Regenerative Agriculture

Over 50% of the world’s agricultural land is currently degraded, resulting in annual productivity losses of $400 billion and posing a significant threat to future food security. However, regenerative farming presents a transformative solution that can restore agricultural land and mitigate the industry’s environmental impact, notably by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

By adopting regenerative practices, we can not only enhance the quality of our land but also ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture.

What Is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a farming method that places priority on soil health.
The benefits of healthy soil are numerous, including increased food production and nutritional value, enhanced carbon storage, and augmented biodiversity.
Soil can house up to 6 billion microorganisms per teaspoon, according to the New South Wales Government in Australia.
Besides microorganisms, soil is also home to various species like insects and fungi.
A healthy soil is also instrumental in supporting other ecosystems and natural processes like water drainage and plant pollination.

Principles Of Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is rooted in a set of principles that prioritise the restoration, resilience, and long-term health of the environment.

Firstly, it emphasises soil health, with techniques such as cover cropping and composting to enhance soil fertility and structure, reduce erosion, and sequester carbon.
Secondly, it promotes biodiversity. By cultivating a diversity of plants and animals, regenerative agriculture supports a rich ecosystem, creates habitats for native species, and increases resilience to pests and disease.
Thirdly, it encourages water conservation, utilising practices like contour farming and agroforestry to manage water resources effectively.
Fourthly, it focuses on climate-friendly farming practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration in the soil.
Lastly, regenerative agriculture values holistic management. It views the farm as an interconnected system where all elements contribute to its overall health and sustainability.

What Does Regenerative Agriculture Involve?

The principle of regenerative agriculture lies in reducing the ploughing of land to a minimum, says Regeneration International. This step helps keep CO2 in the soil, enhances its water retention capability, and does not disrupt the vital fungi in the soil.
An important method is crop rotation, where different crops are grown alternately. This encourages biodiversity.
The use of animal waste and compost in agriculture is also a key part of regenerative farming, aiding in the replenishment of soil nutrients.
The practice of allowing animals to graze continually on the same land can lead to soil degradation, says the
Regenerative agriculture in Europe report by the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council. As a solution, regenerative agriculture recommends shifting grazing animals to various pastures frequently.

The Need For Regenerative Farming

Today’s farming methods, which include the use of heavy machinery and fertilisers, cause soil degradation.
The organisation, Regeneration International, warns that there may be insufficient soil to feed the world in 50 years.
Intensive farming techniques release CO2 from the soil into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming.
The UN reports that agriculture is responsible for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Soil damage and land erosion increase the vulnerability of regions to extreme weather events like floods, which are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change.

What Are The Benefits Of Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture stands as a lucrative alternative to conventional farming, holding powerful economic benefits for farmers.
These practices often result in reduced input costs.
By building healthier soil structures that retain more water and nutrients, farmers can cut back on expensive synthetic fertilisers and irrigation systems.
The increased biodiversity can minimise pest damage, potentially reducing the need for costly pesticides.
In addition, regenerative agriculture can increase crop yields. Healthier, nutrient-rich soils tend to foster more productive plants, which may lead to larger harvests. This rise in productivity translates into greater income for farmers.
Moreover, societies worldwide are becoming more environmentally conscious, leading to a burgeoning market for sustainably produced foods.
Farmers practising regenerative agriculture can tap into this market demand, selling their crops at a premium due to their sustainable label.
The ability of regenerative agriculture to sequester carbon presents opportunities for additional revenue streams.
Farms could potentially profit from carbon credits in future markets, adding to their bottom line while also contributing to global climate solutions.
Regenerative agriculture boosts water use and efficiency by improving soil health and nutrient retention.
Research shows a 1-percent rise in soil organic matter per 0.4 hectare (ha) can increase water storage by over 75,000 litres.
Globally, long-term field experiments confirm that regenerative agriculture practices greatly enhance soil organic carbon stocks.
The Indian Government supports regenerative agriculture principles through the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture in line with its climate commitment.

