Regenerative agriculture is the single most exciting concept I have ever come across. In my head, my heart, and in my gut it makes sense and offers a real solution to many of our greatest challenges as a species and a planet.

The health of our environment, of our communities, and of individuals have come under attack from the destructive tendencies of the industrial era. Climate change is real and here. Tribalism and growing intolerance of others. Rising rates of cancer and mental health issues are directly related to how we interact with the world around us. While our species continues to grow and develop on many levels, it is destroying the eco-system around it, and this, unchecked, can only end one way.

Regenerative agriculture is the beginning of a solution. It is a glimpse of light at he end of the tunnel. To me it is a catalyst to look at our world in a different way, that applied more broadly could help bring a future for future generations that is not only livable, but almost heavenly.

But what is Regenerative Agriculture?

There are different definitions of regenerative agriculture but for now I will try and summarize the best I can in my own words.

“Regenerative agriculture, at its heart, focuses on giving more than it takes. It does this primarily by focusing on soil health, with remarkable knock on affects to the environment and humans themselves.”

The after-effects of doing this one thing, focusing on soil health, include but are not limited to:

Carbon sequestration, reducing climate change.

Increased water holding capacity of soil, reducing flooding, soil loss, and run off pollution.

More nutrient dense foods, improving human health.

Healthier eco-systems, leading to more resilient environment.

How? I will go more in depth into soil health in my next post, but to sum up it comes down to two things. Soil organic matter, mostly in the form of carbon, and the health of microorganisms and fungal networks in the soil.

Soil organic matter increases not only the fertility, but also the soil’s water holding capacity. An increase from levels seen on most industrial farms today of around one percent organic matter to eight percent results in the soil being able to absorb even the most extreme rainfall events. Roughly half an inch per hour absorbed at one percent organic matter to thirty two inches of rainfall or more at eight percent. These increases have been shown to happen in a few years on multiple regenerative farms and land management projects.

We are only beginning to discover the importance of microorganisms and fungal networks in the soil. While plants need only nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous to grow, they need much more to reach their full potential and maximum nutritional benefit. Microorganisms and fungi are required.

Microorganisms contribute to the fertility of the soil and nutrient cycling. Fungal networks allow plants to communicate with one another, alerting them to dangers, and even sharing resources with one another. Together the microbial life and fungi allow for healthier, more nutritious, and more resilient plants.

Industrial agriculture uses synthetic fertilizers to feed the plants the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous they need to grow. These fertilizers, as well as other chemicals sprayed onto the crops, and tilling practices result in the eradication of microorganisms and fungal networks, as well as the release of organic matter from the soil into the atmosphere.

The result of this system of agriculture is nutritionally incomplete food, soil that is lacking fertility and unable to absorb high quantities of rainfall, as well as increased carbon in the air. Other factors such as mono-cropping lead to a lack of diversity on farms reducing habitats for other species.

Regenerative agriculture takes carbon from the air and puts it in the ground, building soil organic matter and the microbial and fungal life. It focus on re-introducing as much diversity as possible to a farm. It wants us to act more like nature itself.

Time to Act

Over the past one hundred and fifty years we have incurred a debt to our planet. The planet, it turns out, is a most forgiving lender. It is always looking for ways to help us pay down this debt and regain equilibrium.

Since the year 1750 humans activities have added 2.2 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We have had a great deal of help reducing this debt from the ocean and the land which has absorbed approximately 1.2 trillion tonnes of this. In doing this work on our behalf, the oceans have become thirty percent more acidic, affecting the natural balance within them. They cannot take on any more of the load. 1 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide, directly related to human activities, remains in the air. It is essential for us to pay down this debt and the soil is our greatest hope.

We can get tribal around issues like climate change. Get angry, put our heads in the sand, or blame others. The reality is, that whoever and however we got here, we must capture the potential of our soils to act as a carbon sink. Our soils offer the potential to capture the entire one trillion tonne carbon debt that we have generated to date.

Without doing so climate change will accelerate, leading to desertification, natural disasters, eco-system collapse, food shortages, and social unrest. If we do capture this carbon in the soil, regenerative agriculture believes the opposite will happen. Instead of desertification there will be forests, prairies, flowers and an abundance of nature. Our climate will become more stable. Food will be abundant and communities re-connected.

It all begins with the soil. The soil gives me hope.

Hope for a world where future generations can thrive. One where they will look back. Look at this time, at the actions we took, and be proud.