Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity,[1] improving the water cycle,[2] enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration,[3] increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil.

Regenerative agriculture is not a specific practice. It combines a variety of sustainable agriculture techniques.[4] Practices include maximal recycling of farm waste and adding composted material from non-farm sources.[5][6][7][8] Regenerative agriculture on small farms and gardens is based on permaculture, agroecology, agroforestry, restoration ecology, keyline design, and holistic management. Large farms are also increasingly adopting regenerative techniques, using "no-till" and/or "reduced till" practices.

As soil health improves, input requirements may decrease, and crop yields may increase as soils are more resilient to extreme weather and harbor fewer pests and pathogens.[9]

Regenerative agriculture mitigates climate change through carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere and sequestration. Along with reduction of carbon emissions, carbon sequestration is gaining popularity in agriculture, and individuals as well as groups are taking action to fight climate change.[10]

Hoverfly at work

History

Rodale Institute, Test Garden

Origins

Regenerative agriculture is based on various agricultural and ecological practices, with a particular emphasis on minimal soil disturbance and the practice of composting.[11] Similar ideas focus on "sea minerals."[12][13] His work led to innovations in no-till practices, such as slash and mulch in tropical regions.[14][15][16] Sheet mulching is a regenerative agriculture practice that smothers weeds and adds nutrients to the soil below.[17][18]

In the early 1980s, the Rodale Institute began using the term ‘regenerative agriculture’.[19] Rodale Publishing formed the Regenerative Agriculture Association, which began publishing regenerative agriculture books in 1987 and 1988.[20]

By marching forward under the banner of sustainability we are, in effect, continuing to hamper ourselves by not accepting a challenging enough goal. I am not against the word sustainable, rather I favor regenerative agriculture.

— Robert Rodale

However, the institute stopped using the term in the late 1980s, and it only appeared sporadically (in 2005[21] and 2008), until they released a white paper in 2014, titled "Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change".[22] The paper's summary states, "we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO₂ emissions with a switch to common and inexpensive organic management practices, which we term 'regenerative organic agriculture.'" The paper described agricultural practices, like crop rotation, compost application, and reduced tillage,[22] that are similar to organic agriculture methods.[23]

Newly planted soybean plants are emerging from the residue left behind from a prior wheat harvest. This demonstrates crop rotation and no-till planting.

In 2002, Storm Cunningham documented the beginning of what he called "restorative agriculture" in his first book, The Restoration Economy. Cunningham defined restorative agriculture as a technique that rebuilds the quantity and quality of topsoil, while also restoring local biodiversity (especially native pollinators) and watershed function. Restorative agriculture was one of the eight sectors of restorative development industries/disciplines in The Restoration Economy.[24]

Developments (since 2010)

Regenerative agriculture has showed up in academic research since the early to mid 2010s in the fields of environmental science, plant science, and ecology.[25] As the term expands in use, many books have been published on the topic and several organizations started to promote regenerative agriculture techniques. Allan Savory gave a TED talk on fighting and reversing climate change in 2013. He also launched The Savory Institute, which educates ranchers on methods of holistic land management. Abe Collins created LandStream to monitor ecosystem performance in regenerative agriculture farms.[26] Eric Toensmeier had a book published on the subject in 2016.[27] However, researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found there to be no consistent definition of what people referencing "regenerative agriculture" meant. They also found that most of the work around this topic were instead the authors' attempt at shaping what regenerative agriculture meant.[4]

In 2011, the (not for profit) Mulloon Institute was founded in New South Wales, Australia, to develop and promote regenerative practices to reclaim land as water-retentive areas by slowing the loss of water from land.[28] The members of the Institute created a 22-weir in-stream project with neighbours over 2 kilometers of Mulloon Creek. A study indicates that the outcomes were positive but relatively unpredictable, and that suitability of ground conditions on site was a key for success.[29] Bottom-up change in the context of Australian regenerative agriculture is a complex set of narratives and barriers to change affecting farmers.[30] A West Australian government funded survey of land hydration was conducted by the Mulloon Institute in June 2022, which concluded that water retention projects supported the regeneration of native plant species.[31]

