Regenerative agriculture: what is it? Regenerative agriculture is a concept and method of land management that challenges us to consider how, rather than a linear supply chain, all facets of agriculture are interconnected through a web—a network of entities that generate, enhance, exchange, distribute, and consume goods and services. It’s about raising livestock and farming in a way that feeds both the planet and people, with particular methods differing from grower to grower and area to region. Although there are no hard and fast rules in regenerative agriculture, its dynamic system is based on holistic concepts that aim to alleviate inequality, improve the health of our soil and ecosystems, and preserve our land, waterways, and climate for future generations.
Recognizing that this is not a novel concept and that not everyone adhering to these ideals uses the term is crucial. For millennia, Indigenous societies have been farming in harmony with the natural world. According to Arohi Sharma, an NRDC policy analyst for water and agriculture, “the regenerative agriculture movement is the dawning realization among more people that an Indigenous approach to agriculture can help restore ecologies, fight climate change, rebuild relationships, spark economic development, and bring joy.” Sharma is a member of the NRDC Nature program team, which conducted interviews with over 100 regenerative farmers nationwide to provide guidance on building a food system that can combat climate change.
Regenerative organic agriculture is a philosophy
Regenerative agriculture is essentially farming and ranching in balance with the natural world. Practitioners perceive the world more broadly, particularly with regard to the cycles of nutrients and soil. As regenerative agriculture instructor at Pie Ranch, where he teaches, Leonard Diggs says, “We need to realize that working landscapes provide not just products but also ecosystem services like carbon sinks, water recharge, and evolutionary potential.” “We require agriculture that does not deplete our people or lose carbon.”
Regenerative organic agriculture principles
Lara Bryant, deputy director of water and agriculture at NRDC, states that “when we speak with farmers and ranchers focused on regenerative agriculture, they tell us that their notion of’success’ goes beyond yield and farm size.” “It includes the amount of joy and happiness they bring to the community, the number of families they feed, the money they save by not buying chemical inputs, the debt they avoid by repurposing old equipment, and the relationships they build with the locals.” Some of the tenets they apply to accomplish these objectives are listed below.
Nurture relationships within and across ecosystems
Relationships between people, lands, waterbodies, animals, wildlife, and even soil microbes are fostered and protected by regenerative farmers. For example, when we separated animals into confined facilities and feedlots after removing them from cropping systems—a practice that began with poultry in the 1950s and spread to include beef and pork in the 1960s—we brought about a number of unethical and ecological issues, such as the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and toxic algal blooms. However, encouraging symbiotic ties between animals and the land can reduce weed and pest issues without the need for chemicals, help cycle nutrients, and boost water retention (from the organic matter left behind by animal dung).
Prioritize soil health
While each farm has its own unique set of soil care requirements, regenerative growers typically minimize mechanical soil disturbance. Rather, they nourish and maintain the biological structures that subterranean bacteria, fungus, and other soil microbes construct, which in turn yield benefits above ground.
An aerial view of lush green strips of grass
First-year growth in prairie strips planted on a farm close to Traer, Iowa. The strips give animals a place to live while also protecting the land and water.Credit: USDA NRCS/Lynn Betts Decrease the use of artificial inputs Herbicides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers are examples of synthetic inputs that regenerative farmers and ranchers try their hardest to minimize. When soil health is prioritized, many producers inadvertently use less chemicals. Rather, the environment becomes more robust as wildlife and beneficial insects return and varied crop and livestock rotations upset weed cycles. Additionally, fewer hazardous chemicals mean lower hazards to human health and more financial freedom because synthetic inputs don’t have to be purchased on a regular basis.
Nurture communities and reimagine economies
Growing wholesome food for their families and communities is the primary goal of many regenerative farmers’ farming practices. They believe it is imperative to treat their apprentices, farmworkers, and other laborers with dignity and to give farm personnel fair pay and a voice in decision-making. Furthermore, a large number of these growers are acutely aware of the historical and social circumstances in which they work. They recognize that, despite the fact that Black and Indigenous communities constructed our food systems, unfair policies have influenced American agriculture.
Social inequities in American agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is seen by many as a means of addressing systemic inequality that has prevented farmers and ranchers of color from accessing land tenure and other forms of support, among other long-standing social injustices.
Why regenerative agriculture?
The skill and imagination of regenerative farmers demonstrate the benefits of produce both on and off the field. They provide food and fiber, absorb carbon, restore streams, preserve the environment, cultivate better foods, utilize fewer synthetic inputs, create jobs for locals, and guarantee the land’s long-term viability.
