VISION
A global ecosystem of healthy, thriving communities in which regenerative land management cools the planet, feeds the world, and promotes public health, prosperity, and peace.
Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash
Mission
Regeneration Canada is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting soil regeneration in order to mitigate climate change, restore biodiversity, improve water cycles, and support a healthy food system.
We strive towards this goal by creating spaces for farmers, landowners, scientists, agronomists, businesses, community organizations, governments, and citizens to learn, connect and take action to regenerate soils.
Strategy
Raising Awareness
Network Building
Education
Supply Chain Transition
Activities
Membership
Local events
Workshops
Symposium
Communication
Public speaking
Activities Report
We are building an interdisciplinary network of soil and climate passionates.
Through our membership platform we create the place to share knowledge and resources, have conversations and make connections with others in the regenerative movement.
For more information on becoming a member, please see here.
We organize local events such as film screenings, festivals and workshops to raise awareness about regenerative land management and to connect local communities.
If you would like to partner with Regeneration Canada to organize an event in your region, get in touch with us!
We offer workshops for elementary school, high school, and university students, as well as for farmers and business representatives, on soil science and regenerative land management principles.
If you would like us to give a workshop in your organization, academic institution or farm, please contact Antonious Petro.
The Living Soils Symposium gathers hundreds of participants from across Canada and the world. Participants are invited to live a creative and meaningful experience over several days.
We host leaders and pioneers of the regenerative movement to discuss the promising solutions that soil provides for climate change and food sovereignty.
We discuss the science, the methodology, the policy, the business and the art of regeneration.
This event is the cauldron in which the shared knowledge of the movement pioneers shapes the emerging landscape of the Canadian regenerative movement.
Throughout our website and website blog, social media, newsletter, web series, member platform and in collaboration with our partners, we raise awareness about regenerative land management and connect with the various stakeholders of the movement.
We welcome collaborations with other regenerative initiatives to spread the word together.
Please contact us if you have an idea or a service to communicate.
We give presentations on soil regeneration, regenerative land management and building a movement for soil regeneration at various types of events.
Please contact us if you would like one of our team members to speak at your event.
Our Story
Regeneration Canada started as a grassroots initiative. A handful of Montrealers with a mutual passion for living soils met up in the fall of 2016 and were inspired to organize an event on this topic in their hometown. While the regenerative movement was already thriving in the United States, it seemed crucial to start spreading the word in Canada. Montreal seemed like the perfect place for such an initiative, at the junction between the U.S., Canada and francophone countries. The Living Soils Symposium Montreal was born.
In light of the incredible level of interest and engagement around the Symposium, Gabrielle Bastien founded Regeneration Canada in May 2017 to pioneer the regenerative movement in Canada beyond the event.
Photo by Nadia Hunt
Equity Statement
We are committed to leading a regenerative transition of land management and of our food systems that confronts systemic barriers to inclusion, full participation and access to resources for historically and currently excluded communities, such as women, BIPOC, newcomers and immigrants, people with disabilities, and/or 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. We fundamentally recognize that regenerative practices and approaches are based on Indigenous Peoples’ traditional stewardship, Black farming models and innovation, as well as practices of campesinx and peasant farmer communities.
We are committed to continuously doing the work needed to break down and not replicate these systemic barriers and foster meaningful relationships and change. Much like regenerative agriculture, this work asks of us to adopt a mindset towards remediating foundations, openness to constant change and learning, and a holistic approach. This statement is meant to be a living one which will change over time: Through relationships, new understandings, and changing contexts, the nature of our equity work is also meant to deepen and grow.
At this time, equity at Regeneration Canada means not only making sure to incorporate the expertise, priorities and values of excluded groups in our educational programming but also in our decision-making entities, such as our team, Board of Directors and consultative committees. As well, we integrate and regularly update equity practices that guide our hiring and human resources policies. In our communications to our members and sharing of relevant social media, events, and research, we ensure to highlight and promote a diversity of sources and interests centering a multi-stakeholder approach. Last but certainly not least, we recognize
Glossary:
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Historically and currently excluded groups
Historically and currently excluded groups:
This refers to groups that have historically and ongoingly been excluded through discrimination and systemic barriers from access to resources and participation.
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Systemic barriers
Systemic barriers:
Systemic barriers refer to beliefs, attitudes, policies, practices and/or social systems (ex. racism, sexism, colonialism) that lead to unequal access to resources, such as land, and participation, such as in the agricultural sector.
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BIPOC
BIPOC:
Acronym used in North American contexts to refer to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour.
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2SLGBTQ+
2SLGBTQ+:
Acronym used to refer to Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and other sexual and gender minorities.
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People living with disabilities
People living with disabilities:
Referring to all persons with disabilities, including short and long-term physical, mental, intellectual and/or sensory disabilities, who face barriers to participation in society and discrimination due to ableism.
