These parties are creating a breakthrough in regenerative agriculture together

The story begins at accounting and (tax) advisory firm PwC, where the desire emerged to make regenerative food and drinks available to employees, which is no small feat. Rob Klinkert, portfolio manager at PwC, explains: "Healthy, varied and plant-based eating is embedded in our policy. I believe that, if you do something, you should do it right the first time. So we don't just opt for organic, we also aim to strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. The fact that this is now incorporated in our policy is partly thanks to Future Up. They brought together parties from all across the supply chain for a visit to a regenerative farm. That is where I felt deep down: this truly ticks all the boxes."

Putting ambition on paper is one thing. Translating that ambition into catering practice is quite another. That is why Rob got in touch with facility management partner ISS, where Christel Simmelink is sustainability manager: "When Rob called me, I had to pause for a moment. What is regenerative? And why do we want it? Visiting regenerative farm Schevichoven, just like Rob, really opened my eyes. From that moment on, I was sold.”

Sharing the risk together

To fully embed regenerative sourcing into policy, collaboration with other parties was essential. "In the initial conversations with Bidfood and Van Gelder, not everyone was enthusiastic. But other caterers like Vitam were also supporters of the initiative, which gave the call more weight. That ultimately helped move the conversation forward." In the end, this also led Bidfood and Van Gelder to engage with their own farmers as well as new ones. "They were immediately on board," says Christel.

In this partnership, speaking the same language and developing a clear understanding of what "regenerative" really means proved essential. "PwC set a clear direction, ISS translated that into a concrete question, and we at Bidfood assessed whether it was feasible," says Wim van der Aar, fresh produce buyer at Bidfood. "Once we noticed that more parties were interested in regenerative, the next step was to make it workable in the kitchen. Chefs need to be able to work with it." Together, they discovered that it could be done, provided clear agreements were in place. "Boeren Natuurlijk", a collective platform of natural farmers, laid the foundation for this.

Learning from each other across the chain

The joint search brought new insights along the way. For ISS, these insights led to a broader view of sustainability, shifting from mainly CO₂ reduction to also including biodiversity and circularity. For Bidfood and Van Gelder, it meant that earlier scepticism gave way to a concrete approach. Wim explains: "At first, I was afraid that regenerative might turn out to be just another hype, much like organic was at the time. That never really took off, because of the wide range of certification schemes and labels. The difference now is that "Boeren Natuurlijk" offers certainty and transparency, without being a formal certification. That allows us to start small with fifteen products, while building towards more."

For PwC, understanding the impact of regenerative agriculture was a learning process. Rob: "Awareness comes from seeing and experiencing. Go and visit a farmer. Hardly anyone has. That’s when you truly understand the impact of today’s farming system." That is why Bidfood and Van Gelder are organising tours at Cornelis, allowing chefs, caterers and clients to see firsthand where the products come from.

The farmer himself has also been on a journey. Cornelis Mosselman had been searching for stable demand for years. "At first, I focused on short supply chain, selling directly to consumers. That's valuable, but not scalable. Now, through chefs and wholesalers, I can reach the whole country. After all these years of uncertainty, I can finally show that it works." For him, this collaboration marks a breakthrough. He can focus on growing crops, while partners in the chain takes care of logistics, pre-processing and distribution. "The biggest challenge will be the start. How do we arrange washing and storage? But one thing I do know: I don't have to do it alone anymore."

A shared language is key

What makes this trajectory unique is that the parties did not simply follow one another, but complemented each other. PwC raised the question, ISS translated it into a concrete demand, Bidfood from Van Gelder made it operational, and Cornelis supplied the products. Future Up connected all parties around a shared goal: bringing regenerative food to scale. Throughout the process, there was a continuing search for a common language. Christel says: "I am proud that together we can change the chain and show that it works. Step by step, with attention to smaller locations and a fair price for the farmer."

That shared language proved to be key. PwC, ISS and Bidfood/Van Gelder recognise Boeren Natuurlijk by Future Up as the leading initiative for regenerative agriculture. It provides direction and alignment: no fragmentation, but shared agreements that everyone can get behind. This helps safeguard the integrity of nature-based farming while creating the opportunity to scale up.

Towards systemic change

The result of this collaboration is more than just a set of products in the PwC company restaurant. Now that regenerative vegetables and arable products are part of the Bidfood and Van Gelder assortment, other organisations with the similar ambitions can follow. What started as a single demand is grows into a systemic change. Rob: "I would say: don't just talk, take action. Work together. And join existing initiatives like Boeren Natuurlijk."

Scaling up

Bidfood is already looking ahead. Wim: "If, in two years, three percent of our turnover is regenerative turnover, I'd consider that a strong result. I hope more farmers will join." PwC's ambition is higher. Rob: "Why stop at five percent of your purchasing in potatoes, vegetables and meat? That's too low. If buyers commit to volume together, it will result in real traction."

Cornelis remains grounded, but proud nonetheless. "It feels like pioneering, but also like a dream coming true. After all these years, we can finally show that it works."

Together, PwC, ISS, Bidfood, Van Gelder and Cornelis show how ambitions can be turned into reality. Not by a single party, but across the entire chain. That is the strength of "Boeren Natuurlijk": building a system in which regenerative agriculture can grow, with all parties involved from start to finish.

"Without Future Up, this would never have been possible. As an independent party between supply and demand, it connects interests and allows parties to bear risks together from such a bold step," concludes Cornelis Mosselman.

Boeren Natuurlijk

Visit boerennatuurlijk.nl to learn more about Cornelis Mosselman and the other nature-based farmers in Future Up's network. Please contact us if you're interested in buying food that supports both nature and the farmer.

More about Cornelis Mosselman

Van Gelder Netherlands made a video about "Boeren Natuurlijk" farmer Cornelis Mosselman. Watch his story below.