The Rare & Pasture Regenerative Farming Standard
British By Nature
At Rare & Pasture, every product begins with the same belief: exceptional meat starts with exceptional farming.
As producers, curers and retailers working directly with British farmers, we've spent years building relationships with farms committed to producing outstanding meat while continually improving the health of their soils, livestock and surrounding environment.
That experience has shaped our own understanding of regenerative farming.
We believe regenerative farming deserves a framework that is practical, measurable and grounded in real farming experience, not simply aspiration.
Rather than adopting someone else's definition, Rare & Pasture and The Ethical Butcher have developed The Standard for Regeneratively Farmed Meat, an open-source framework that reflects our own interpretation of what regenerative farming should look like in practice.
It provides farmers with a practical route for continuous improvement while giving retailers and consumers greater confidence in the standards behind the food they buy.
The Principles Behind The Standard
Our Standard is founded on eight practical principles that reflect the way we believe regenerative farming should be delivered, measured and continually improved.
Together, they provide a consistent framework for assessing progress while recognising that every farm starts from a different place and every regenerative journey is unique.
1. Build healthy soils
Healthy soil underpins productive, resilient farms.
2. Reduce Soil Disturbance
Protecting soil biology helps create stronger ecosystems.
3. reduce artificial inputs
Using fewer synthetic fertilisers and pesticides benefits both the farm and the wider environment.
4. Keep soil covered
Living roots and plant cover help protect and improve soil health.
5. Increase biodiversity
Nature thrives when farms support a wider range of plants, insects, birds and wildlife.
6. Integrate livestock
Well-managed grazing animals help build healthier soils and more resilient farming systems.
7. Prioritise Animal Welfare
Animals should be raised in systems that allow them to express natural behaviours and thrive.
8. Support rural communities
Farming should contribute positively to the people, skills and communities that sustain British agriculture.
A Practical Route To Better Farming
One of the defining features of our Standard is that it recognises regenerative farming as a process rather than a fixed destination.
We believe meaningful change happens over time through continual learning, evidence-based decision making and practical improvements on the ground.
Rather than creating a simple pass or fail certification, we've developed a five-tier framework that recognises progress, rewards continual improvement and supports farmers throughout every stage of their regenerative journey.
Tier 1 – Regenerative Entrant
Tier 2 – Regenerative Foundation
Tier 3 – Regenerative Attainment
Tier 4 – Regenerative Champion
Tier 5 – Regenerative Beacon
As farms develop, they move through each tier by demonstrating measurable progress against the principles set out within our Standard, helping create a more resilient future for British livestock farming.
Why it matters
Regenerative farming is gaining momentum, but there remains no single, universally accepted definition of what it should look like in practice.
The Rare & Pasture Regenerative Farming Standard represents our own interpretation, shaped through years of working alongside British livestock farmers, producing exceptional meat and continually challenging ourselves to raise standards across the supply chain.
Rather than presenting regeneration as a simple certification, we've developed a practical framework that encourages continual improvement, rewards measurable progress and helps build greater trust between farmers, retailers and consumers.
Our ambition is simple. To create a transparent Standard that supports better farming, healthier landscapes, higher standards of animal welfare and exceptional British meat.
For us, regenerative farming is not a destination. It is a commitment to continual improvement, underpinned by evidence, accountability and a shared determination to leave the land in a better condition than we found it.
Download The Full Standard
Complete this form to receive your copy of The Standard for Regeneratively Farmed Meat.
Inside you'll find the complete framework developed by Rare & Pasture and The Ethical Butcher, including the guiding principles, tiered assessment process and practical actions that support continuous improvement across regenerative livestock farming.
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