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Newcomers
Newcomers:
Refers to immigrants, refugees, and seasonal workers.
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Campesinx
Campesinx:
peasant farmers and laborers of Latin America, usually in rural areas.
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Regenerative transition
Regenerative transition:
Regenerative transition is the systemic shift towards regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach that enhances soil ecosystems, improves soil, water, and air quality, and includes socio-economic considerations such as fairness, transparency, economic sustainability, agronomic and economic resilience and the health and wellbeing of the entire ecosystem (FAO and ITPS, 2021)
FAO and ITPS. 2021. Recarbonizing global soils: A technical manual of recommended management practices. Volume 3: Cropland,Grassland,Integrated systems and farming approaches– Practices overview.Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb6595en
Photo by Nathan Jones
Team
Meet the core team of people who contribute to the strategy and management behind Regeneration Canada.
Antonious Petro
Executive Director
Antonious Petro is director at Regeneration Canada and a Master’s candidate in soil sciences at UQAT. He has an Undergraduate Degree in biology and a Graduate Diploma in community economic development. Antonious is interested in soil carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and in the ecological services of urban soils. He specializes in simplifying and making scientific concepts more accessible, and focuses on ecology, agri-food ecology, sustainability project management, and citizen mobilization around climate change.
Sara Maranda-Gauvin
Director of Operations & Development
sara.mg@regenerationcanada.orgSara has always been curious, creative and driven by the search for meaning. It is this awareness of transformative possibilities that led her to study international development and cultural studies at McGill. Sara completed internships in social economy and urban agriculture in Peru, and then worked in community housing and early childhood education. Sara’s interest in the food system and its environmental and social impacts blossomed after attending Concordia University’s City Farm School, which allowed her to combine her interest in pedagogy and vegetable gardening. This experience led her to co-found the organization On sème, which develops local seasonal markets and an urban ecological gardening program.
From the first Living Soils Symposium, Sara was inspired by Regeneration Canada’s interdisciplinary and multistakeholder approach to regenerative agriculture as a means to climate change mitigation and sustainability.
Outside of the professional sphere, Sara likes to garden while their dog protects the tomatoes from squirrels and groundhogs; and when not gardening, she likes to escape into the Boreal forest wonderland to connect with nature and contemplate its beauty.
Rosina Rodighiero
Digital Communications Manager
communications@regenerationcanada.orgRosina’s passion for climate action and growing food ecologically led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at KPU, where her research thesis focused on local, renewable alternatives to peat as a seed starting medium. After working on organic farms for many years, she started a regenerative no-till farm in the Similkameen Valley in BC with her partner.
In addition to farming, she has worked as a seed librarian, helping to share knowledge about seed saving. She also holds certificates in Digital Marketing and Permaculture Design, which she leverages to amplify the message of regenerative agriculture and drive progress towards a more just and regenerative food system.
Lys Affre
Knowledge Transfer Coordinator
A graduate of a French agronomy school, Lys moved to Quebec where she met her husband. Together, they set about rehabilitating fallow farmland, with the ambition of recreating a sustainable and resilient agroecosystem. They embarked on market garden production along with cattle and poultry rearing, implementing soil regeneration techniques and preserving biodiversity.
Before joining Régénération Canada, Lys worked at Laval University as a research professional in sustainable food systems. Passionate about agriculture and the challenges that come with it, she is currently working on the Dedicated Dairy Farms project, where she uses her skills to support farms in their transition to more regenerative practices.
Anne-Sophie Pelletier
Mobilization and Logistics Coordinator
Anne-Sophie grew up in Montreal and wasn’t destined for a career in agriculture. She studied business management at the University of Ottawa before starting her own business as a business systems and productivity consultant. She always had a love for nature and the environment, and dreamed of living in the country with her garden and her chickens.
This dream became a reality a few years ago, and having no farming experience, she had to learn it all. She quickly found regenerative agriculture and was astounded that few farmers around her used these techniques. This was the push she needed to change careers, close her business, and go back to school to pursue something she was truly passionate about. She loves to talk about no-till vegetable production, sustainable livestock management, and food systems. When she isn’t working or studying, she can be found in her garden, reading with her cats, baking, or crocheting.
Anne-Marie Christen
Program Manager
Anne-Marie is a generalist with extensive experience in dairy, beef and animal health. She is also well acquainted with the key players in the sector, thanks to her past involvement and collaborations.
Over the years, she has developed a range of cross-disciplinary skills, such as planning, coordination, organization, writing and communication, for which she is well-known today. She particularly enjoys coordinating activities that combine knowledge, skills, and expertise to develop tools and services to meet producers’ needs.