Founded in 2013, 501(c)3 non-profit Kiss the Ground was one of the first to publicize the term to a broader audience. Today the group runs a series of media, farmland, education, and policy programs to raise awareness around soil health and support farmers who aim to transition from conventional to regenerative land management practices.[32] The film Kiss the Ground, executive produced by Julian Lennon and Gisele Bündchen and narrated by Woody Harrelson, was released in 2020.[33] A follow-up documentary, Common Ground, premiered in 2023 and was the recipient of the 2023 Human/Nature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.[34]

Not all regenerative systems emphasize ruminants. In 2017, Reginaldo Haslett Marroquin published "In the Shadow of Green Man" with Per Andreeason,[35] which detailed Haslett Marroquin's early life as a campesino in Guatemala and how these experiences led him to develop regenerative poultry agroforestry systems that are now being practiced and expanding in the United States and elsewhere.[36][37]

Several large corporations have also announced regenerative agriculture initiatives in the last few years. In 2019, General Mills announced an effort to promote regenerative agriculture practices in their supply chain. The farming practices have received criticism from academic and government experiments on sustainability in farming. In particular, Gunsmoke Farm partnered with General Mills to transition to regenerative agriculture practices and become a teaching hub for others. Experts from the area have expressed concerns about the farm now doing more harm than good, with agronomist Ruth Beck stating that "Environmental marketing got ahead of what farmers can actually do".[38]

In February 2021, the regenerative agriculture market gained traction after Joe Biden's Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made reference to it during his Senate Confirmation hearing. The Biden administration wants to utilize $30 billion from the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporations to incentivise farmers to adopt sustainable practices.[39] Vilsack stated in the hearing, "It is a great tool for us to create the kind of structure that will inform future farm bills about what will encourage carbon sequestration, what will encourage precision agriculture, what will encourage soil health and regenerative agricultural practices."[40] After this announcement from the Biden administration, several national and international corporations announced initiatives into regenerative agriculture.[41][42][43] During the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture's first hearing on climate change, Gabe Brown, a proponent of regenerative agriculture, testified about the role of regenerative agriculture in both the economics and sustainability of farming.[44]

In 2021, PepsiCo announced that by 2030 they will work with the farmers in their supply chain to establish regenerative agriculture practices across their approximately 7 million acres.[45][43] In 2021, Unilever announced an extensive implementation plan to incorporate regenerative agriculture throughout their supply chain.[42][46] VF Corporation, the parent company of The North Face, Timberland, and Vans, announced in 2021 a partnership with Terra Genesis International to create a supply chain for their rubber that comes from sources utilizing regenerative agriculture.[41][47] Nestle announced in 2021 a $1.8 billion investment in regenerative agriculture in an effort to reduce their emissions by 95%.[48]

Several days before the opening of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, a report was published, sponsored by some of the biggest agricultural companies. The report was produced by Sustainable Markets Initiative, an organisation of companies trying to become climate friendly, established by King Charles III. According to the report, regenerative agriculture is already implemented on 15% of all cropland. Despite this, the rate of transition is "far too slow" and must be tripled by the year 2030 to prevent the global temperature passing the threshold of 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. Agricultural practices must immediately change in order to avoid the damage that would result. One of the authors emphasised that “The interconnection between human health and planetary health is more evident than ever before.” The authors proposed a set of measures for accelerating the transition, like creating metrics for measuring how much farming is sustainable, and paying farmers who will change their farming practices to more sustainable ones.[49]

Principles

Several individuals, groups, and organizations have attempted to define the principles of regenerative agriculture. In their review of the existing literature on regenerative agriculture, researchers at Wageningen University created a database of 279 research articles on regenerative agriculture.[4] Their analysis of this database found that people using the term regenerative agriculture were using different principles to guide regenerative agriculture efforts.[4] The 4 most consistent principles were found to be, 1) enhancing and improving soil health, 2) optimization of resource management, 3) alleviation of climate change, and 4) improvement of water quality and availability.

