Beetle Bulletin #1

'The Beetle Perspective' ~ A Word from our CEO - Amol Mishra

A female farmer in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh toiling hard to balance family and farm life, gets up at 4 am now instead of 6am - as she used to a decade back. Summer temperatures in the fields hit 40 degrees fairly early in the morning now owing to a phenomenon called Climate change, as she hears. Hence for her to timely do her cooking, cleaning and readying her kids for school before hitting the farms to prepare the land for sowing, she has to sacrifice some more sleep now. The phenomenon is real and no one on the planet is unaffected - oblivious maybe but affected for sure.

The Soil Organic Carbon in a farm plot in Marathwada is 0.35% now dropped from 0.95% a few decades back. Organic matter is extremely low, water just runs down, baked pieces of soil are as hard as a rock sometimes and hardly any biodiversity is seen around. Unless addressed, it's only a matter of time before this land becomes a desert.

A multinational brand last year inadvertently promoted forced labour in its supply chain in some parts of the globe. Garments worth a million dollars made in sweatshops and produced from materials from unknown locations are in the market now thus boosting such trade practices with environmental, social and geopolitical risks at large. A completely traceable supply chain would have kept those risks at bay.

From soil to sustainability, from tradition to innovation— Beetle Bulletin weaves insights for a thriving future. 🐞

Beetle Regen Solutions was born to find some real, tangible and commercially viable solutions to these supply chain and environmental problems and every passing day is a reminder to us to keep treading on the road to that mission, until our goal is accomplished. Welcome to the Beetle bulletin which isn’t just another newsletter—it's a movement. A platform where insights meet action, where sustainability in agriculture and industry takes center stage. We bridge the gap between farmers, brands, and stakeholders, offering knowledge that fuels innovation and growth. A platform which offers you a chance to create change, a chance to help us all Regenerate Together!

What's in it for you? Fresh perspectives on regenerative farming, textile sustainability, and responsible sourcing—delivered straight to you.

Join us in shaping a future where sustainability isn't just a goal—it’s the way forward.

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Beetle Buzz: What’s New

Beetle gets certified!

As on date when these words were being written, Beetle has ensured that 70,253 farmers with a land area of 106,040 Ha have been certified to be on the regenerative journey by regenagri. These farmers are expected to produce around 183,000 MT of raw cotton which could produce around 62,000 MT of regenerative cotton lint. As we finalise the year end produce, we'll keep sharing our progress on the actual figures too and also the total produced quantity of the other crops grown on the same certified land - either intercropped with cotton or grown during the rabi season.

All these figures aside, we are extremely proud to have accomplished this milestone in the first production year of our existence and hope to continue the momentum with some of the other innovations we are doing to truly regenerate the soil, sector and the industry.

Tulsiram Lohare wins CITI Sustainability award for leading the future of Regenerative Agriculture!

Tulsiram Lohare, a dedicated farmer from our project in Mordad, Khargone, has been honored with a prestigious award for his exceptional commitment to regenerative agriculture. Recognized at the #CITISustainabilityAwards at Bharat Tex 2025, Tulsiram's journey showcases the power of sustainable farming in action.

After years of chemical farming, Tulsiram faced challenges like degraded soil health, reduced biodiversity, and rising farm costs. But through collaborative workshops by Beetle Regen Solutions and Niranjanlal Agrawal Foundation, he embraced regenerative techniques such as live roots, biodiversity enhancement, and Biochar production.

With continued support from the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), our HDPS training program is helping thousands of farmers like Tulsiram adopt climate-smart, soil-enriching farming practices, shaping a brighter future for farming communities!

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Tête-à-tête with Biochar!

By Bhawna Solanki, Lead - Strategy and Partnerships at Beetle Regen Solutions

Towards the end of January 2025, I participated in a Biochar Training organized for the Regen Ambassadors and the Beetle Regen Solutions team. After reading and hearing so much about biochar, I finally had the opportunity to witness its production firsthand. With 75,000 cotton farmers managing 100,000 hectares, massive quantities of cotton stalks are typically burnt in the open unless utilised as fuel in village kitchens. Transforming this residue into biochar not only prevents emissions but also creates a circular, zero-waste agricultural system.

Led by biochar experts, the training covered the science behind biochar-making, its role in carbon sequestration, and benefits to soil health. We learned the pyrolysis process, focusing on maintaining reduced oxygen levels, observing gas emissions, and optimizing the stages of burning to ensure high-quality biochar with minimal harmful emissions.