She is personally motivated by the cause of climate change, the effects of which we are all suffering, but as an individual, she’s just a drop of cool water in a warming ocean. She is delighted to contribute on a larger scale by helping communities adopt better farming practices to thrive as green businesses.
Shelley Seed
Strategy & Development Director
Shelley is a dedicated sustainability professional with over 20 years of experience forging partnerships across sectors to drive social, environmental, and economic impact, often for those furthest behind. Over the past eight years, she has deepened her expertise in the agri-food sector, working internationally and nationally to establish climate-smart and regenerative agriculture programs.
Shelley’s early career saw her work in the public and nonprofit sectors before transitioning to sustainability consulting, where she developed strategies and engagement programs for a wide range of businesses. She later joined the UN World Food Programme, building partnerships to support rural producers transitioning to regenerative systems.
Shelley then moved to Canada, where she worked with Indigenous communities on community development plans and advised midstream oil companies on sustainability and ESG strategies. Missing the agri-food sector, she returned to agriculture, leading PepsiCo’s global regenerative agriculture initiatives and, more recently, managing a social innovation lab in Alberta to accelerate the widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture.
Lately, she has been working with the most prominent players in the agri-food sector to develop and implement supply chain transitional programming, including insetting endeavours.
Collaborators
Olivier Cassab
IT Solutions
Olivier is a full-stack developer with more than 15 years of experience, an entrepreneur and web 3.0 strategist who is passionate about green techs and agricultural solutions.
By creating tailor-made web platforms, he helps in responding efficiently to some of the challenges of our era with innovative digital solutions which have a tangible impact powered by the latest technologies and an artistic eye. Complex big data analytics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms are at the core of his current work.
Since the first Living Soils Symposium in 2017, Olivier is responsible for all web programming and internet infrastructure for Regeneration Canada.
Meagan Patch
Grant writing
Meagan is a regenerative grazier who produces and direct-markets grass-fed beef, pastured pork, chicken and eggs on land that her family has called home for generations, in Brome QC. She studied education and has been teaching since 2008 and has been growing the farm business since 2013.
In 2017, Meagan teamed up with 8 other ecological farmers in the Brome-Missisquoi area to found la Cooperative le Terroir Solidaire, an organization that aims to help small-scale farmers and food transformers reach a common market and coordinate their activities together under a banner of ecology and transparency. The coop currently sells its members’ products via an online platform and has now reached a membership of nearly 30 entrepreneurs.
Meagan believes in life-long learning and hones her skills and abilities through self-directed learning, courses and exchanges with peers and mentors. She now leads the first peer-directed grazing group in her area, where participating farmers host regular meetings throughout the growing season to discuss and exchange with each other.
Because nobody understands farming as farmers do, Meagan advocates for farmer-driven solutions to environmental sustainability issues in agriculture.
Board of directors
Our board of directors is comprised of passionate soil enthusiasts from various sectors who bring a diversity of perspectives to the organization.
Ananda Fitzsimmons
President Co-Founder, Inocucor
Ananda Lynn Fitzsimmons is an out-of-the-box thinker, visionary and environmentalist, with a passion for soil and growing food. She has had lifelong interest in sustainable food production and land management as well as social change and personal empowerment. She spent many years experimenting with microbial potions based on naturally occurring microbes extracted from plants, composts and soil. In 2008, she teamed up with Dr. Margaret Bywater Ekegard and they founded Inocucor Technologies. The company, now called Concentric, commercializes products for agriculture based on consortia of naturally occurring beneficial microorganisms. She now works as a consultant promoting soil health and regenerative land management practices.
Brianne Miller
AdministratorFounder of Nada
Brianne is a marine biologist turned social entrepreneur with a passion for driving positive change through inspiring collective climate action. Having seen firsthand the impacts of our current food system on the oceans, Brianne is committed to revolutionizing the food system across the supply chain so that future generations can continue to enjoy and benefit from the world’s oceans. Brianne is the founder of Nada, a certified B-Corporation and carbon-negative package-free grocery store & delivery service on a mission to connect people to a more equitable, just, and regenerative food system. Brianne is a United Nations #notwasting food ambassador, a 2018 SheEO Venture, UBC Land & Food Systems mentor, and a former member of Vancouver Food Policy Council. Her food systems work has been featured widely in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes and Nada was most recently recognized as 1% for the Planet’s Business Changemaker of the Year.
James Craig
Administrator Farmer, Banker and Collaborator
James and his family practice regenerative agriculture through their farm working with 50 beef cow calf pairs, 80 acres of pasture, and 300 acres of cropland in Ontario. James is fascinated in the regenerative powers of cattle, humans and pasture. Outside of farming, James is the Director of Agricultural Credit at Kindred Credit Union which is the financing partner for over 2600 industry diverse farms and businesses. James is also the Co-initiator for the Perspectives Potluck which is a symposium style event that brings together decision makers with vastly different perspectives to find commonality and build a more resilient food system.