Notable definitions of principles

The organization The Carbon Underground created a set of principles that have been signed on to by a number of non-profits and corporations including Ben & Jerry's, Annie's, and the Rodale Institute, which was one of the first organization to use the term "Regenerative Agriculture".[50] The principles they've outlined include building soil health and fertility, increase water percolation and retention, increasing biodiversity and ecosystem health, and reducing carbon emissions and current atmospheric CO₂ levels.[50]

The group Terra Genesis International, and VF Corporation's partner in their regenerative agriculture initiative, created a set of 4 principles, which include:[51][5]

• "Progressively improve whole agroecosystems (soil, water and biodiversity)"
• "Create context-specific designs and make holistic decisions that express the essence of each farm"
• "Ensure and develop just and reciprocal relationships amongst all stakeholders"
• "Continually grow and evolve individuals, farms, and communities to express their innate potential"

Instead of focusing on the specifics of food production technologies, human ecologist Philip Loring suggests a food system-level focus on regeneration, arguing that it is the combination of flexibility and diversity in our food systems that supports regenerative ecological practices.[52] Loring argues that, depending on the relative flexibility of people in the food system with respect to the foods they eat and the overall diversity of foods being produced and harvested, food systems can fall into one of four general patterns:

• Regenerative (high diversity, high flexibility), where ecosystems are able to recycle and replenish used energy to usable forms, such as found in many Indigenous food systems
• Degenerative (High diversity, low flexibility), where people fixate on specific resources and only switch to alternatives once the preferred commodity is exhausted, such as fishing down the food web.
• Coerced (low diversity, low flexibility), where people subsidize prized resources at the expense of the surrounding ecosystem, such as in the Maine Lobster fishery
• Impoverished (low diversity, high flexibility), where people are willing to be flexible but, because they are living in degraded ecosystems and possibly a povery trap, cannot allow ecosystems and resources to regenerate.

Loring's typology is based on a principle he calls the Conservation of Change, which states that change must always happen somewhere in ecosystems, and derives from the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Barry Commoner's premise in that, in ecosystems, "there is no free lunch".

Practices

Practices and principles used in regenerative farming include:[7][5][53][54]

• Alternative food networks (AFNs), commonly defined by attributes such as the spatial proximity between farmers and consumers.[55]
• Aquaculture[56]
  • Ecological aquaculture[5]
  • Regenerative ocean farming[57]
• Agroecology[56]
• Agroforestry[5]
• Biochar/terra preta[5]
• Borders planted for pollinator habitat and other beneficial insects[7]
• Compost, compost tea,[5] animal manures[7] and thermal compost
• Conservation farming, no-till farming, minimum tillage,[7] and pasture cropping[5]
• Cover crops & multi-species cover crops[7]
• Home gardens, to mitigate the adverse effect of global food shocks and food price volatilities, also as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition[58]
  • Regrowing vegetables, for recycling and sustainable living[59]
• Keyline subsoiling
• Livestock: well-managed grazing,[7] animal integration[5] and holistically managed grazing[5]
  • Grass-fed cattle
• Natural farming
• Natural sequence farming
• Organic annual cropping[5] and crop rotations[7]
• Perennial crops[5]
• Ponding banks, to prevent soil erosion[60][61][62] also known as grading banks[63] and, in parts of Australia, commonly known as Purvis banks, after Ron Purvis Jr of Woodgreen Station in the Northern Territory[64]
• Permaculture design
• Polyculture and full-time succession planting of multiple and inter-crop plantings[7]
• Silvopasture[5]
• Soil food web

Environmental impacts

Carbon sequestration

Further information: Carbon sequestration § Agriculture

Conventional agricultural practices such as plowing and tilling release carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the soil by exposing organic matter to the surface and thus promoting oxidation.[65] It is estimated that roughly a third of the total anthropogenic inputs of CO₂ to the atmosphere since the industrial revolution have come from the degradation of soil organic matter[65] and that 30–75% of global soil organic matter has been lost since the advent of tillage-based farming.[66] Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with conventional soil and cropping activities represent 13.7% of anthropogenic emissions, or 1.86 Pg-C y^−1.[66] The raising of ruminant livestock also contributes GHGs, representing 11.6% of anthropogenic emissions, or 1.58 Pg-C y^−1.[66] Furthermore, runoff and siltation of water bodies associated with conventional farming practices promote eutrophication and emissions of methane.[66]