Ecological benefits
Improvements in soil fertility and health, which are the cornerstones of clean water, nutrients, and carbon cycling, as shown by more robust microbial communities, healthier crops, and superior soil test results increased soil biodiversity, which leads to increased plant, bird, and insect populations, as well as biodiversity on land, in the air, and in the water. Decreased erosive soil decreases in water pollution brought on by reduced chemical inputs, including contributions to toxic algal blooms Enhancements to the soil’s ability to retain water Benefits to one’s own and the local economy Savings from using less chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and antibiotics Increased financial stability through a variety of revenue sources encouraging the growth of the rural economy through local jobs and the consumption of healthy foods
Community benefits
Networks of farmers that collaborate, share knowledge, and foster a sense of community trips to farms and ranches, as well as networks of farmers’ markets, that support farmers and ranchers in strengthening the bonds between their food and customers advantages for both physical and mental health Numerous farmers and ranchers that practice regenerative agriculture claim to be happy in their line of work. A decrease in the usage of and exposure to dangerous pesticides is beneficial for the health of farmers, farmworkers, and populations downstream. Regenerative farming methods Numerous activities satisfy the regenerative mind-set. Please take note that not all regenerative farmers employ all of these techniques, and this list is not exhaustive.
Planting crops in areas of soil that would typically remain barren following the growth and harvesting of a cash crop is known as cover cropping. Cover crops promote soil health, lower soil erosion, retain more water in the soil, boost biodiversity, and more by maintaining living roots in the soil. They can be sown between permanent crop rows or at harvest time. Farming without tilling: a planting method that avoids disturbing the soil by plowing and instead keeps it intact. Reduced or non-existent inputs derived from fossil fuels, such as pesticides: Regardless of whether a farmer chooses to pursue organic certification, they should focus on improving soil health and using other natural techniques to assist manage pests and lessen the need for pesticides or other chemicals.
Hedgerows and riparian buffers are examples of conservation buffers, which are areas of land covered with a variety of plants to help manage particular environmental problems. Farm fields are surrounded by hedgerows, which are rows of plants or trees that serve as habitat and windbreak for beneficial creatures. Vegetated areas next to streams that act as riparian buffers provide habitat, safeguard the purity of the water, and lessen flooding. A border of tall, green grasses divides farm fields from a stand of trees. A riparian buffer in Story County, Iowa, around agriculture Lynn Betts/NRCS SWCS is credited. Climate change and regenerative agriculture The contribution of agriculture to climate change is substantial. Increases in extreme weather events like droughts and floods, along with rising temperatures, are having a devastating effect on our food systems.
Regenerative organic agriculture is a movement that uses methods to increase soil carbon sequestration and strengthen the resilience of local communities and farms in response to the climate crisis. As will be shown below, farming and ranching can really be quite beneficial to natural climate solutions. Boost soil health to lessen the effects of climate change Because of photosynthesis and microorganisms, soil is one of the planet’s largest carbon sinks. With the right maintenance, soil may absorb up to 250 million metric tons of greenhouse gases equivalent to carbon dioxide annually, and that number only includes emissions from the US.
Boost climate resilience
Farmers and ranchers are preparing their land to be more robust when floods, droughts, and other extreme weather patterns occur more frequently. In addition to helping farmers and towns downstream benefit from increased water absorption during floods, healthy soils rich in organic matter can also contribute to water security during dry spells. Ranchers who graze their cattle to remove vegetation can also help avoid wildfires.
Get fossil fuels out of agriculture
We must stop using pesticides and fertilizers derived from fossil fuels if we hope to protect our climate and public health. Farmworkers are constantly at risk of exposure to toxic toxins, which puts them at risk of developing both acute and chronic health disorders. Farmworkers are predominantly Latino and immigrant workers. In California alone, more than 1.1 billion pounds of hazardous pesticides were marketed for use in 2018.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, farming and ranching are responsible for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. The main sources of these emissions are livestock (like cows), agricultural soils, and rice cultivation. Rotational grazing, cover crops, and no-till farming are a few examples of regenerative farming techniques that can reduce total emissions from the agriculture industry.
Increase food production and preserve agricultural land
In light of the fact that we will need to feed a nearly ten billion-person world population by the year 2050, farms and ranches must work even harder to raise output in a sustainable manner. Of course, various regions experience varying effects on farming as a result of population growth. Agricultural land may eventually be converted to suburban or urban development in some areas. In the United States, development converts 2,000 acres of agricultural land every day, according to American Farmland Trust. Farmland from being lost to other uses can be preserved and farms can remain in operation by supporting regenerative farms and ranches that increase yields while embracing crop and animal diversity.
An aerial view of a small pond surrounded by trees and farmland
About 100 acres of restoration initiatives have been implemented at Bloomfield Farm, a 318-acre permanently protected site in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland, to lessen pollution in streams that feed into the Corsica and Chester rivers. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy assisted the county in purchasing the farm, which provides recreational grounds and chances to see wildlife.Credit: CC BY-NC 4.0, Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program
Protect and restore natural ecosystems
Other regions—mostly tropical and subtropical ones—are converting their grasslands and forests to agricultural usage. Not only is there more farmland In these locations, but it’s also moving into more environmentally delicate areas, which are essential for the wellbeing of ecosystems. Together with biodiversity and wildlife habitat, these natural carbon sinks would be preserved with the support of land management strategies that go hand in hand with regenerative agriculture techniques. To reduce more land degradation and soil erosion, unproductive or abandoned agricultural and ranch lands should be reforested or returned to natural ecosystems.