A network of regenerative practitioners, educators, and consultants.
About the accreditation
What is the accreditation?
The IEA Accreditation is a community of practitioners, educators, and consultants in regenerative agriculture upholding shared ethical and professional standards for quality of work. It is a first-party accrediting program designed according to the principles of Participatory Guarantee Systems. This means that accreditees are endorsed by their peers (not a third party) to collaborate and advise on regenerative agriculture.
Who is the accreditation for?
IEA Accreditation is for practitioners, educators, and consultants giving advice, or developing trainings, relevant to regenerative agriculture. To become accredited, you must also be a member of the IEA co-operative.
How does the accreditation work?
At the heart of the IEA Accreditation are ethical and professional standards, which all accreditees must commit to upholding when providing advice or trainings in regenerative agriculture. Accreditees participate in peer review – supporting their peers to uphold the IEA ethics and standards and undertake ongoing learning and professional development.
Why do we need an accreditation?
IEA Accreditation exists to defend against greenwashing and uphold the integrity of advising and training in regenerative agriculture. It will create a community to advocate for regenerative agriculture in universities, schools, policy, and amidst farmer networks. The IEA believes that bringing diverse practitioners, educators, and consultants into dialogue and shared learning, whilst collectively upholding ethical and professional standards, is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of Australia’s regenerative agriculture movement. You can read more about the diversity of regenerative agriculture in this publication. The accreditation will also provide pathways for early-career practitioners, educators, and consultants (such as those emerging from studies in regenerative agriculture such as the Bachelor of Science (Regenerative Agriculture) at Southern Cross University).
What are the ethical standards?
These standards exist in two documents (1) the Code of Ethics: a public statement of the principles, values and behaviours that are expected of IEA accredited members. (2) the Rules of Conduct: an expansion of the code that provides a framework for decision-making. It is expected that jointly these standards facilitate integrity, respect, and equitable relationships.
What are the professional standards?
These are the standards of professionalism that IEA accredited members must uphold when offering advice on regenerative agriculture. The standards also ensure that IEA accredited members are undertaking continued learning and professional development. Accreditees should remain open to exploring new beliefs and attitudes, and it is expected that they share their knowledge and skills with the wider community.
Who governs the standards?
IEA is a co-operative owned by the members; and so the IEA Accreditation and its associated standards are governed by this community. All members of the IEA co-operative (accreditees must be members) can vote to change the ethical and professional standards at the AGM. Any proposed changes must be sent to the membership in advance.
How was the accreditation developed?
The accreditation was developed in consultation with IEA members. You can read about the history and development of the IEA Accreditation in this publication. The program is currently a pilot; this means that accreditees can participate in the ongoing co-design of the accreditation as it is refined throughout 2025 and beyond. IEA believes community ownership and industry collaboration through co-design are central features of the accreditation development. We hope accreditees will have a sense of pride in, and responsibility for, the process and standards of accreditation.
To read the ethical and professional standards, access the IEA Accreditation Handbook below.
Objectives of the IEA Accreditation
The objectives of IEA accreditation are to:
Facilitate a network of educators and consultants that are capable of supporting the required shift towards a more regenerative, ecological and holistic agriculture.
Create a supportive peer network of educators and consultants who are equipped to provide advice with integrity.
Provide opportunities for accredited educators and consultants to enhance their knowledge and skills.
As a cohort, determine and uphold the ethical and professional standards expected of an accredited IEA educator or consultant.
Recognise and reward outstanding contributions to agriculture in the context of a regenerative, ecological and holistic approach.
Benefits of the IEA Accreditation
There are many benefits to being IEA accredited, including:
Being part of a respected community advocating for ecological thinking in farming for food, fibre, and forestry
Connecting with like-minded others to build ecological integrity and resilience through regenerative agriculture
Contributing to a locally focused quality assurance system representing ethical and professional standards in regenerative agriculture
Participating in the further development of the Accreditation through trust, social networks, and knowledge exchange
Recognition of your knowledge, skills, and competency in consulting on regarding regenerative agriculture
Recognition that you possess the qualities and competencies associated with ecological and holistic thinking
The right to use the IEA Accredited Badge and “IEA Accredited” after your name to represent your professional status and credibility
Ongoing engagement, support, and professional development from other Accredited members of the IEA community-of-practice
The opportunity to play a significant role in the evolution of the IEA and Australian agriculture.
Apply for accreditation
Applicants are asked to submit an expression of interest to the IEA Accreditation Director, Dr Katharine Brown (kbrown@ecoag.org.au). This will open a dialogue and allow us to support you through the step-by-step process to apply for IEA Accreditation, including completing the IEA Accreditation Application Form (Word) and understanding the IEA Accreditation Fee structure. Applicants will need to develop a portfolio of work to address the IEA Knowledge Circles, prior to participating in an interview with an accreditation panel.
The Knowledge Circles are theoretical and practical bodies of knowledge relevant to regenerative agriculture, and are used to discern where key professional development and learning opportunities might be for applicants. You can read more about the IEA Knowledge Circles in the Accreditation Handbook, or refer to the Knowledge Circles On-A-Page. IEA President, Dr Ethan Gordon, introduces the Knowledge Circles and their relevance to the IEA Accreditation in the presentation to prospective applicants below.
What are the requirements for accreditation?
To achieve IEA accreditation, you must:
Be a financial member of the IEA
Follow and abide by the IEA Constitution and the Ethical and Professional Standards, detailed in the Handbook
Create a portfolio of work based on the IEA Knowledge Circles, detailed in the IEA Accreditation Handbook.
Pay the one-off application fee and, on achieving IEA Accreditation, pay the annual Accreditation fee.