Regenerative agriculture practices such as no-till farming, rotational grazing, mixed crop rotation, cover cropping, and the application of compost and manure have the potential to reverse this trend. No-till farming reintroduces carbon back into the soil as crop residues are pressed down when seeding. Some studies suggest that adoption of no-till practices could triple soil carbon content in less than 15 years.[65] Additionally, 1 Pg-C y^−1, representing roughly a fourth to a third of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions,[67] may be sequestered by converting croplands to no-till systems on a global scale.[65]

There is mixed evidence on the carbon sequestration potential of regenerative grazing. A meta-analysis of relevant studies between 1972 and 2016 found that Holistic Planned Grazing had no better effect than continuous grazing on plant cover and biomass, although it may have benefited some areas with higher precipitation.[68] However, some studies have found positive impacts compared to conventional grazing. One study found that regenerative grazing management, particularly adaptive multipaddock (AMP) grazing, has been shown to reduce soil degradation compared to continuous grazing and thus has the potential to mitigate carbon emissions from soil.[66] Another study found that crop rotation and maintenance of permanent cover crops help to reduce soil erosion as well, and in conjunction with AMP grazing, may result in net carbon sequestration.[66]

There is a less developed evidence base comparing regenerative grazing with the absence of livestock on grasslands. Several peer-reviewed studies have found that excluding livestock completely from semi-arid grasslands can lead to significant recovery of vegetation and soil carbon sequestration.[69][70][71][72][73] A 2021 peer-reviewed paper found that sparsely grazed and natural grasslands account for 80% of the total cumulative carbon sink of the world’s grasslands, whereas managed grasslands (i.e. with greater livestock density) have been a net greenhouse gas source over the past decade.[74] A 2011 study found that multi-paddock grazing of the type endorsed by Savory resulted in more soil carbon sequestration than heavy continuous grazing, but very slightly less soil carbon sequestration than "graze exclosure" (excluding grazing livestock from land).[75] Another peer-reviewed paper found that if current pastureland was restored to its former state as wild grasslands, shrublands, and sparse savannas without livestock this could store an estimated 15.2 - 59.9 Gt additional carbon.[76]

The total carbon sequestration potential of regenerative grazing has been debated between advocates and critics. One study suggests that total conversion of livestock raising to AMP grazing practices coupled with conservation cropping has the potential to convert North American farmlands to a carbon sink, sequestering approximately 1.2 Pg-C y^−1.[66] Over the next 25–50 years, the cumulative sequestration potential is 30-60 Pg-C. Additions of organic manures and compost further build soil organic carbon, thus contributing to carbon sequestration potential.[67] However, a study by the Food and Climate Research Network in 2017 estimates that, on the basis of meta-study of the scientific literature, the total global soil carbon sequestration potential from grazing management ranges from 0.3-0.8 Gt CO2eq per year, which is equivalent to offsetting a maximum of 4-11% of current total global livestock emissions, and that “Expansion or intensification in the grazing sector as an approach to sequestering more carbon would lead to substantial increases in methane, nitrous oxide and land use change-induced CO2 emissions”, leading to an overall increase in emissions.[77] Consistent with this, Project Drawdown (referenced in the film Kiss the Ground) estimates the total carbon sequestration potential of improved managed grazing at 13.72 - 20.92 Gigatons CO2eq between 2020–2050, equal to 0.46-0.70 Gt CO2eq per year.[78] A 2022 peer-reviewed paper estimated the carbon sequestration potential of improved grazing management at a similar level of 0.15-0.70 Gt CO2eq per year.[79]

A research made by the Rodale institute suggests that a worldwide transition to regenerative agriculture can soak more than 100% of the CO₂ currently emitted by people.[80]

