Wide Open Agriculture outlines regenerative journey in new sustainability report

A maiden sustainability report released by Wide Open Agriculture (ASX: WOA) has highlighted its accomplishments over the past year and its commitment to regenerative practices.

Chief executive officer Jay Albany said the document tracks the company’s journey towards a better way of life.

“It is a testament to the remarkable strides we have made in our ongoing journey towards regenerative agriculture, which is a practice that potentially offers one of the greatest, untapped opportunities to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss,” he said.

“In this report, we map our journey of progress, showcasing a continuous commitment to transforming the global food and agriculture sector to be regenerative and climate-conscious… we are an organisation rooted in authenticity, dedication and a commitment to bettering lives and the health of our planet.”

Long-term positive impacts

Wide Open Agriculture integrates the principles of regenerative agriculture to produce sustainable food and beverages which create systemic and long-term positive impacts.

The company’s ‘4 Returns’ framework is at the heart of its mission and encapsulates the “return” of natural capital (such as biodiversity, soil and water quality); inspiration (whereby the community is inspired towards regenerative farming practices); social capital (generating employment and facilitating education); and financial capital (positive bottom line growth).

Notable achievements mentioned in the report include the award of a Climate Active carbon neutral certification for the organisation as a whole and for the oat milk produced by the company’s Dirty Clean Food brand; an 87% reduction in plastic packaging; the recycling and re-use of 16.5 tonnes of cardboard; and participation in a reforestation project which will plant 100,000 seedlings across five farms in its supply chain.

Critical component

Dirty Clean Food has been attributed as a critical component in the company’s journey.

“Through [this] brand, we have been able to influence over 260 square kilometres of land under regeneration, facilitate over 500,000 customer interactions and support more than 60 regenerative farmers and ethical food businesses during this past year,” Mr Albany said.

“Eco-friendly, or green businesses [such as Wide Open Agriculture], are emerging as highly attractive investment opportunities, presenting benefits which go beyond simple monetary gains.”

Mr Albany said Wide Open Agriculture had witnessed 15 quarters of sequential growth and more than a 100% year-on-year increase in sales during the 2022 financial year.