives on upcoming sustainability attributes and future market expectations.
Welcome address and milestones for the development of ISCC in Agri-Food and Feed
The conference opened with a welcome from Dessislava Barzachka, Co-Chair and Sustainability Execution Manager Europe and Asia at Bunge. Anneke Voß, Senior System Manager at ISCC then provided an overview of the latest developments within ISCC and their relevance to agricultural supply chains, showing how the recent developments directly affect the agri-food and feed sector on a global scale. Across our certification schemes, we have now reached more than 16,000 valid certificates in 136 countries, reflecting the growing reach of certification across markets and sectors. At farm level, 161,418 farmers worldwide apply ISCC sustainability requirements, collectively producing more than 50 million tonnes of certified agricultural raw materials each year. Rapeseed, corn/maize, sunflower, wheat and soybean are currently the five leading certified agricultural raw materials by number of certificates.
ISCC Regenerative Agriculture add-on
A key focus of the presentation was the ISCC Regenerative Agriculture add-on, launched earlier in 2026. The add-on supports the implementation and verification of regenerative practices at farm level impacting soil health, water health, biodiversity, and climate. Its benefits include enhancing supply-chain resilience, verifying sustainability goals, and enabling credible communication of regenerative agriculture activities.
Implementation of the ISCC Regenerative Agriculture add-on is progressing. Another key milestone was the successful completion of the first pilot certification covering sunflower production within Bunge’s supply chain. Building on these experiences, additional audits are currently being planned across different regions and crops, including soybean production in the United States, activities in US associated with BASF, and cereal production in Italy. During the presentation, Anneke highlighted that the ISCC Regenerative Agriculture add-on was developed in response to growing market demand for verified regenerative agricultural practices. In addition, it can provide System Users with a pathway towards emerging frameworks such as the USDA Regenerative Biofuel Feedstock Rule, 45Z, and the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF), helping companies navigate both market expectations and regulatory requirements.
Environmental Claims and Sustainability Labels in the EU
The focus later shifted from certification developments to the regulatory environment for environmental communication. Jana Hoskova, Deputy Head of Unit at DG JUST, European Commission, and Jeroen Van Laer, Policy Officer Sustainable Consumption at DG JUST, European Commission, addressed environmental claims and sustainability labels under the Empowering Consumers Directive. Their presentation highlighted the challenges consumers face in navigating a complex landscape of environmental information. According to figures presented during the session, 61% of respondents find it difficult to understand which products are genuinely environmentally friendly, while 44% do not trust environmental claims. Approximately half of sustainability claims may potentially be false, deceptive or vague.
The proliferation of sustainability labels adds another layer of complexity. The speakers pointed to around 200 ecolabels in the EU, alongside approximately 900 labelling schemes identified in the food sector and around 100 green energy labels. These schemes can differ considerably in robustness, supervision, and transparency, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish independently verified sustainability labels from self-declared environmental claims. Against this background, the presentation examined measures addressing greenwashing under amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Among the practices addressed are generic environmental claims such as “environmentally friendly”, “eco-friendly” or “green” where these cannot be supported by recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim. The session underlined the growing importance of robust evidence, transparent requirements and credible verification when businesses communicate environmental attributes to consumers.
The Empowering Consumers Directive
An independent legal assessment concludes that ISCC certification, sustainability labels and environmental claims meet the requirements of the EmpCo Directive.
Regenerative Feedstocks and the USDA Framework
Kate Zook, Director of the Office of Energy and Environmental Policy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Maya Patel, Natural Resources Specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, followed with an introduction to the USDA Regenerative Biofuel Feedstock Rule. The conversation connected regenerative agricultural practices with the carbon intensity of biofuel feedstocks and their role under the US 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. Under 45Z, eligible US producers of liquid transportation fuels can receive tax credits for fuels meeting specified carbon-intensity thresholds. The session highlighted why agricultural feedstocks are particularly important in this context: their carbon intensity can account for roughly 50% of the total fuel carbon intensity. The final USDA rule covers corn, soy, sorghum and spring canola. It recognises agricultural practices like no-till and reduced-till farming, cover crops, nitrification inhibitors, variable nitrogen and yield practices, grazed cover crops and manure application. An important component is documentation. USDA’s Technical Guidelines establish standards for a Biofuel Feedstock Report, prepared by farmers to document information on regenerative practices and carbon intensity. When lower-carbon-intensity crops are sold, the report must accompany the feedstock to the point of first sale, which could be an elevator, processor or biorefinery. The report includes information such as the farm and producer details, farm location, relevant USDA Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC) inputs and outputs, as well as a farm producer attestation.
Turning from the regulatory framework to its practical application, Jennifer Aurandt-Pilgrim of Marquis Management Inc shared Marquis’ experience with the USDA feedstock rule and 45Z. After four years of working with farmers on farm-level data and verification, Marquis completed its first audit under the USDA Interim Feedstock Rule just one day before the conference and making its first 45Z-related payment to a participating farmer. Her example demonstrated how robust data and verification can help turn regulatory frameworks into tangible opportunities for farmers.
Looking Ahead: Emerging Sustainability Attributes and Market Expectations
The conference concluded its technical discussions with a panel on emerging sustainability attributes and future market expectations, featuring Scott Gerlt, Chief Economist at the American Soybean Association, and Sergio De Pisapia, Purchasing Associate Farming Sustainable Manager at Barilla. The panel brought the conference’s different strands together, looking beyond individual regulatory frameworks to consider how sustainability expectations are developing across agricultural markets. The discussion reinforced a central theme: Agricultural sustainability is increasingly shaped by the interaction between farm-level practices, credible data, certification, environmental communication, and market expectations. As requirements continue to evolve across regions, reliable verification and approaches capable of connecting sustainability performance throughout the supply chain will become increasingly important.
There is much more to learn!
Wrapping up the conference, Anneke looked ahead to several upcoming ISCC trainings, webinars and stakeholder events. These include the Regenerative Agriculture Add-on Webinar on 19 October, the Technical Stakeholder Conference on Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming on 2 November, and the Regenerative Agriculture Add-on Training on 19 November.
We would like to thank everyone for their active participation and valuable contributions. Take a look at the conference presentations below to revisit the insights and topics discussed.
