A producer in Stanly County, North Carolina, rolls down a cover crop just minutes before planting corn. The ”blanketlike” results of rolling or crimping provide season-long weed protection, moisture retention, and food for soil microbes.
Credit: NCRS PhotoRegenerative Agriculture
Support regenerative agriculture to sequester carbon in soils, restore degraded land, produce healthy food, and strengthen ecological and cultural resilience.
Since 1850, industrial agriculture has created a legacy of water pollution, animal abuse, degraded land, and unhealthy food. It has been responsible for over a third of all carbon dioxide emissions generated by humans. Taking its cues from nature, regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring and maintaining biologically healthy soil. By recarbonizing soils via photosynthesis and biology, regenerative agriculture produces healthy food, protects watersheds, strengthens ecological and cultural diversity, and expands economic resilience – critical needs under climate change. It is a low-cost, “shovel-ready” solution that can restore degraded land. It can feed the world. Regenerative agriculture has ancient origins and is the foundation of Indigenous and traditional food systems worldwide.
Action Items
Individuals
Learn why regenerative agriculture is key to improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and making our food healthy again. The rediscovery of regenerative agriculture by industrial societies began with the work of Sir Albert Howard, who studied traditional farms in India and observed that “health of soil, plants, animals, and humans is one and indivisible.” Today, regenerative agriculture is seen as both a sustainable way to produce healthy food and repair environmental damage. Practices include agroforestry, no-till, silvopasture, rotational grazing, cover crops, and crop diversification (see Farmers and Ranchers below).
- In industrial agriculture, the vast majority of farmers grow just a few crops each year in monocultures using synthetic chemicals, including herbicides and insecticides that kill biology in the soil. Topsoil becomes unstable with repeated plowing. A major consequence is soil erosion, resulting in a significant loss of stored carbon.
- The conversion of intact land to mono-crop agriculture is often accompanied by deforestation, land clearing, and overgrazing by livestock. The resulting degraded land can damage ecosystem services, which are the essential services that nature provides, such as nutritious food, clean water, pollination of crops, pollution removal, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and recreational, cultural, and spiritual benefits. See Grasslands Nexus, Tropical Forests Nexus, and Degraded Land Restoration Nexus for more details.
- The key to regenerative agriculture is the fast carbon cycle. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is transformed by photosynthesis into sugars that plants use to grow. Some of the carbon makes its way into the soil via plant roots to be consumed by microbes in exchange for nutrients the plants need. Some of this carbon stays in the soil for varying periods of time.
- Soils Revealed produces a global map of current and past levels of soil carbon and how much soil could potentially hold in the future.
- Regenerative is not the same as organic agriculture. Certified organic is regulatory and process-based. Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health goals and is outcome-based. They can be combined. The Rodale Institute has certification standards for regenerative organic agriculture and the role it can play in addressing climate change.
- Livestock is a key part of nearly all regenerative agricultural enterprises and can be integrated into crop production (see Animal Integration Nexus). Well-managed livestock can build soil carbon with their grazing behavior and waste. The Savory Institute has a library of science articles on regenerative ranching. Animal welfare is a key element of livestock practices. Common ground with vegans is possible.
- Soil carbon can be increased with applications of compost, biochar, and rock dust as part of regenerative farming systems (see Compost Nexus and Biochar Nexus).
Understand that modern regenerative agriculture is based on Indigenous and traditional foodways. Food was produced organically and regeneratively long before the rise of industrial agriculture. These systems fed billions of people. They still exist and form the foundation of regenerative agriculture today and are key to sustainable food systems into the future. (see Agroecology Nexus and Agroforestry Nexus).
- Civil Eats has a collection of articles on Indigenous foodways. In the U.S., Native and Black farmers have practiced sustainable agriculture for generations.
- Modern regenerative agriculture in the developed world is mostly practiced by white farmers and ranchers and needs to extend its reach into BIPOC communities as well as to confront issues of racial equity, dispossession, access, discrimination, sovereignty, and social justice. It needs to listen to Indigenous peoples, learn about traditional foodways, and bring native farmers, ranchers, chefs, and activists into the regenerative movement.
- Blue Dasher Farm publishes a database of underrepresented groups in agriculture.
- There are many reasons why people of color should grow their own food and a long history of Black farming in the U.S.
Buy food and other items produced by regenerative agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have implemented campaigns that promote their products and practices. Purchasing these products supports the agricultural enterprise and encourages others to adopt similar practices.
