Roots Chips earns new Soil & Climate Initiative regenerative certification

The regenerative farming model continues to gain momentum with producers, retailers and consumers, prompting some companies to adopt additional certifications that display their regenerative practices.

The Soil & Climate Initiative, a new project from the nonprofit Green America, offers resources and third-party certification for conventional or organic growers using documented regenerative principles. One of the first companies to receive this certification was Roots Chips, located in Aberdeen, Idaho.

‘Farm-to-pouch’ potato chips

Roots Chips is a “farm-to-pouch” potato company creating sustainable potato chips for food service and retail customers. These kettle-cooked chips come in flavors like purple sea salt, jalapeno and barbecue.

“We grow the potatoes, store the potatoes and make the chips,” said Ladd Wahlen, co-owner of Roots Chips, founded in 2021. “We focused toward a better-for-you product and clean ingredients, healthier oils and pesticide-free potatoes.”

The regional company sells to natural food stores such as Whole Foods Market and large retailers like Albertsons in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. In addition to its new regenerative label, Roots Chips also carries certifications from Non-GMO Project Verified, Where Food Comes From (WFCF) Gluten Free, Glyphosate Residue Free and Bee Friendly Farming, a program of Pollinator Partnership.

Why SCI?

The SCI label, launched earlier this year, strives to recognize companies using the principles of regenerative agriculture, described by SCI as “a farming approach that prioritizes healthy, living soil to drive powerful outcomes.”

Wahlen researched regenerative certifications as a way to promote the extensive earth-friendly practices already in place.

“Our first two years we did not carry any certifications, but nothing had changed with the product,” Wahlen said. “A little over a year ago we started investigating regenerative certifications because it’s a big part of our story. The way we grow potatoes is very different from the conventional way of growing.”

SCI-verified companies must follow its Seven Pillars of Regenerative Management, including minimizing soil disturbance and nurturing live roots in the soil year-round, promoting above- and below-ground diversity, integrating livestock and reducing synthetic inputs.

Wahlen discovered SCI as the initiative was finalizing its verification process in late 2023. He reported it took six months to achieve verification.

“A lot of what they wanted lined up perfectly with what we were doing,” Wahlen said. “We did not have to change our ag practices, but we had to document everything.”

The reporting required by SCI helped encourage Roots Chips to develop formal field plans and ways to log soil tests. Now, Wahlen said, his operation has proof of maintaining living roots in the soil for nearly 90% of the year and reducing tillage by 75%. His farms incorporate more than one dozen different species of plants in the soil each year, and experiment with companion planting and pollinator habitats. Roots Chips uses no synthetic pesticides and employs cattle and sheep to graze its cover crops.

“We’ve been doing all these practices for a long time, but haven’t tracked it as well,” Wahlen said. “This structured certification encourages data collection, which helps back up our claims while we’re telling our story. Our outcomes will verify what we’re doing is regenerating soil health.”

Balancing certifications and storytelling

For Wahlen, verifications can be a “double-edged sword” when trying to attract a diverse audience with a niche version of a beloved American product. While some consumers rely on certifications to reflect their values when purchasing, others are vocal about wanting to know more about the farmers and agricultural practices.

“Certifications sometimes have gone too far, but a huge segment of consumers appreciate and look for them,” he said. “But Gen Z is a large purchasing group in the next few years, and they are not as enthusiastic about certifications. They want to know what is going on and the story behind the product, not just rely on certifications.”

Wahlen’s strategy has become two-fold: Attract consumers with “fun” packaging and certifications, then succinctly tell the regenerative story.

“The word and term ‘regenerative’ is still in its infancy so maybe people aren’t familiar with it. But it will start to gain steam and be more recognized. We hope the regenerative story will lead to a loyalty aspect to the consumer.”

Wahlen said Roots Chips does not have plans to add more certifications to its label at the moment, but instead hopes to advance up the tiers of SCI verification.