As we witness the mounting challenges posed by climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, regenerative agriculture emerges as a beacon of hope, offering a paradigm shift from conventional farming practices. 

What is regenerative agriculture, you might ask? It’s not just a buzzword; it’s a transformative approach that aims to go beyond sustainable. It’s about reviving our soils, re-establishing ecosystems, increasing biodiversity, and, indeed, healing the earth. Think of regenerative agriculture as an act of stewardship—a commitment to leaving the land better than we found it. It’s about working with nature, not against it—and in the process, creating healthier food and a healthier planet.

In an episode of Good Together, Evan Harrison, the CEO of Kiss the Ground, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about regenerative agriculture through storytelling, education, and advocacy, shared the ins and outs of the innovative approach to farming and how it’s changing the world for the better. “It’s pretty wild to see different farmers around the world, all in different circumstances, really start to geek out in a very positive way [from] seeing the results from regenerative practices,” he says.

Here’s everything you should know about regenerative agriculture, from what it is to how it benefits the environment.

What Exactly Is Regenerative Agriculture?

You may have heard about some of the downsides to conventional agriculture. Traditional farming practices can cause soil degradation, water pollution from the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and deforestation. That’s where regenerative agriculture comes in.

According to Harrison, just 4% of the U.S. adult population knows that regenerative agriculture can be a “viable solution for our health crisis, our water crisis, and the climate crisis.” If you’re curious about what regenerative agriculture is, exactly, Kiss the Ground sums it up perfectly. According to its website, “Regenerative agriculture takes a systems-based, holistic look at the land being stewarded and applies various principles with the goal of making the land more productive and biodiverse over time.” Here are four fast facts you should know.

1. It’s a systems-based, holistic approach

Harrison says the first thing you should know about regenerative agriculture is that it’s a “system-based holistic look at land being stewarded.” It also involves principles that focus on working in sync with nature—not against it—which makes it a much more sustainable farming method.

2. It’s nothing new

According to Harrison, even though the term “regenerative agriculture” is finally getting the attention it deserves, it’s nothing new. “Regenerative agriculture has been around for many, many, many years,” he says. According to the Noble Research Institute, the term was initially coined by the Rodale Institute in the 1980s, though “the principles and practices behind this movement existed long before then.”

3. It favors multicropping vs monocropping

In monoculture farming, only one type of crop is grown year after year on the same field. Multi-crop farming, however, involves planting two or more kinds of crops in the same field. Monoculture farming doesn’t have the best track record for soil health. It also leads to a loss of biodiversity and increases the risk of disease and pests. That’s why regenerative agriculture prioritizes the more planet-friendly option.

“Instead of just having one field of hundreds and hundreds of acres of soy or wheat, it’s about having lots of different crops planted,” he says. “So you’re producing year-round.”

4. It keeps things simple

Harrison says the key takeaway is that regenerative agriculture is about simplifying agriculture. “It’s about the least disturbance,” he says. “With chemicals, with tilling, and really utilizing the integration of animals, and going back to the way smaller farms worked before the industrialization and before we’ve shifted and started with such heavy reliance on chemicals.”

The Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture carries a multitude of benefits. It not only provides a sustainable solution to feed the world’s growing population but also plays a significant role in combating climate change.

Unlike conventional farming practices, regenerative agriculture helps store carbon in the soil, effectively reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. By embracing practices like crop rotation and cover cropping, regenerative agriculture also boosts biodiversity, promoting a healthier ecosystem. Then there’s the reduced water footprint: The soil health improvement leads to increased water retention capacities, ultimately conserving water.

The Takeaway

So, what should be our takeaway on regenerative agriculture? It’s quite simple. Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that prioritizes the health of the soil and the environment. It’s about working with nature, not against it, and it’s about understanding that our actions have a lasting impact on the world around us.

This farming method goes beyond sustainable agriculture. It doesn’t just aim to maintain the status quo; instead, it works to improve it.