- The Regenerative Organic Alliance, a certification organization for food, textile, and personal care ingredients based on soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness metrics, publishes a list of companies and organizations affiliated with its work.
- Regenerative Farmers of America has an online map – find a farm near you!
- A sample of companies that support regenerative agriculture include Alter Eco Foods, Maple Hill Dairy, Dr. Bronner’s, Original Beans, Annie’s, Lundberg Family Farms, and Nature’s Path.
- The Savory Institute has a certification program called Land to Market that measures verifiable ecological outcomes. Partners include Epic Provisions, General Mills, Applegate Foods, Ugg, Timberland, Kering, New Balance, and many others.
- Patagonia Provisions sells food and other products that are certified regenerative organic from participating farms and ranches.
- Here is a list from SoilCentric of regenerative farms, ranches, products, resources, and educational opportunities.
- A number of major food corporations have pledged to support and use ingredients from regenerative farms and ranches, including PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, Danone, and Mars. A coalition of companies, including Mars and Nestlé, have formed the One Planet Business for Biodiversity coalition to improve biodiversity with agriculture.
- Grass-fed meat and dairy are often produced by regenerative agriculture. Eat Wild publishes a directory of farms and ranches in the U.S. and Canada.
- Wildlife and bird-friendly beef, such as The Audubon Society’s Conservation Ranching Program and Blue Nest Beef, are often produced by regenerative ranchers. Audubon publishes a buying guide.
- Join the ‘regenivore’ movement, in which a person consciously buys food, including dairy products, from regenerative farms and ranches.
Speak up. Write an op-ed to a newspaper or social media site advocating for regenerative agriculture. Consider writing longer pieces for online sites, like this article from Medium.
Take a training course to understand soil health and how regenerative agriculture can help. There are a variety of online courses that range from the basics of soil health to detailed how-tos for gardeners and others.
- Elaine Ingham is a microbiologist who has developed an online school about the soil food web as well as educational videos.
- Soils for Life in Australia has options for studying regenerative agriculture.
- California State University, Chico’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems has many educational programs.
Groups
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Landowners
Research regenerative agriculture practices to decide which ones would be best to implement on your farm or ranch. Primers on regenerative agriculture include Gabe Brown’s book Dirt to Soil and his workshop Treating the Farm as an Ecosystem; Mark Shepard’s book Restoration Agriculture, about growing perennial food crops and its companion, Water for Any Farm; and Will Harris’ A Bold Return To Giving a Damn. The USDA provides a list of resources on soil health. There are also scientific papers and research journals that can help farmers and ranchers decide on appropriate practices, including Indigenous and traditional farming systems (see Agroecology Nexus and Agroforestry Nexus). Practices include:
- Organic no-till is a combination of chemical-free and no-tillage agriculture, often achieved with the use of cover crops.
- Conservation tillage falls between no-till and full-till and usually involves cover crops.
- Cover crops keep the ground covered using a wide variety of plants in order to protect the soil and build organic matter.
- Polycultures and food forests traditionally employ two or more food types grown together, often utilizing trees in a multistory system.
- Agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems. It has been practiced around the world for centuries.
- Composting is the aerobic decomposition of carbon-rich material, such as wood, manure, and food waste, into a soil-enriching amendment (see Compost Nexus).
- Silvopasture is the integration of trees and grazing livestock on the same land, managed intensively for both forest products and forage (see Silvopasture Nexus).
- Pasture cropping is the intercropping of an annual crop within a perennial pasture and usually includes livestock grazing.
- Perennial crops are trees and vegetables that grow every year without seeding, including olives, asparagus, rhubarb, and globe artichokes (see Perennial Crops Nexus).
- Integration of livestock into cropping is the deliberate use of grazing animals as part of annual crop production (see Animal Integration Nexus).
- Biochar is a supercharged charcoal traditionally used as a method to boost the fertility of soils and capture water (see Biochar Nexus).
- Biological fertilizers are created by earthworms and microbes that break down carbon and minerals naturally in the soils for plants to use.
- Multispecies grazing, such as combining cattle and sheep into a single herd, can deliver multiple ecological and economic benefits.
- Keyline and permaculture use landforms and natural processes, such as water flow, as part of a design process for farming and regeneration.
Implement regenerative agriculture practices. The goal is to increase soil organic matter in tandem with enhanced cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water. A key step in the transition from conventional to regenerative is to stop using synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, which kill beneficial insects, soil microbes, and fungi. Regenerative farmer Gabe Brown explains the next steps: “I follow five principles that were developed by nature over eons of time. They are the same anyplace in the world where the sun shines and plants grow.” Here are Brown’s Five Principles:
- Limit physical disturbance of the soil. Tillage destroys soil structure. It tears apart the “house” that nature builds to protect the living organisms in the soil that create natural soil fertility.