Nutrient cycling

Soil organic matter is the primary sink of nutrients necessary for plant growth such as nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, sulfur, and molybdenum.[67] Conventional tillage-based farming promotes rapid erosion and degradation of soil organic matter, depleting soil of plant nutrients and thus lowering productivity.[65] Tillage, in conjunction with additions of inorganic fertilizer, also destroys soil microbial communities, reducing production of organic nutrients in soil.[65] In contrast, use of organic fertilizer will significantly increase the organic matter in the soil.[65] Practices that restore organic matter may be used to increase the total nutrient load of soil.[67] For example, regenerative management of ruminant livestock in mixed-crop and grazing agroecosystems has been shown to improve soil nutrient cycling by encouraging the consumption and decomposition of residual crop biomass and promoting the recovery of nitrogen-fixing plant species.[66] Regenerative crop management practices, namely the use of crop rotation to ensure permanent ground cover, have the potential to increase soil fertility and nutrient levels if nitrogen-fixing crops are included in the rotation.[66] Crop rotation and rotational grazing also allow the nutrients in soil to recover between growing and grazing periods, thus further enhancing overall nutrient load and cycling.[67]

Soil Microbiome and its role in Nutrient Cycling

The soil microbiome which consist of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms play an essential role in nutrient cycling by decomposing organic matter and releasing essential nutrients for plant growth.[81] Their activities are needed for decomposition and mineralization processes, which help to transform complex organic compounds into simpler forms that plants can absorb.[82] In nitrogen cycling, nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert organic nitrogen into ammonium (NH₄⁺), which is then converted into nitrate (NO₃⁻) by nitrifying bacteria.[83] While both ammonium and nitrate are important for plant growth, nitrate is the most preferred for many plants due to its mobility, less toxicity, and efficient transport systems. Ammonium is also a great alternative as it is more readily assimilated once inside the plant, it can cause toxicity if taken up in excess.[83] Environmental conditions such as soil pH, and nutrient availability play major roles in determining which form of nitrogen is absorbed first [83]. Soil microbes also play a key role in phosphorus cycling, helping to dissolve phosphorus from organic material for plant availability.[83] A diverse microbial community also helps to prevent soil-borne diseases and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.[84]

Impact of Farming Practices on Nutrient Cycling: Conventional vs Regenerative

Conventional farming disrupts nutrient cycling by using practices like tillage, which breaks down soil structure, reduces soil organic matter (SOM), and negatively impacts the overall soil health.[81] Conventional practices lead to reduced crop yields, increased reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and environmental problems like nutrient runoff and water pollution.[85] Over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers depletes soil health by favoring the growth of certain microorganisms over others, thereby reducing microbial diversity, organic matter decomposition, leading to soil degradation.[84] In contrast, regenerative agriculture promotes practices that enhance soil health and nutrient cycling.[86] These practices include reduced tillage which helps to preserve SOM, the use of organic fertilizers such as compost for soil enrichment, incorporating regenerative livestock management, practicing crop rotation with leguminous plants like soybean to promote nitrogen fixation that occurs from the symbiotic relationship between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the root nodules.[87] Integrating livestock into cropping systems has been shown to improve nutrient cycling as animal manure enriches the soil and promotes microbial diversity.[88] Cover cropping is another practice that helps to prevent erosion, leading to healthier and more resilient soils.[89]

Biodiversity

Conventional agricultural practices are generally understood to simplify agroecosystems through introduction of monocultures and eradication of diversity in soil microbial communities through chemical fertilization.[90] In natural ecosystems, biodiversity serves to regulate ecosystem function internally, but under conventional agricultural systems, such control is lost and requires increasing levels of external, anthropogenic input.[90] By contrast, regenerative agriculture practices including polycultures, mixed crop rotation, cover cropping, organic soil management, and low- or no-tillage methods have been shown to increase overall species diversity while reducing pest population densities.[90] Additionally, practices that favor organic over inorganic inputs aid in restoring below-ground biodiversity by enhancing the functioning of soil microbial communities.[67] A survey of organic and conventional farms in Europe found that on the whole, species across several taxa were higher in richness and/or abundance on organic farms compared to conventional ones, especially species whose populations have been demonstrably harmed as a direct result of conventional agriculture.[91]

AMP grazing can help improve biodiversity since increased soil organic carbon stocks also promotes a diversity of soil microbial communities.[66] Implementation of AMP in North American prairies, for example, has been correlated with an increase in forage productivity and the restoration of plant species that had previously been decimated by continuous grazing practices.[66] Furthermore, studies of arid and semiarid regions of the world where regenerative grazing has been practiced for a long time following prior periods of continuous grazing have shown a recovery of biodiversity, grass species, and pollinator species.[66] Furthermore, crop diversification ensures that the agroecosystem remains productive when facing lower levels of soil fertility.[92] Higher levels of plant diversity led to increases in numerous factors that contribute to soil fertility, such as soil N, K, Ca, Mg, and C, in CEC and in soil pH.[93]

