Regenerative Agriculture: Healing the Land While Feeding the World

The agriculture industry works to balance feeding the world while also being good stewards of the earth’s resources. Climate change and global challenges have forced farmers to cultivate practices that will heal the land and promote sustainability. Agriculture experts are integral in product development, research, education and implementation of products that promote these principles. Soil is arguably one of the most integral parts of farming. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 95 percent of the food we eat comes directly or indirectly from our soils. The world’s soil is so important to food production, and yet it is reported that about one-third of the world’s soils are already degraded. This is where regenerative agriculture comes in, and it offers hope to heal lands and feed the world. Regenerative agriculture at its core aims to restore degraded soils through various practices. Experts note that these practices are not new to the farmers, but regenerative agriculture is now reaching broader audiences and increasing in importance. Let’s explore some of these practices and their impact on feeding the world.

 

Adaptive Grazing

 

Adaptive grazing involves considering the changing conditions of the ranch’s soils and responding accordingly. This regenerative ranching technique involves rotating cattle not according to a schedule, but rather according to the condition of the soil as well as other factors like frequency, timing, duration and intensity. The overall goal of this practice is to prevent overgrazing and keep the soil as healthy as possible.

 

No-Till Planting

 

Regenerative agriculture has shown the benefits of no-till farming, which does not disturb the soil as much. Tilling has been part of farming since the beginning of agriculture, but agriculture experts recognize the need for less tillage or no-till planting. Some of the benefits of no till farming include improving soil structure through less disruption, reducing erosion, minimizing compaction and increasing soil fertility. When farmers see the need to reduce tilling practices, they must be equipped with the techniques to continue managing their crops. Some of the techniques used in no till farming include composting with organic matter, direct drilling, strip-tilling and zone tilling. Increasing soil health is vital to feeding the world, and no-till planting along with other regenerative practices will help improve soil health.

 

Input Use Management

 

Implementing regenerative agriculture practices will improve the overall health of the soil which means less inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides are necessary. Optimally, synthetic inputs will only need to be used minimally or as needed rather than as standard practice. Agriculture experts note that reducing synthetic inputs increases sustainability and increases a plant’s resilience to drought, pests and heavy rainfall. Additionally, biologicals can be used alongside these regenerative agriculture techniques. Benefits of using biologicals include stimulating, enhancing and shifting the microbiome, as well as leveraging the microbiome to provide supplemental nitrogen.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Improving soil health is crucial to the sustainability of agriculture and feeding the world. Regenerative agriculture techniques, such as adaptive grazing, no till planning, input adjusting and more, are just some of the ways farmers and ranchers can improve soils. Education on the importance of regenerative practices needs to continue. Support from agribusinesses and experts to the farmers and ranchers is important to see these techniques implemented properly. Ultimately, healing the land through regenerative practices will help feed the world.