Alice Henry – Finally real money for cover crops with sustainable aviation fuel

Crops and sustainable aviation fuel—probably not something you think about every day. Alice Henry, co-founder of Regenrate took a deep dive into why cover crops, which provide amazing benefits to farmers and farmland, are not more widely used. No big surprise—it’s about the money. Planting cover crops costs money, and the business model of carbon credits isn’t enough to nudge farmers.

Enter the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) market, where there is both money and massive demand due to changing European and global regulations. That means working with big oil majors and helping fossil fuel giants decarbonize. But aviation, in particular, needs to decarbonize quickly. We’re not flying any less—probably more—and electric aircraft are coming, but not fast enough and in too limited a capacity.

Enter non-food and non-feed competing cover crops, grown on land that would otherwise be bare, keeping more living roots in the ground for much more of the year. Regenrate aims to turning cover cropping from a cost into a revenue-generating practice.

Food vs fuel vs feed

The conversation dove into the complex balance between food, fuel, and feed production, particularly how these elements compete for agricultural space. Alice explained, “The main season where you have the most sunlight, this is meant for food and it’s not going to change.”
The focus has been on utilizing interim periods of the cover crops for fuel, specifically SAFs, without impacting primary food production. This nuanced approach ensures that while fields are optimized for cover crops production. Food security isn’t compromised, aligning with Alice’s vision of sustainable practice.

Why SAFs are key to unlocking regenerative agriculture

The potential of Sustainable Aviation Fuels lies not just in their environmental benefits, but also in their economic viability. Alice highlighted that, “SAFs is an infinite demand market; as long as you have the right price, you will find buyers”. The demand for SAFs is growing, propelled by civil society and regulatory pressures. Their ability to generate revenue from cover crops presents a unique opportunity, turning what was once a cost into a viable financial return—offering a win-win for farmers and fuel producers alike.

Large Scale Adoption of SAFs

The path to large-scale adoption of SAFs is supported by regulatory frameworks pushing for broader implementation and creating a robust market need. Alice noted, “In 2025, all airlines need to use at least 2% SAF, growing to 70% by 2050”. The anticipated regulatory requirements highlight the substantial gap expected in feedstock for SAF production, prompting innovative solutions like cover crops to fill this void. By partnering with farmers and leveraging existing agricultural practices, SAFs could rapidly scale, ensuring that air travel becomes more sustainable.

Why the regenerative hotline of FarmOn didn’t work

Before Regenrate, Alice Henry and her team initially launched FarmOn, a Regenerative Hotline, a service aimed at supporting farmers with advice on regenerative practices, including cover crops. However, it became apparent that the business model wasn’t sustainable. While advising farmers on cover cropping with FarmOn, Alice and her team realized the main barrier was cost. They searched for a business model for cover crops and found it with RegenRate. Now, they’re turning cover cropping from a cost into a revenue-generating practice and scaling it in the SAF industry, where demand is unlimited.

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The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.

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