Amanda Klarer
Administrator Food Systems Specialist
Amanda is a resilient food systems specialist with 10+ years of experience in urban & rural global agri-food value chains. She has worked from seed to palate in value chains and all across different sectors including government, not-for-profit, academia and the private sector experience with the many sides of our food ecosystems. Amanda has lived with and learned from communities around the world. She has supported the development of resilience in livelihood strategies through years of research and work with thousands of smallholder farming families in Cameroon, India, Malaysia, Morocco, Malawi, France and Canada. She is currently pursuing a PhD focusing on the decolonization of food systems. She believes that food has the power to change our common future and she is driven to be part of helping it create a healthier tomorrow.
Tannis Axten
Treasurer Farmer, Axten Farms
Tannis grew up on a farm in Southern Saskatchewan. She attended the University of Regina and received her Bachelor of Education, majoring in Biology. After a short teaching career, Tannis married and moved to Minton to farm with her husband.
As third-generation farmers on Axten Farms, Tannis and her husband, Derek, soon realized that their most valuable resource is their soil. With regenerative farming methods such as increased crop diversity, cover crops, controlled traffic farming, and composting, the family farm works to improve the health of their soil. These innovative practices have revived their optimism for farming and made farming a lot more fun.
Tannis discovered that enhancing soil health was just the first step of her journey. Her family has built a seed cleaning plant and flour mill on their farm, enabling them to provide whole grains and flour to support people’s health. This also created job opportunities to help revitalize their community. Although each year on the farm brings new challenges, Tannis believes that fostering resilience in their soil, farm, family, and community will lead to a brighter future.
Tannis and Derek were honoured to be named Saskatchewan and Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers
in 2017, and to receive the L.B. Thompson Conservation Award in 2018.
Alice Irene Whittaker
Secretary Writer and Environmental Leader
Alice Irene Whittaker is a writer and environmental leader. She is the Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa, and the creator and host of Reseed, a podcast about repairing our relationship to nature. She has been published in national and international publications, and is currently working on a memoir about unraveling perfectionism from environmentalism and finding home. In 2021, she received a literary grant from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec and was longlisted for the CBC Nonfiction Prize. Alice Irene is the mother of three beautiful young children, and a keeper of cats, dogs, and chickens. She lives with her family in a cabin in the woods in Québec.
Buthaina Al-Maqtari
Administrator Research Coordinator at PCBFA
Over the last few years, Buthaina has been deeply involved in applied agricultural research in Alberta, with a particular focus on forage and soil health. Her collaborative efforts with local farmers in implementing Best Management Practices have allowed her to witness the tangible benefits of regenerative approaches firsthand. Having grown up in the Middle East, Buthaina possesses a profound understanding of the power of food sovereignty and the harmony that can be achieved by working with the land.
She deeply resonates with Regeneration Canada’s advocacy for regenerative farm practices and recognizes the pivotal role of connecting farmers, scientists, and consumers. Buthaina holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Statistics and continues to expand her knowledge by pursuing a soil science certificate with the University of Alberta. Beyond her professional pursuits, Buthaina indulges her passion for the outdoors through activities such as hunting, fishing, camping and wildlife photography.
Nadia Fentiman
Administrator Program Management Officer at the International Development Research Centre
Nadia has extensive experience in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, particularly within sustainable local food systems. With a rich background in sustainable community development and systems change, she currently works on the largest global fund dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries by supporting the management of its research, knowledge and innovation program.
She has a keen interest and curiosity in unpacking the world’s ‘wicked’ problems and is inspired by the way diverse perspectives can contribute to collective solution-making for more sustainable and resilient communities. A passionate advocate for the regenerative movement, she believes in its potential as a holistic approach to addressing today’s biggest and most complex challenges.
Philip A. Loring
Administrator PhD, CS-P,
Global Director of Human Dimensions, The Nature Conservancy
Adjunct Professor, University of Saskatchewan and University of Guelph
Dr. Philip Loring is an interdisciplinary scientist, storyteller, and educator with experience leading large-scale collaborative projects on food systems, climate change, and environmental conflict. At TNC’s Global Science team, he integrates social and cultural considerations into environmental solutions and elevates local voices in the development and implementation of solutions. For the last ten years, his research has centred around food systems in Canada and North America, focusing on sustainability, regeneration, and the co-existence of agriculture, wetlands, and grasslands in the Prairies.
Dr. Loring is an avid science communicator who authored the award-winning book Finding Our Niche, delivered the popular TEDx talk No More Heroes, and hosts The Second Transition podcast.
He has held board roles with several science and environmental organizations and holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