Practical sessions using the Earth Cone Pit and Metal Kon Tiki systems allowed us to apply our learning—layering biomass, monitoring temperatures, and safely handling the entire process from firing to storage. A key takeaway was the importance of teamwork in executing biochar production efficiently and safely.

Day 2 focused on integrating biochar-making steps into the dMRV app for carbon credit generation, reinforcing the role of digital tools in scaling impact.

The three-day training was an enriching experience—fostering collaboration, skill-building, and hands-on learning to drive climate-positive solutions in agriculture.

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Beetle Regen: Setting the Stage for Regeneration!

Imagine a future where agriculture goes beyond crop production to restore soil health, empower communities, and regenerate ecosystems. A future where each acre of land contributes to climate action, and farmers are not just cultivators but climate champions.

At Beetle Regen Solutions, we believe this future is not a distant dream but a work in progress. Conventional farming practices have contributed to soil degradation, water depletion, and biodiversity loss. The shift to regenerative agriculture is now a necessity.

Beetle Regen was founded with a simple yet transformative vision—to redefine farming as regenerative, resilient, and equitable. We work with 75,000+ smallholder farmers across 100,000 hectares, supporting them in regenerative cotton and rice farming, biochar production, and carbon sequestration.

But our work is more than just farming; we are building a movement—one that bridges the gap between farmers, businesses, and consumers to create a sustainable supply chain that nurtures the planet rather than depleting it.

With the world shifting focus to carbon removal, climate-smart agriculture, and ethical supply chains, we ensure that sustainability is not just a boardroom discussion but a real change at the grassroots level.

Our Mission: Regenerating Landscapes, Empowering Communities, Building Sustainable Supply Chains

At Beetle, we aim to revolutionize the textile, apparel and agricultural industry by providing innovative regenerative farming solutions at scale while driving last-mile traceability. Our mission is to bridge the gap between farm and end product, fostering a sustainable relationship between the environment and industry. We believe in holistic, innovative, and profitable sustainability for farmers, brands, and the planet.

How We Drive Change:

• Empowering Smallholder Farmers: Training farmers in High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS), cover cropping, crop rotation, mulching, reduced tillage, making low-cost natural inputs, biochar production, and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) to enhance yields and restore soil health.

• Advancing Climate-Smart Agriculture: Focusing on carbon sequestration, water conservation, and biodiversity enhancement to build resilience against climate shocks.

• Building Sustainable Supply Chains: Connecting farmers with brands and businesses committed to sourcing regenerative cotton and sustainable products.

• Enabling Carbon Insetting, Offsetting & Removal: Facilitating brands' Net Zero goals by offering carbon insetting within supply chains and offsetting through verified carbon sequestration projects.

What Sets Us Apart?

• Farmer-Centric Approach: We work directly with 75,000+ farmers, organizing Collaborative Knowledge Building Workshops to integrate ancestral wisdom with scientific innovation. Our Regen Ambassadors provide continuous on-ground support.

• Focus on Women Farmers: Over 1,000 women farmers are part of our projects, and 40% of our leadership team comprises women.

• Innovation-Driven Solutions: We integrate HDPS in cotton farming, biochar for carbon removal, and AI enabled supply chain traceability via our Beetle Chain of Custody portal.

• Global Impact, Local Solutions: By enhancing soil organic carbon, promoting conservation agriculture, and integrating circularity through biochar, Beetle contributes directly to global sustainability efforts.

A Future-Ready Approach!

The urgency of climate change requires scalable solutions, and Beetle stands at the intersection of grassroots action and corporate sustainability. We equip farmers with regenerative techniques, support brands in responsible sourcing, and leverage technology for transparency—creating a supply chain that benefits people and the planet.

At Beetle, true sustainability starts at the grassroots. When farmers thrive, ecosystems heal, and supply chains strengthen—creating a ripple effect that transforms industries and landscapes. We don't just implement projects—we create scalable, replicable models that can be applied across different geographies.

Join Us in Regenerating the Future!

We invite you to be part of this transformative journey—whether by collaborating to scale regenerative agriculture, investing in climate-positive solutions, or advocating for policies that prioritize soil health and farmer livelihoods

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Traceability in the Textile Supply Chain: Why It Matters More Than Ever

The global textile industry is no stranger to scrutiny. From environmental concerns to ethical questions about sourcing, the demand for transparency across the supply chain has never been louder. Traceability—the ability to track a product's journey from raw material to finished product—is no longer a nice-to-have; it's a business imperative. For brands, traceability is the foundation of building trust with consumers & stakeholders, proving sustainability claims, and mitigating supply chain risks in an increasingly regulated world.

