Regenerative Agriculture: A Holistic, Symbiotic Solution for a World in Crisis
Our food supply is in crisis. Over the past few decades, the food crisis has been growing exponentially due to soil erosion, chemical pollution, conventional farming methods, and decarbonization of the soil that food is grown in. The result is an overall deterioration of the variety and quality of food available for us to eat. Research shows food now has lower vitamin and mineral content along with an increased antibiotic and chemical content which is detrimental to human health. A solution to this crisis lies in Regenerative Agriculture, an approach to developing crops and sustaining the land in a way that replenishes the organisms that support the growth of nutrient-dense food. This is more than just growing and choosing organic food. Regenerative Agriculture is a solution that has the power to restore organic carbon to the soil, reverse climate change, and improve the health of the population.
Regenerative Agriculture and Organic Farming/Gardening
Regenerative Agriculture (RegAg) rebuilds organic matter and living biodiversity within the soil so the land can consistently produce nutrient-dense food year after year. Farming methods used in RegAg effectively store more water in the soil and rapidly draw carbon out of the atmosphere, trapping it underground, resulting in a significant reversal of damage to the climate. How significant? The National Academy of Sciences estimates that Regenerative Agriculture can sequester 250 million tons of carbon dioxide in the U.S. annually, or around 4% of the country's emissions. This is why RegAg is sometimes called "carbon farming."
Organic farming and gardening are a part of RegAg. Organic soil helps produce more nutrient-dense plants and foods. When these plants naturally biodegrade, are harvested, or are manually turned over into compost, they improve the nutrition of the soil and make it more hospitable to a wider variety of beneficial organisms (fungi, microbes, insects, etc).
This increase in soil biodiversity is the "soil cycle of life" (hence the term regenerative) which gives back not just to the growth and sustainability of crops but to the entire ecosystem. Regenerative Agriculture "works" for the smallest organisms living in the soil up through the ecological chain, supporting the health of all creatures including humans.
Key facets of Regenerative Agriculture are:
Increased organic matter in the soil brings insect biodiversity which helps control invasive species and pests that would otherwise destroy crops
RegAg does not harm the land; rather, it improves it using farming methods that revitalize the soil and the environment
The shift towards holistic ecosystems functioning symbiotically leads to more productive farms, healthier communities, and stronger economies
Methods of Regenerative Agriculture include:
conservation tillage
cover crops
crop rotation
composting
free range grazing
mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping
How Everyone Can Contribute to Regenerative Agriculture
You don't need acres of farmland to contribute to RegAg. Your backyard garden, your shopping choices, and what you do with food waste can all impact RegAg. If we do our part to grow food and eat sustainably, then we will be contributing to a holistic and symbiotic solution for the good of the planet and our health.
Find a local regenerative farm in your area and support their cause by buying direct or through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, if offered.
If you don't have a regenerative farm nearby, look for humane animal farms that raise animals in a way that is good for the environment. This would include pasture-raised farms, many of which will sell directly to consumers.
Choose to buy local and organic whenever feasible for you.
In your own garden:
Use organic soil and natural fertilizer
Compost food waste
Learn to mulch properly
Learn to plant the right plant, in the right spot, at the right time of year
Use natural pest deterrents such as botanically-based (instead of chemical), chicken wire, or netting
Plant native and disease-resistant plants rather than trying to grow things not suited to your climate zone
Maintain plant diversity, which will nourish the soil and encourage ecosystem biodiversity
Prune and weed the garden weekly, at minimum.
Regenerative Agriculture, whether implemented in your back yard or on a grand scale, holds the potential to transform farms and farmers into planetary heroes as they rebuild the land and grow the economy that supports life in all its forms.
References:
CivilEats.org. Carbon Markets and Regenerative Agriculture. Written July 27, 2021. https://civileats.com/2021/07/27/as-carbon-markets-reward-new-efforts-will-regenerative-farming-pioneers-be-left-in-the-dirt/
What is Decarbonization of Soil? http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/189108
EarthDay.org presents Regenerative Agriculture. https://www.earthday.org/campaign/regenerative-agriculture/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI95KOloeA9gIVtP7jBx1O5ABtEAAYBCAAEgJz0_D_BwE
Farmer's Footprint is a website dedicated to helping people understand the problem with monocrops and the dire state of the land from which we are trying to grow food. https://farmersfootprint.us
The FILM shows how one community dealt with the devastation caused by conventional farming and how they turned it around with RegAg. WATCH THE FILM | Farmer's Footprint https://farmersfootprint.us/watch/
Another film that has been streaming on Netflix is Kiss the Ground. Kiss the Ground | Soil Health Solutions | Join the Movement! https://kisstheground.com/
Regeneration International is a website dedicated to showing the world the power of regenerative farming practices and the effect on ecosystems. https://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/. Their video series is a practical introduction to the power of regenerative agriculture. https://regenerationinternational.org/resources/
HumanKind.org Programs. The Diet-Climate Connection: How the Foods We Eat Affect the Planet We Inhabit. http://humanmedia.org/dcc/
Neff, R. "Food Matters: How What We Eat Affects Our Health and the Health of the Planet." Imagine. (Jan/Feb 2009), 18-21.
The Ecology Center and Planet Natural offer gardening schematics and companion planting tips. https://www.theecologycenter.org/how-to-design-an-organic-vegetable-garden/ https://www.planetnatural.com/organic-gardening-guru/design/