- Keep the soil covered at all times. Nature abhors bare soil. By providing a natural “coat of armor” of plants, farmers protect the soil from wind and water erosion while providing habitat for macro- and microorganisms.
- Strive for diversity of both plant and animal species. Grasses, forbs, legumes, and shrubs all live in harmony with each other. Some have shallow roots, some deep. Some are high-carbon, some are low-carbon, and some are legumes. Each of them plays a role in maintaining soil health.
- Maintain a living root in the soil as long as possible. When you see green growing plants any time of year, it is a sign of living roots. Those living roots are feeding soil biology by providing its basic food source: carbon. This biology, in turn, fuels the nutrient cycle that feeds plants.
- Integrate animals. Nature does not function without animals. The grazing of plants stimulates the plants to pump more carbon into the soil. This drives nutrient cycling by feeding biology (see Animal Integration Nexus).
Improve livestock grazing practices. For ranchers, the regenerative goal is to mimic the “graze-and-go” behavior of native herbivores with domesticated livestock. This supports the biological health of the soil, improves water cycling, reduces erosion, and can increase the amount of carbon that can be stored in rangeland soils. Elements include controlling the timing, intensity, and frequency of livestock impact through short-duration rotational grazing. Methods include holistic planned grazing, mob grazing, adaptive high-stock-density grazing, and adaptive multi-paddock grazing.
Consult with regenerative agriculture experts. The transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture takes time and money. The Rodale Institute, a leader in organic and regenerative farming in the U.S., has a consulting guide for landowners. The Savory Network links progressive ranchers around the world. There are many individual consultants who work with landowners to improve their land and/or teach workshops and seminars, such as the Soil Health Academy, the Land Stewardship Project, and Rhizoterra.
Learn how to become certified in regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Organic Alliance has a certification program for farmers and ranchers who produce food, textiles, and personal care ingredients. The Rodale Institute has an immersive training program in regenerative organic practices focused on aspiring farmers who get to experience the entire production cycle of a diversified crop and livestock farm. Other programs:
- The Soil Health Academy has a Regenerative Agriculture 101 online program designed for farmers and ranchers.
- California State University, Chico’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems has a mentoring program for ranchers, as well as numerous educational materials.
- RegenAg works with producers in Australia.
Sell your regenerative products to consumers either directly or through a wholesaler or retailer. Direct marketing to consumers through online sales, farmers markets, a food cooperative, or other venues is a viable option. The Sweetgrass Cooperative in Colorado and New Mexico is an example of a rancher-owned regenerative food marketing and distribution co-op. For examples of businesses that use and make regenerative products, see Individuals above.
Companies
Integrate regenerative food and other products into supply chains. Investing in regenerative agriculture is good for business and an effective way to reduce a company’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Climate-friendly supply chains are an important link between regenerative farmers and ranchers and companies who move their products to market. Climate Collaborative has an online list of case studies, educational resources, and links for companies.
- Dr. Bronner’s makes a variety of personal care products and is a leader in supply-chain development for regenerative agriculture.
- McDonald’s Corporation UK is sourcing some of its beef from regenerative ranches that use rotational grazing methods.
- Eight companies that are supporting regenerative agriculture.
Assist in the development of carbon markets that support regenerative agricultural practices. Trading carbon credits to reduce greenhouse emissions was embedded in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Companies are either becoming directly involved in fostering markets or considering how to get involved in tackling the challenges and opportunities in monetizing soil carbon.
Governance
Pass healthy soil initiatives and other legislation that supports regenerative agriculture. Incentivizing soil health and carbon sequestration through regenerative agricultural practices can be accomplished by legislation and policy.
- State legislatures that have passed initiatives to improve soil health include California, Vermont, Illinois, Nebraska, and New Mexico. These bills can be the foundation for restoring degraded land.
- Following the Paris climate summit in 2015, the French government implemented a carbon sequestration policy called the 4 per 1000 Initiative, which encourages policies that support regenerative agriculture.
- The Growing Climate Solutions Act directs the USDA to create a certification program to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters navigate an array of private-sector programs in order to sell carbon credits.