Why Traceability Matters

The cotton supply chain, one of the longest and most opaque in the textile industry, faces a unique set of challenges. Without proper systems in place, brands often struggle with:

• Quality Variability:Cotton passes through multiple hands before it reaches the end product. Each stage introduces potential quality inconsistencies. Traceability ensures that the origin of each bale can be pinpointed, allowing for better control over the final product.

• Sustainability Gaps:How can a brand claim sustainability if it doesn't know the environmental footprint of its materials? Traceability offers hard data to verify claims, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions or the adoption of regenerative farming practices.

• Erosion of Consumer Trust:Modern consumers demand transparency. Without clear proof of where and how products are made, brands risk losing their credibility.

• Regulatory Risks:With due diligence laws tightening globally, brands must demonstrate compliance with ethical labor practices and environmental standards. Traceability systems are the most efficient way to back up these claims.

Building a Traceable Cotton Supply Chain

At Beetle Regen Solutions, we're addressing these challenges by building a digital traceability system designed to bring visibility to every stage of the supply chain. Unlike mass balance systems, which allow mixing certified and non-certified materials, Beetle's approach relies on identity-based segregation.

Here's how it works:

• Unique Farmer IDs: Each farmer in our network is assigned a unique ID, ensuring that their cotton remains identifiable throughout the supply chain.

• Geotagged Farms:Cotton is tracked from the farm level, with geotagging providing irrefutable proof of origin.

• Transaction Certificates:To maintain certification integrity, we work with accredited bodies to issue Transaction Certificates at each stage, ensuring that certified cotton remains separate and traceable.

This system prevents the dilution of certified cotton and provides an unbroken chain of custody, from the farm group to the final product. The result? Brands can confidently communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers and regulators, while farmers gain access to premium markets that value traceable cotton.

Technology is the Game-Changer

Digital tools such as blockchain, molecular tagging, and IoT-enabled (Internet if things) sensors are reshaping the traceability landscape. These technologies not only provide transparency but also reduce fraud and inefficiencies. For instance, blockchain systems create immutable digital ledgers that can verify claims, while molecular tagging embeds unique identifiers directly into the cotton fiber.

At Beetle, we are exploring these cutting-edge tools to complement our identity-based segregation system, ensuring brands have access to reliable, data-backed traceability solutions.

Traceability is Not Just a Trend—It's the Future

As the industry grapples with sustainability goals, evolving consumer expectations, and regulatory challenges, traceability has emerged as a critical solution. It's not just about tracking cotton from farm to fabric; it's about empowering every player in the supply chain to do better.

At Beetle Regen Solutions, we're not just building systems; we're creating a pathway to a more transparent, ethical, and sustainable textile industry. For brands aiming to meet ambitious ESG goals, traceability is the bridge between intention and action.

For more information on Beetle's traceability initiatives and how we're partnering with brands to deliver certified cotton, connect with us today.

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Regenerating the Future: The Uniqueness of Our Practices and regenagri Certification

In an era of increasing environmental challenges, regenerative agriculture stands out as a beacon of hope for sustainable cotton and fibre production. At Beetle Regen Solutions, we have embraced this transformative approach, tailoring unique and innovative field practices that not only align with the principles of regenerative agriculture but also set us apart as industry leaders. Coupled with our regenagri certification for twenty-four ICSs in five different locations, our commitment to restoring the land and ensuring long-term sustainability is both measurable, credible and transparent. To delve more into the practices that make us unique and to understand how we are building trust in our regenerative approach

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is more than a set of farming techniques, it's a philosophy centred on improving the health of the entire ecosystem. By focusing holistically on soil health, biodiversity, water cycles, and carbon sequestration, regenerative farming regenerates the land rather than depleting it. Unlike conventional methods, which often prioritize yield over sustainability, regenerative practices ensure that agricultural systems remain productive and resilient for generations to come.

At Beetle, we have gone a step further, integrating innovative practices tailored to the unique needs of our fields and communities. This approach is not only elevating our farming systems, increasing the soil organic carbon but is also building confidence among our partners, customers, and all the other stakeholders in the supply chain.

The Uniqueness of Our Field Practices

Our regenerative agriculture practices are built on a foundation of scientific rigor and community-driven innovation. Here are the key practices that set us apart:

1. Precision Soil Health Management
Healthy soil is the cornerstone of regenerative agriculture, and we prioritize it above all else. Increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is our central theme in all our CKBs (Collaborative Knowledge Building) sessions. Using advanced soil testing methods, we assess nutrient levels, organic matter, and microbial activity season-on-season. Based on these results provided by NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited labs, we:

• Implement tailored composting and fertilizing strategies.

