Regenerative agriculture Agri tech

Regenerative Agriculture 

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

It comprises a range of techniques, supported by innovative technologies, which can combat the challenges cause by climate change by restoring the health of soil and protecting the land’s ecosystem.

Principles and practices behind regenerative agriculture

The agricultural sector needs to transform, and regenerative agriculture can enable this transition through building up soil organic matter and nurturing its health. But it is not a one-size-fits-all solution – instead, each unique context requires a different set of farming approaches to maximize productivity while restoring soils and biodiversity. Different regenerative practices suit different regions or even individual farms depending on the conditions, although they are underlain by a common set of principles.

1.  Minimize soil disturbance

2.  Plants in the ground year round

3.  Diversify crops in time and space

4.  Optimize application of biological and chemical inputs

5. Integrate livestock when possible

01)   Minimize soil disturbance

Principle: Minimizing soil disturbance benefits the soil and the climate

Practice: No-till or reduced-till techniques

When soil is plowed or tilled, it’s structure is damaged, leaving it vulnerable to wind and water erosion and microbial decomposition. Tilling lessens the soil’s ability to retain water, devastating crops during increasingly frequent droughts. Farmers practicing regenerative agriculture greatly reduce or stop tillage and instead plant seeds directly into the residue of the previous crop. With this, the soil contains more organic matter and is less prone to being blown away by wind or washed away by water

02)   Plants in the ground year round

Principle: Year-round plant coverage prevents soil erosion and increases carbon inputs

Practices: Growing cover crops, double cropping

Soil health improves when crops are kept in the ground year-round. Regenerative agriculture farmers plant a different crop immediately after harvest, often alternating  cash crops and cover crops. This green cover shades the soil and the roots dig into it, increasing moisture.

03)   Diversify crops in time and space

Principle: Diversifying crops in space and time supports resilience, productivity, and diversity 

Practices: Crop rotation, inter seeding, relay planting and biodiversity strips or agroforestry 

Planting the same crops on the same fields, year after year, strips soil of nutrients and allows pests and weeds to flourish. In regenerative agriculture, farmers rotate different types of crops over time. This helps limit pest infestations and nourishes beneficial microbes in the soil with a more diverse diet. Rotating between nitrogen-fixing crops like soybeans and nitrogen-hungry crops like corn can reduce the need for fertilizers. 

Inter  seeding is when cover crops are planted between commercial crop rows

Relay planting means inserting the seeds of the next crop even as the first one is still growing

Biodiversity strips at the margins of fields or trees and shrubs around the boundaries of farmland (agroforestry) create habitats for pollinators and other beneficial wildlife.

04)  Optimize application of biological and chemical inputs 

Principle: Reducing biological and chemical inputs

Practice: Precision agriculture 

Data-driven precision farming is a key part of regenerative agriculture. Farmers use digital tools, like soil-scanning sensors, to create detailed field maps and tailor applications of crop protection products and fertilizers. This leads to using only the optimal amount and the right type of product needed for a productive crop.

05)   Integrate livestock when possible

Principle: Livestock can help create a virtuous circle of soil health

Practice: Managed grazing  

Livestock – cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs – are walking bioreactors, transforming plant material into rich organic matter through manure production. Whenever it is practical to integrate livestock into crop production, there are a range of benefits including increased fertility and improved soil structure. Grazing cover crops or crop residue at the end of the season helps prepare the land for the next round of seeding, without tilling. 

Can Regenerative Agriculture Feed the World?

Modern agriculture has done a remarkable job of feeding the 7.9 billion world population. Yet with the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, agriculture faces increasing challenges from degraded land, unprecedented weather extremes, new pests and blights migrating from other parts of the world and diminishing water resources

Regenerative Agriculture can Improve Both the Quantity and Quality of Food Crops

Research shows that building soil organic matter through regenerative practices can improve yields. Regenerative farming practices build up organic matter in the soil, so that it is better able to retain water and nutrients. During long periods of drought, crops can survive for longer periods in soil that retains moisture. 

Studies of high-tech row crop farming in the US which applied regenerative practices maintained similar yields versus conventional practices and also Kenya found that the use of regenerative practices in maize, sorghum, and beans increased yields significantly (up to 200%). as well as   found that as soil organic matter concentrations increase, so do yields.

Yields will not always increase the moment regenerative practices are introduced. As with any monumental shift, farmers may need a transition period. 

Crops grown in biologically active, healthy soil are richer in nutrients. This has huge implications for the growing global population.

Who is affected by regenerative agriculture?

Interest in regenerative agriculture is growing across the entire food value chain. It is a response to growing food insecurity and increasing threats from climate change, and a recognition that agriculture is part of the solution to both the world’s biggest challenges. Food – and other products – that are more friendly to the environment are also a big trend among consumers in the US and other countries.

Large food value chain companies are committing to source ingredients produced through regenerative practices. Nestlé, the world’s largest food and drinks company, is committed to source 50% of key ingredients through regenerative agricultural methods by 2030. PepsiCo, the second largest, committed to regenerative practices across 7 million acres by 2030. Other companies with regenerative agriculture commitments include Cargill, General Mills, McCain and Walmart. 

Many partnerships are also being formed to help farmers adopt regenerative agriculture. Syngenta Group and The Nature Conservancy are collaborating on business practices to improve sustainability including soil health, resource efficiency and habitat protection. We also work with many others, including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Solidaridad, Cargill, and Kellogg’s.

Benefits of Regenerative agriculture

1.Increased yield on existing arable land prevents further deforestation and saves natural habitats

2.Improved biodiversity 

3.Enhanced farm profitability and farmer's livelihoods

4.Mitigates impact of extreme weather 

5.Better nutrition and human health

6.Enhanced nutrient management ,water retention and less greenhouse  gas emissions

7.Higher yields and increased food security

Barriers to adopt regenerative agriculture

1.  Gaps in scientific understanding

2.  Trusted technical advice

3.  Uncertain return on investment

4.  Access to capital

5.  Consumer demand

6.  Policy and incentives

Goals of regenerative agriculture

1.Produce enough nutritious food for the world’s population

2.Help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

3.Restore threatened biodiversity and enhance natural habitats

4.Prevent further deforestation and grassland conversion by increasing productivity on existing farmland

5.Enhance farmer livelihoods.