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Image
A producer in Stanly County, North Carolina, rolls down a cover crop just minutes before planting corn.

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 Photo

Regenerative Agriculture

Call to action:

Support regenerative agriculture to sequester carbon in soils, restore degraded land, produce healthy food, and strengthen ecological and cultural resilience.

Since 1850, industrial agriculture(link is external) 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(link is external) generated by humans. Taking its cues from nature, regenerative agriculture(link is external) focuses on restoring and maintaining biologically healthy soil(link is external). By recarbonizing soils(link is external) via photosynthesis and biology(link is external), regenerative agriculture produces healthy food(link is external)protects watersheds(link is external), strengthens ecological(link is external) and cultural diversity(link is external), and expands economic resilience(link is external) – critical needs under climate change(link is external). It is a low-cost, “shovel-ready(link is external)” solution that can restore degraded land(link is external). It can feed the world(link is external). Regenerative agriculture has ancient origins(link is external) and is the foundation of Indigenous(link is external) and traditional food systems worldwide.

Nexus Rating SystemBeta

Solutions to the climate emergency have unique social and environmental effects, positive and negative. To develop a broader understanding of the solutions in Nexus, we rate each solution on five criteria.

Sources for each Nexus are graded numerically (-3 through 10), and the average is displayed as a letter grade. You can explore each source in depth by clicking “view sources” below. For more information, see our Nexus Ratings page.

Regenerative Agriculture
7.53
7.91
8.25
8.44
7.33

Regenerative Agriculture

Culture
B+
Women
A-
Biodiversity
A-
Carbon
B+
Reference Social Justice Culture Women Biodiversity Carbon
Native Growers Decolonize Regenerative Agriculture(link is external) 7.0
Growing Stronger: The Sustainable Roots of Indigenous Agriculture(link is external) 8.0
Indigenous farmers hope their knowledge of regenerative practices can influence others(link is external) 9.0
Empowering Women in Agriculture through Regenerative Practices: How Consumers Can Support the Movement(link is external) 7.0
The 3 changes that can pave the way for regenerative agriculture(link is external) 7.0
Regenerative agriculture needs a reckoning(link is external) 5.0 5.0 8.0
Regenerative agriculture (link is external) 9.0 9.0
Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably(link is external) 8.0 9.0
Does Regenerative Agriculture have a race problem?(link is external) 5.0
Regenerative Agriculture: An agronomic perspective(link is external) 8.0
Regenerative agricultureagroecology without politics?(link is external) 6.0
Women at the Forefront of Regenerative Agriculture(link is external) 9.0
Regenerative Agriculture and Racial Justice(link is external) 9.0 9.0 9.0
What climate and environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture practices? an evidence review(link is external) 8.0
Good for the soil but good for the farmer? Addiction and recovery in transitions to regenerative agriculture(link is external) 8.0
Efficacy of the Ecosystem Services Approach in Transitioning to Regenerative Agriculture in Australia(link is external) 8.0 7.0
Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably(link is external) 9.0 9.0
Cultivating Change: Women Lead the Way in Regenerative Agriculture(link is external) 8.0 9.0 9.0
Supporting Black Women farmers working to expand regenerative agriculture in the Southeastern US(link is external) 7.0 7.0 7.0
Moving towards an anti-colonial definition for regenerative agriculture(link is external) 7.0 7.0
Youth agripreneurship development in Benin: lessons for scaling up from Songhai Center agripreneurs(link is external) 8.0 8.0
A Leap of Faith: Regenerative Agriculture as a Contested Worldview Rather Than as a Practice Change Issue(link is external) 7.0
Female farmers lead regenerative farming efforts globally(link is external) 9.0
Regenerative Agriculture Part 4: The Benefits(link is external) 9.0 9.0 9.0
Women Farmers Are Leading Northern India from Subsistence to Regeneration(link is external) 8.0
How the regenerative economy can advance social equity and gender equality(link is external) 8.0 9.0 8.0 9.0
Regenerative Annual Cropping - Project Drawdown(link is external) 7.0
Quantifying soil carbon sequestration from regenerative agricultural practices in crops and vineyards(link is external) 7.0
Regenerative agriculture: Key to solving the climate crisis(link is external) 8.0
7.5 7.9 8.3 8.4 7.3

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(link is external) by industrial societies began with the work of Sir Albert Howard(link is external), who studied traditional farms in India and observed that “health of soil, plants, animals, and humans is one and indivisible.”(link is external) Today, regenerative agriculture(link is external) is seen as both a sustainable way(link is external) to produce healthy food(link is external) and repair environmental damage(link is external)Practices(link is external) include agroforestry(link is external)no-till(link is external)silvopasture(link is external)rotational grazing(link is external)cover crops(link is external), and crop diversification(link is external) (see Farmers and Ranchers below).