Global Efforts

United States

The United States has seen a groundswell of interest in regenerative agriculture, with both private-sector support and government funding:

• USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities: This $2.8 billion initiative funds projects that implement regenerative practices aimed at carbon sequestration and sustainable farming.
• Regenerative Organic Certification: The Rodale Institute’s certification builds on organic standards, incorporating soil health, animal welfare, and farmer equity to promote comprehensive regenerative practices.

Canada

Canada supports regenerative agriculture with federal and provincial programs:

• Living Laboratories Initiative: This collaborative project, involving farmers, scientists, and government, supports the development of RA practices to improve soil health and resilience.
• Sustainable Agriculture Strategy: This strategy promotes soil and water conservation, incentivizes cover cropping, and focuses on reducing chemical inputs in agriculture.

Mexico

Mexican organizations focus on sustainable land management and promoting agroecology:

• Colectivo Ecologista Jalisco: This initiative helps local communities implement agroecological practices to restore degraded lands and diversify crops.

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South America

Brazil

Brazil’s initiatives emphasize low-carbon agriculture and rainforest preservation:

• Programa ABC (Agricultura de Baixa Emissão de Carbono): This program incentivizes no-till farming, crop-livestock integration, and reforestation.
• Regenerative Agroforestry Projects: NGOs in Brazil work with farmers to integrate food crops with native trees, promoting biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

Argentina

Argentina has adopted regenerative grazing on its grasslands:

• Holistic Planned Grazing: Led by Savory Network’s Argentinean hubs, this model promotes rotational grazing to reduce soil erosion and enhance biodiversity.

Colombia

Post-conflict land restoration is a focus in Colombia:

• Agroforestry and Silvopastoral Systems: Local cooperatives and NGOs integrate trees, shrubs, and crops to diversify farmer incomes and improve land resilience.

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Europe

European Union (EU)

The EU promotes regenerative agriculture through policy frameworks and funding:

• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027: CAP incentivizes eco-schemes supporting soil health and biodiversity.
• European Green Deal: This policy aims for carbon-neutral agriculture by reducing chemical inputs and promoting organic farming.

United Kingdom

Since Brexit, the UK has initiated its own policies to encourage RA:

• Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS): ELMS rewards practices that enhance soil health, biodiversity, and water conservation.
• The Soil Association: Through certification and advocacy, this organization supports RA practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and reduced tillage.

France

France has promoted regenerative practices in its climate goals:

• 4 per 1000 Initiative: Announced at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, this initiative aims to increase soil carbon stocks by 0.4% annually through regenerative practices, helping offset emissions.

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Africa

Kenya

Kenya has become a leader in regenerative agriculture in East Africa:

• World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF): Programs promote agroforestry, integrating trees with crops and livestock to improve soil fertility.
• Startups like ForestFoods and L.E.A.F. Africa are pioneering innovative techniques such as syntropic agroforestry that have proven successful in other regions of the world.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s focus is on combating land degradation:

• Sustainable Land Management Program: A World Bank-supported initiative that promotes soil restoration and water retention in degraded areas.

South Africa

South Africa combines RA with smallholder and commercial agriculture:

• LandCare South Africa: This project focuses on soil conservation and rotational grazing in semi-arid regions to prevent soil erosion.

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Asia

India

India’s regenerative agriculture movement is driven by both state and federal support:

• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Supported by the Andhra Pradesh government, ZBNF promotes chemical-free farming, natural fertilizers, and soil microbiome health.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): This government initiative promotes soil health and water conservation practices on a large scale.

China

China has extensive RA initiatives aimed at desertification and soil health:

• Loess Plateau Rehabilitation Project: This project transformed degraded lands with practices such as terracing, agroforestry, and soil improvement.
• Green Agricultural Development Fund: This fund promotes regenerative practices in water-scarce regions, with a focus on soil carbon sequestration.