Adopt policies and objectives that support regenerative agriculture and expand technical and financial assistance. Government agencies usually require policies to be enacted before they undertake projects. The USDA’s organic certification standards, for example, provide clear guidelines for producers and consumers. Promoting soil health practices through the agency’s department, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will help farmers and ranchers make the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Enforce antitrust legislation to reduce or eliminate the monopoly power that a handful of large agribusinesses have over the industry. Breaking up Big Ag would be difficult, but it could lead to numerous benefits for regenerative farmers and ranchers.
End subsidies for corporate agriculture. As a result of Brexit, the U.K. government is planning to phase out subsidies for British agriculture and replace them with financial incentives for environmentally beneficial farm practices. New Zealand phased out all farm subsidies in 1984, forcing a transition to market-based incentives.
Key Players
Organizations
Rodale Institute (U.S.) is a founder of the modern organic movement and a leader in regenerative agriculture for over seventy years.
Soil Association (UK) is an advocacy organization for regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, soil health, and climate action.
Savory Institute (Global) promotes holistic management, working to regenerate global grasslands.
Holistic Management International (U.S.) works to inspire, educate, and equip all land stewards, including farmers, ranchers, and conservation organizations.
Fibershed (U.S.) is a non-profit organization that develops regional fiber systems that build ecosystem and community health.
The Carbon Underground (U.S.) is focused on the links between soil health, regenerative agriculture, and climate change.
The Carbon Cycle Institute (CCI) (U.S.) advances the carbon cycle as the fundamental organizing process underlying land management and on-farm conservation in our efforts to mitigate and adapt to the global climate crisis.
The Land Institute (U.S.) is a science-based research organization working to develop an alternative to current destructive agricultural practices.
ReNature (Netherlands) utilizes the vast potential of Regenerative Agriculture in fighting today’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, poverty, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
Sustainable Harvest International (U.S.) is a nonprofit with over 27 years of experience partnering with family farmers to adopt regenerative practices that nourish people and the planet.
The Berry Center (U.S.) is putting Wendell Berry’s writings to work by advocating for small farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies.
Soul Fire Farm (U.S.) is an African Indigenous community farm centered on uprooting racism and promoting sovereignty in the food system.
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment (U.S.) is a working farm and research center dedicated to regenerative agriculture and education.
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) helps reduce poverty in rural communities and assists producers in gaining access to innovation.
Kiss the Ground (U.S.) is an educational nonprofit focused on carbon sequestration in soils, regenerative agriculture, and healthy food.
SoilCentric (U.S.) works to help you uncover your path to regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration; check out their app to get started.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) (U.S.) advocates for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
Regeneration International (U.S.) promotes, facilitates, and accelerates the global transition to regenerative food, farming, and land management.
American Farmland Trust (U.S.) is an organization focused on conservation agriculture, protecting farmland, and keeping farmers on the land.
Food Tank (U.S.) is a “think tank” for food, spotlighting sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty through food-system change.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (U.S.) is a nonprofit farm, education, and research center with a mission to catalyze an ecological food culture.
The Quivira Coalition (U.S.) works in coalition with ranchers, farmers, government agencies, and land stewards to foster resilience on working lands.
Slow Food International (Italy) cultivates a worldwide network of local communities and activists who defend cultural and biological diversity, promote food education and influence policies in public and private sectors.
Bioneers (U.S.) is an innovative nonprofit organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet
National Farmers Union (U.S.) advocates for family farmers, ranchers, fishers, and their communities through education, cooperation, and legislation.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads the UN’s effort to defeat hunger, achieve food security, and ensure people have access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency that provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers in the U.S. to put conservation into practice.
iGiveTrees (U.S.) supports organic agroforestry, reforestation, and assisted natural regeneration projects with the aim of restoring the biodiversity of our rainforests and savanna while genuinely benefitting local communities, primarily in Brazil.
Canadian Organic Growers (COG) (Canada) is the oldest organic and regenerative association dedicated to supporting farmers and gardeners adopting more ecologically-based agriculture practices..
Individuals
Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement, which focuses on the regeneration of our resources.
Elaine Ingham is recognized as the world's foremost soil biologist, advancing knowledge about the soil food web for over 4 decades.
Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY.
Winona LaDuke is a Native American activist, economist, and author who has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous control of their homelands, natural resources, and cultural practices.
Jill Clapperton is the Principal Scientist and Owner of Rhizoterra Inc. and an internationally recognized educator on healthy, productive soils that produce tasty, nutrient-dense food.
Allen Williams is a rancher and a partner in a pastured protein business named Joyce Farms.