• Incorporate biochar to boost carbon levels.

• Apply minimal tillage techniques to preserve soil structure.

This data-driven approach ensures our soils are fertile, resilient, and capable of sustaining high yields without chemical over-reliance.

2. Dynamic Cover Cropping Systems
Our fields are never left bare. We employ diverse cover crops like legumes, grasses, and brassicas in the fallow (zaid/ unnadi) season to:

• Prevent erosion.

• Improve nitrogen fixation.

• Enhance biodiversity by attracting beneficial insects and microorganisms.

Beetle Farmers' unique rotation patterns ensure maximum ecological and economic benefits while maintaining soil vitality.

3. Integrated Agroforestry
We are deeply committed to enhancing tree cover on our farms through integrated agroforestry. The dominance of monoculture in recent decades has led to a sharp decline in the on-farm tree presence. To counter this, we aim to establish trees at every hundred meters and gradually increase tree cover each year. By incorporating trees and shrubs within our cropping systems, we:

• Enhance carbon sequestration.
• Provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
• Reduce wind and water erosion.

Beyond our farms, we actively contribute to reforestation efforts in the villages we work with. Through initiatives like the seedball disbursal technique, we engage children and adults in increasing local tree cover. Our agroforestry approach is designed to integrate seamlessly with the local ecosystem, fostering a balanced and resilient agricultural landscape.

4. Water Stewardship Innovations

Water is a precious resource, and our farms are designed to maximize its efficiency. We employ natural mulching techniques to reduce evaporation and retain soil moisture, construct ridges and furrows to optimize water uptake, and implement advanced drip and sprinkler irrigation systems where feasible. Additionally, we invest in well-recharge structures to replenish groundwater levels. These strategies not only conserve water but also enhance crop resilience, ensuring sustainable fiber production even in challenging climates.

5. Biochar: Agri-waste to Black Gold
At Beetle, we are harnessing the power of biochar, transforming agricultural waste into a valuable natural fertilizer. It is a carbon rich material which enhances soil fertility by improving water retention, increasing microbial activity, and sequestering carbon. This not only reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers but also helps mitigate climate change by locking carbon in the soil for a thousand years, ensuring sustainable fibre production with minimal environmental impact.

Additionally, we recommend holistic approaches such as integrating livestock for natural grazing and manure contribution, companion planting to boost soil nutrients, and microbial inoculants like EM (effective microorganisms) solution to stimulate soil biodiversity. These combined efforts ensure our farming systems remain self-sustaining, resilient, and productive for future generations.

The Regenagri Certification: A Mark of Trust

While our practices speak for themselves, our regenagri certification adds a layer of credibility and transparency. regenagri is a globally recognized certification program that validates regenerative agriculture practices through robust monitoring and verification systems. Twenty- four ICSs (Internal Control Systems) of Beetle spread out in five different districts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have received there regenagri scope certificate this year. One ICS is a group of three thousand farmers, thus making more than seventy thousand farmers with their ……….. acre land being certified by regenagri. All this has been possible because of the immense efforts of our dedicated team of regen ambassadors and our Beetle farmers. Here's how this certification builds trust in our approach and practices:

• 1. Rigorous Standards:
  regenagri assesses every aspect of our farming system, from soil health, cropping patterns, biodiversity efforts, water use, community involvement and carbon sequestration. Achieving certification demonstrates that our practices meet the highest standards of sustainability and regeneration.

• 2. Continuous Improvement:
  Certification isn't a one-time milestone, it's an ongoing commitment. regenagri requires us to monitor progress, adapt practices, and continually improve our systems. This iterative process ensures we stay at the forefront of regenerative innovation.

• 3. Transparency and Accountability:
  Through detailed reporting and independent audits, our regenagri certification provides transparency to our stakeholders. They can trust that our claims are backed by data and verified by experts.

How Our Practices Build Trust
At Beetle, trust and transparency is at the core of everything we do. By combining unique field practices with regenagri certification, we:

At Beetle, we go beyond certification to create lasting impact through regenerative agriculture. Our commitment to soil health, biodiversity and sustainable fibre production is not just a method, it's a mission to heal the land and empower communities. By integrating innovative practices and continuously improving our systems, we are building trust and leading the way toward a resilient agricultural future. Join us on this journey to regenerate the earth, one field at a time.