For years, sustainability in the food industry was largely framed around reducing harm: using less water, lowering emissions, cutting waste and improving efficiency. Gil Horsky believes the conversation is now moving into a more strategic phase.
Gil Horsky, co-founder of FLORA Ventures and an experienced executive in global food companies including Mondelez and PepsiCo, argues that regenerative agriculture should not be viewed only through an environmental lens. It is increasingly relevant to procurement, supply-chain resilience and long-term business risk.
Every food company ultimately depends on agricultural raw materials. Coffee, cocoa, wheat, corn and many other ingredients are exposed to drought, extreme temperatures, water scarcity and changing growing conditions. When those conditions become less predictable, the reliability and cost of supply become less predictable as well.
Gil Horsky on the Future of the Food Industry
According to Gil Horsky, this changes the questions food companies need to ask.
It is no longer enough to know the current price of a commodity. Companies also need to understand whether the region producing that commodity will remain capable of supplying it years from now. How resilient is the soil to drought? How much water does the crop require? What happens to yields when temperatures rise?
Large food companies are already investing in programs that support regenerative, conservation or protective farming practices. For Gil Horsky, these investments reflect more than a branding opportunity. They reflect a growing understanding that resilient agricultural systems can become part of resilient food supply chains.
Gil Horsky and Regenerative Agriculture: Measurement Matters
At the same time, Gil Horsky warns against allowing the word “regenerative” to become another vague marketing claim.
Unlike “organic,” regenerative agriculture does not currently have one uniform federal definition in the United States. Different frameworks emphasize different practices and outcomes. That flexibility can be useful because farming conditions vary between regions, crops and soil types. But it also creates a risk that consumers may not know what the term actually represents.
Gil Horsky therefore focuses on outcomes rather than simple checklists.
The key question is not only whether a farmer adopted a particular practice. It is whether the agricultural system became healthier and more resilient over time. Did the soil retain more water? Did the farm reduce dependence on certain inputs? Are yields becoming more stable?
Technology can help answer these questions. Sensors, satellite imagery, farm-management platforms and precision irrigation can turn broad sustainability claims into measurable data.
Gil Horsky on Farmer Economics and Long-Term Change
There is another critical element: the economics must work for farmers.
Changing farming practices can require upfront investment in seeds, equipment, labor or professional guidance, while the benefits may take several seasons to appear. Gil Horsky argues that large-scale change cannot succeed if everyone in the value chain benefits except the farmer carrying the transition risk.
The broader message from Gil Horsky is clear. Regenerative agriculture can become a meaningful part of how the global food industry manages risk, but only if it is supported by measurable outcomes, economic logic and transparency.
The companies that succeed may not be the ones that use the word “regenerative” first. They may be the ones that can prove what stands behind it.