Carbon Storage via Regenerative Farming

The potential of regenerative farming to store carbon in soil is hotly debated.
Some studies question both the permanence of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and the accuracy of satellite-based measurements.
Certain critics argue that carbon storage through agroforestry is more reliable than SOC.
However, these critics should consider various scientific papers. These papers suggest that cropland sequestration globally could store around 1.5 gigatons of carbon (GtCO2) per year. This amounts to approximately 55 GtCO2 over 35-40 years.
The possible carbon removal increases when techniques such as composting municipal food waste, tree cropping, hedgerows and other cropland buffers, and pasture restoration or biochar are incorporated.
Therefore, regenerative farming could be a substantial contributor to climate change mitigation. It could potentially remove 100-200 GtCO2 by century’s end, far exceeding current emission levels.

Success Stories Of Regenerative Farming Worldwide

Australia: Neils Olsen, a pioneering regenerative farmer, stands out by being the first globally to receive government payment for soil carbon sequestration. His innovative practice integrates various crops and grazing plants like pulses and grasses to enhance soil nutrients, yield, and soil carbon.
Brazil: Cotton farmers have remarkably tripled their cotton yield by incorporating secondary and tertiary vegetable crops (sesame, pumpkin, and corn) with their primary cotton crop. They also transitioned to organic alternatives instead of chemical fertilisers, resulting in up to seven-fold yield increases in the secondary crops.
Tanzania, East Africa: Farmers have successfully diversified their farming by growing domestic crops such as beans, bananas, and maize alongside commercial crops like cardamom, demonstrating the potential of regenerative farming in this region.
Peru: Researchers from the International Potato Center have successfully implemented crop rotation with potatoes and barley, which has helped to reduce erosion and improve soil fertility. This practice has also increased potato yields by as much as 40%.

Preventing Land Degradation In India Through Regenerative Agriculture

Indian farms are facing a crisis due to land degradation, affecting roughly 29 percent or 96.4 million hectares of India’s total area. This problem is equivalent to about 2.5 times the size of Rajasthan, India’s largest state.
India aims to be land-degradation-neutral by 2030, a target announced in September 2019 at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
The formation of one inch of topsoil—rich in organic matter and microorganisms—takes between 500 and 1,000 years.
Unfortunately, soil erosion, a natural process, is exacerbated by agricultural activities, leading to topsoil loss at a faster pace.
Also, India struggles with a serious water problem. About 17 states/Union Territories are categorised as ‘over-exploited’ due to annual groundwater extraction exceeding annual extractable groundwater resource.
Based on Falkenmark’s Water Stress Index, approximately 76 percent of Indians experience water scarcity.
As the largest user of freshwater, agriculture contributes significantly to water stress, consuming up to 91 percent of the country’s freshwater resources.

Advantages Of Regenerative Agriculture For Small Farmers In India

Regenerative agriculture can provide several crucial advantages to small farmers in India, mainly through carbon sequestration. Here are the key benefits:

Soil organic carbon (SOC) revitalises depleted soils and minimises water usage. This improvement boosts crop yield, simultaneously reducing expenditure by lowering the need for fertilisers and chemicals.
Improving soil quality enhances the resilience of farms against environmental challenges like droughts and heavy rainfall. This enhancement ensures durability and sustainability, safeguarding agricultural productivity in adverse conditions.
Small farmers can earn additional revenue by selling carbon credits in the growing voluntary carbon credit markets. A carbon credit represents the right to emit one ton of greenhouse gases, with each certificate equating to one ton of carbon.
FMCG companies are encouraging their agricultural suppliers to lower emissions by implementing regenerative agricultural practices. They are prioritising suppliers who are already utilising these methods.
This transition can support small farmers, who are often excluded from profitable supply chains, in expanding their reach by embracing regenerative agriculture.