Jonathan Lundgren is an agroecologist, Director ECDYSIS Foundation, and CEO for Blue Dasher Farm.
Vandana Shiva is a scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist, and anti-globalization author.
Darren Doherty is a 5th generation Bendigo region land manager, developer, author, and regenerative agriculture design specialist.
Educational Resources
Learn Dirt is a free knowledge-base for regenerative gardening techniques and information.
Learn
Watch
The Soil Story Narrated by Larry Kopald by Kiss The Ground (4 mins.)
Soil Carbon Cowboys by Roots So Deep (12 mins.)
How to Start a Regenerative Farm from Scratch by Heifer USA (20 mins.)
Healing the Earth with Regenerative Farming | Gabe Brown by Sustainability Champions (56 mins.)
Regenerative Ranching in a Pandemic by Civil Eats TV (5 mins.)
Meet Your Farmer: Regenerative Renegades by Natural Grocers (23 mins.)
Regenerative Agriculture: Nourishing the Soil, Healing the Planet by Bioneers (10 mins.)
Unbroken Ground: A New Old Way to Grow Food by Patagonia (25 mins.)
A Regenerative Secret by Kiss the Ground (8 mins.)
How Small-Scale Farmers Are Helping Companies Offset Emissions | FT Food Revolution by Financial Times (4 mins.)
Young Farmers Crushing It in the High Desert: Regenerative Agriculture | Grassfed Beef by Stefano Creatini (24 mins.)
One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts by Roots So Deep (15 mins.)
Herd Impact by Roots So Deep (23 mins.)
How Regenerative Agriculture Curbs Climate Change by Ecosia (17 mins.)
Regenerative Ranching with Jim Elizondo by Living Web Farms (32 mins.)
Inhabitants: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World Documentary by Inhabit Films (76 mins.)
Food, Inc - An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry (93 mins.)
The Biggest Little Farm Documentary (92 mins.)
Read
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization by David Montgomery / University of California Press
Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery / W. W. Norton & Company
Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture by Gabe Brown / Chelsea Green Publishing
The Carbon Farming Solution: A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices by Eric Toensmeier / Chelsea Green Publishing
Salad Bar Beef by Joel Salatin / Chelsea Green Publishing
Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey by James Rebanks / Mariner Books
One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl’s Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture by Stephanie Anderson / University of Nebraska Press
Fibershed: A New Textile Economy by Rebecca Burgess / Carbon Cycle Institute
Farming on the Wild Side: The Evolution of a Regenerative Organic Farm and Nursery by Nancy and John Hayden / Chelsea Green Publishing
Restoration Agriculture: Real-World Permaculture for Farmers by Mark Shepard / Acres U.S.A.
The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet by Kristin Ohlson / Rodale Book
Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey Through Carbon Country by Joseph Courtney White and J. Courtney White / Chelsea Green Publishing
Comeback Farms: Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures, and Profits with Livestock Grazing by Greg Judy / Green Park Press
The Farm as Ecosystem: Tapping Nature's Reservoir-- Biology, Geology, Diversity by Jerry Brunetti / Acres U.S.A.
Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment by Allan Savory / Island Press
Call of the Reed Warbler: A New Agriculture, A New Earth by Charles Massy / Chelsea Green Publishing
Regenerative Ranching: Maximum Sustainable Profit by Ranching in Nature’s Image by Jaime Elizondo / Indepdently Published
Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth by Judith Schwartz / Chelsea Green Publishing
For the Love of Soil: Strategies to Regenerate Our Food Production Systems by Nicole Masters / Acres U.S.A.
Cowboy Is a Verb: Notes from a Modern-day Rancher (Volume 1) by Richard Collins / University of Nevada Press
Grassroots Rising: A Call to Action on Climate, Farming, Food, and a Green New Deal by Ronnie Cummins / Chelsea Green Publishing
Defending Beef: the Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat (2nd ed) by Nicolette Hahn Niman / Chelsea Green Publishing
Silvopasture: A Guide to Managing Grazing Animals, Forage Crops, and Trees in Temperate Farm Ecosystems by Steve Gabriel / Chelsea Green Publishing
Soil Erosion 101 by Keith Mulvihill / NRDC
Regeneration Weekly is a newsleter dedicated to regenerative agriculture.
Regenerative Agriculture CDR Is A Better Solution Than CCS For Reducing CO2 Emissions by Donald E. Viecelli
Listen
Reversing Land Degradation with Dwayne Beck by the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast (76 mins.)
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