Regenerative agriculture, unleashing soil superpowers, reducing GHGs, boosting farm revenue

This article is part of our special report Next-generation farming, sowing the seeds of data-driven agritech success.

Soil is anything but inanimate. Not only is it a living entity, but it is also one of the planet's most complex ecosystems. Through all its functions - food production, water purification, and greenhouse gas reduction, soil is essential for human life.

A recent study found that soil is home to 59% of all life on Earth, from insects feeding on its surface to tiny microbes nestled in soil pores, making soil one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.

And yet, up to 40% of the world’s agricultural land has degraded.

The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warns that 90% of the planet’s topsoil could be at risk by 2050.

To further compound the problem, farmers across the globe are being asked to increase their crop yields and decrease their environmental impact while dealing with severe weather changes.

Defining the ‘regenerative’ in agriculture

Many policies and corporate commitments are increasingly advocating for regenerative agricultural techniques to slow the depletion of the world’s soils and help restore them. But what does regenerative agriculture entail?

Regenerative agriculture is a set of methods for improving the health of soil degraded by intensive farming. Some definitions focus more on the processes used, such as using cover crops and integrating livestock. In contrast, others emphasise outcomes, such as restoring the soil's carbon content.

Despite the current enthusiasm for the term, regenerative agriculture is not a modern idea. It is an ancient concept that originated with Indigenous peoples worldwide centuries ago.

In many Indigenous worldviews, humans and nature are not separate forces but parts of a whole that need each other to thrive.  Researchers at the Rodale Institute in the US started using the terms ‘regenerative agriculture’ and ‘regenerative farming’ in the early 1980s. The terms then fell out of use until about 2015.

In 2017, Regeneration International defined ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ as “farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.”

The definition goes on to detail other practices: minimum-till / no-till; the use of cover crops, crop rotations, compost, and animal manures to support soil fertility; supporting biological ecosystem biodiversity; and grazing practices “to stimulate improved plant growth, increased soil carbon deposits, and overall pasture and grazing land productivity while greatly increasing soil fertility, insect and plant biodiversity, and soil carbon sequestration”.

Regenerative agricultural examples

There are several techniques that regenerative farms could adopt to benefit the soil that sustains their crops.

No-till farming involves farmers leaving dead plant matter to decompose in the soil following harvest. This approach revitalises the soil ecosystem by providing organic material, creating a healthier foundation for future plants, and encouraging thicker topsoil layers, which increases resilience in drought conditions. Additionally, it reduces the need for fertilisers.

Another example of regenerative agriculture is multi-strata agroforestry. Farmers integrate large trees, such as macadamia or coconut, with a lower layer of crops, including corn and peas. This variety in production fosters ecological diversity and enables farmers to better navigate fluctuations in the food market.

Planned rotational grazing is also an effective way to improve soil health through livestock farming. In this method, cows or sheep are confined to designated paddocks within a more extensive pasture. After grazing on one patch of grass for a set period, they are moved to another nearby section.

This method has several benefits, starting with healthier soils and lush grasses. The movement of the livestock ensures thorough fertilisation, and when the grazing periods are timed correctly, grasses can be left to regrow, drastically increasing growth rates.

Is it working?

The benefits of regenerative farming are increasingly being documented. According to a Regenerative Farming in Africa report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the UN, if regenerative farming was implemented in Africa, crop yields could rise 13% by 2040 and up to 40% in the future.

The World Economic Forum estimates that if a fifth of farmers in the European Union adopted regenerative farming techniques, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture could be 6% lower a year by 2030.

The Forum’s 2022 report, Transforming Food Systems with Farmers: A Pathway for the EU, also finds that improving soil health over an area equivalent to 14% of agricultural land across the 27-country grouping would improve farmers' incomes by between €1.9 and €9.3 billion annually.

Nevertheless, switching to regenerative farming is more complicated than it sounds. As one analyst put it, “For growers in conventional farming communities, the transition is an obstacle course”.

If a farmer chooses to cultivate cover crops, they will likely have many questions. What type of cover crop is best suited for their soil? What equipment is necessary? When and how should it be removed—should you spray it with pesticides, till it, or allow it to grow and then harvest it? How should you adjust fertiliser application for the primary crop? Will any of these factors affect their yields?

There are also downsides to no-till farming that must be considered. First, the equipment required to maintain a no-till agricultural operation can be prohibitively expensive.

Additionally, it takes years to reap the rewards of enhanced soil, such as greater crop yields. Most farmers might not have the luxury of being patient, especially given today's financial and yield pressures.

Regenerative agriculture networks are growing globally.

Regeneration International lists partners in Asia, Latin America, the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Still, despite this gain in momentum, the switch is not happening as fast as needed, and conventional row-crop agriculture continues to dominate most of the world.

Policies and incentives can effectively guide the agriculture sector toward regenerative practices. Farmers transitioning to regenerative farming should receive financial support and a conducive environment. However, knowledge sharing is essential for the success of regenerative agriculture.

Tom Pyfferoen has been farming for five decades in Pine Island, Minnesota, and manages 1,200 acres. He was inspired by a regenerative agriculture farmer nearby and believes that a neighbour is best positioned to advise and convince surrounding farmers. He sometimes hosts field days to share insights, which attracts about 60 to 70 curious growers to his home.

In 2022, Pyfferoen planted cover crops on as much of his land as possible, reducing tillage to about 5% of fields. He said he was not getting paid by any crop buyers to implement these practices but saw a clear value: "I used to run about 166 pounds of nitrogen per acre. This year, I only needed 107 pounds. Yields continue to come up," he said.

[Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]