Understand that modern regenerative agriculture is based on Indigenous and traditional foodways. Food was produced organically and regeneratively(link is external) long before the rise of industrial agriculture. These systems fed billions of people(link is external). They still exist and form the foundation of regenerative agriculture(link is external) today and are key to sustainable food systems into the future(link is external). (see Agroecology Nexus and Agroforestry Nexus).

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.

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(link is external).

Join a social media site run by an advocate for land protection and restoration. A sampling of social media sites (see Key Players below):

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.

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(link is external) and his workshop Treating the Farm as an Ecosystem(link is external); Mark Shepard’s book Restoration Agriculture(link is external), about growing perennial food crops and its companion, Water for Any Farm(link is external); and Will Harris’ A Bold Return To Giving a Damn(link is external). The USDA provides a list of resources on soil health(link is external). There are also scientific papers(link is external) and research journals(link is external) that can help farmers and ranchers decide on appropriate practices, including Indigenous and traditional farming systems (see Agroecology Nexus and Agroforestry Nexus). Practices include:

Implement regenerative agriculture practices. The goal(link is external) is to increase soil organic matter(link is external) in tandem with enhanced cycling(link is external) of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water. A key step in the transition from conventional to regenerative(link is external) is to stop using synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, which kill beneficial insects, soil microbes, and fungi. Regenerative farmer Gabe Brown explains(link is external) the next steps: “I follow five principles that were developed by nature over eons of time(link is external). They are the same anyplace in the world where the sun shines and plants grow.” Here are Brown’s Five Principles(link is external):

Improve livestock grazing practices. For ranchers, the regenerative goal(link is external) is to mimic(link is external) the “graze-and-go” behavior of native herbivores(link is external) with domesticated livestock. This supports the biological health of the soil, improves water cycling, reduces erosion(link is external), and can increase the amount of carbon(link is external) that can be stored in rangeland soils. Elements include controlling the timing, intensity(link is external), and frequency of livestock impact through short-duration rotational grazing(link is external). Methods include holistic planned grazing(link is external)mob grazing(link is external)adaptive high-stock-density grazing(link is external), and adaptive multi-paddock grazing(link is external).

Consult with regenerative agriculture experts. The transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture takes time and money(link is external). The Rodale Institute, a leader in organic and regenerative farming in the U.S., has a consulting guide(link is external) for landowners. The Savory Network(link is external) 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(link is external), the Land Stewardship Project(link is external), and Rhizoterra(link is external).

Learn how to become certified in regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Organic Alliance has a certification program(link is external) for farmers and ranchers who produce food, textiles, and personal care ingredients. The Rodale Institute has an immersive training program(link is external) 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:

Sell your regenerative products to consumers either directly or through a wholesaler or retailer. Direct marketing(link is external) to consumers through online sales, farmers markets, a food cooperative, or other venues is a viable option. The Sweetgrass Cooperative(link is external) 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(link is external) and an effective way to reduce a company’s greenhouse gas emissions(link is external).

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(link is external). Companies are either becoming directly involved(link is external) in fostering markets or considering how to get involved(link is external) in tackling the challenges and opportunities(link is external) 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(link is external) and policy.

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(link is external), for example, provide clear guidelines for producers and consumers. Promoting soil health practices(link is external) 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(link is external) 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(link is external) for British agriculture and replace them with financial incentives for environmentally beneficial farm practices(link is external). New Zealand phased out(link is external) all farm subsidies in 1984, forcing a transition to market-based incentives.

Learn

Watch

Soil Carbon Cowboys(link is external) by Roots So Deep (12 mins.)

A Regenerative Secret(link is external) by Kiss the Ground (8 mins.)

Herd Impact(link is external) by Roots So Deep (23 mins.)

Food, Inc(link is external) - An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry (93 mins.)

Read

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization(link is external) by David Montgomery / University of California Press

Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life(link is external) by David Montgomery / W. W. Norton & Company

Salad Bar Beef(link is external) by Joel Salatin / Chelsea Green Publishing

Fibershed: A New Textile Economy(link is external) by Rebecca Burgess / Carbon Cycle Institute

Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey Through Carbon Country(link is external) by Joseph Courtney White and J. Courtney White / Chelsea Green Publishing

Defending Beef: the Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat(link is external) (2nd ed) by Nicolette Hahn Niman / Chelsea Green Publishing

Soil Erosion 101(link is external) by Keith Mulvihill / NRDC

Regeneration Weekly(link is external) is a newsleter dedicated to regenerative agriculture. 

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