Japan

Japan’s regenerative agriculture aligns with organic and natural farming:

• Shizen Nōhō: Rooted in principles from Masanobu Fukuoka, this natural farming method emphasizes minimal soil disturbance and composting.
• Local Government Subsidies: Various local governments in Japan subsidize regenerative practices to improve rural economies and support sustainable land use.

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Oceania

Australia

Australia’s initiatives focus on soil health and carbon farming:

• Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI): Part of Australia’s carbon market, CFI rewards practices such as no-till farming and regenerative grazing.
• Savory Institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification: This program incentivizes regenerative grazing by monitoring soil and biodiversity health.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s RA movement emphasizes biodiversity and community engagement:

• Regenerative Agriculture Network of New Zealand (RANNZ): This grassroots network supports RA practices and educates the public on sustainable land management.
• Government Initiatives on Carbon Neutrality: In line with net-zero carbon goals, New Zealand supports sustainable farming practices to reduce emissions and restore native ecosystems.

Criticism

Some members of the scientific community have criticized some of the claims made by proponents of regenerative agriculture as exaggerated and unsupported by evidence.[94]

One of the prominent proponents of regenerative agriculture, Allan Savory, claimed in his TED talk that holistic grazing could reduce carbon-dioxide levels to pre-industrial levels in a span of 40 years. According to Skeptical Science:

"it is not possible to increase productivity, increase numbers of cattle and store carbon using any grazing strategy, never-mind Holistic Management [...] Long term studies on the effect of grazing on soil carbon storage have been done before, and the results are not promising.[...] Because of the complex nature of carbon storage in soils, increasing global temperature, risk of desertification and methane emissions from livestock, it is unlikely that Holistic Management, or any management technique, can reverse climate change.[95]"

Commenting on his TED talk "How to Fight Desertification and Reverse Climate Change", Savory has since denied claiming that holistic grazing can reverse climate change, saying that “I have only used the words address climate change… although I have written and talked about reversing man-made desertification”.[96] Savory has faced criticisms for claiming the carbon sequestration potential of holistic grazing is immune from empirical scientific study.[96] For instance, in 2000, Savory said that "the scientific method never discovers anything" and “the scientific method protects us from cranks like me".[97] A 2017 factsheet authored by Savory stated that “Every study of holistic planned grazing that has been done has provided results that are rejected by range scientists because there was no replication!".[98] TABLE Debates sums this up by saying "Savory argues that standardisation, replication, and therefore experimental testing of HPG [Holistic Planned Grazing] as a whole (rather than just the grazing system associated with it) is not possible, and that therefore, it is incapable of study by experimental science", but "he does not explain how HPG can make causal knowledge claims with regards to combating desertification and climate mitigation, without recourse to science demonstrating such connections."[96]

According to a 2016 study published by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the actual rate at which improved grazing management could contribute to carbon sequestration is seven times lower than the claims made by Savory. The study concludes that holistic management cannot reverse climate change.[99] A study by the Food and Climate Research Network in 2017 concluded that Savory's claims about carbon sequestration are "unrealistic" and very different from those issued by peer-reviewed studies.[94]

Tim Searchinger and Janet Ranganathan have expressed concerns about emphasis upon "Practices That Increase Soil Carbon at the Field Level" because "overestimating potential soil carbon gains could undermine efforts to advance effective climate mitigation in the agriculture sector." Instead Tim Searchinger and Janet Ranganathan say, "preserving the huge, existing reservoirs of vegetative and soil carbon in the world’s remaining forests and woody savannas by boosting productivity on existing agricultural land (a land sparing strategy) is the largest, potential climate mitigation prize of regenerative and other agricultural practices. Realizing these benefits requires implementing practices in ways that boost productivity and then linking those gains to governance and finance to protect natural ecosystems. In short, produce, protect and prosper are the most important opportunities for agriculture."[100]

See also

• Agroecological restoration
• Agroecology
• Agroforestry
• Biointensive agriculture
• Carbon farming
• Farmer-managed natural regeneration
• Korean natural farming
• Permaculture
• Regenerative design

External links

• Kiss the Ground at IMDb
• Common Ground at IMDb
• "Regenerative Agriculture". Regeneration.org. 2021.

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