Journal

Modern agriculture has led to worldwide issues like monoculture farming, and the reduction of soil fertility. As these become more apparent, many farmers are switching to farming methods like regenerative agriculture as a model for the future. Although regenerative agriculture is a new term, the principles have existed since before modern agriculture. Indigenous communities across the globe used similar practices. Although adaption to regenerative agriculture is new to many, it could be what sustains future generations. Read more in this article from Mic.

Any definition of regenerative agriculture must evolve over time, like the whole living systems that we aim to regenerate.”

TERRA GENESIS INTERNATIONAL

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Water availability is decreasing in West Texas, and farmers are facing extreme weather events and the likelihood of impending drought conditions. Some farmers have turned to regenerative farming and ranching methods like rotational grazing and conservation tillage in order to improve farmland resiliency and water holding capacity. Read more in this High Plains Public Radio article.

“The main thing was the soil degradation that we were seeing from high winds and prolonged periods of dry conditions,” farmer Chad Wall said. “When you see your topsoil piling up at the edge of the field, or on the highway, it was not uncommon. It was really my concern from seeing that that made me want to find another way.”

ChaD Wall, alcove farms

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The Food Lab conducted a study, working with six major food companies, and concluded the most cost-effective way to reach GHG goals is to follow six assumptions and strategic approaches.

The assumptions about what farmers need to implement and sustain regenerative practices drive program costs for technical assistance, measurement, motivation from engaging with buyers, and financial incentives. The experiences of the participating companies hinted that the impact at scale would increase, and program cost per unity may decrease only when strategic approaches are also adopted. Read more in this article from Sustainable Food Lab.

Our initial hypothesis is that at a certain scale there is a tipping point in which company investment, along with outreach from a strong implementing partner, can achieve a multiplier effect.”

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PepsiCo recently launched a new initiative intending to spread regenerative farming practice over 7 million acres, approximately equal to its entire agricultural footprint – called Positive Agriculture. PepsiCo estimates this initiative will eliminate a minimum of 3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. An additional goal includes improving the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain and communities, including empowering women and minority farmers. Read more in this article from Sustainable Brands.

Any plan to tackle the urgent challenges facing the global food system must address agriculture — the source of nourishment for billions of people and a key lever to address climate change and inequality.”

RAmon Laguarta, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO

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Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, most known for their work on the CW hit series “The Vampire Diaries,” intend to surpass sustainability with the debut of their Bourbon, Brother’s Bond, by supporting regenerative agriculture. The concept of their new bourbon arose from their filming days, where after work, the two would share bourbon.  Somerhalder and Wesley envisioned a brand they could build from the ground up – working with farmers and empowering them to make changes for the world. Read more in this article from Forbes.

Building communities around farming and regenerative agriculture is the way to the future. We see that as a very powerful and positive thing. The companies that are going to create the largest amount of stewardship are the companies with the triple bottom line: people, plant, profit.”

Ian Somerhalder

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Danone North America, in a new public-private partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, announced a multi-year agreement to utilize state and federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for soil health. Danone farmers will now have more access to seeds and incentives to plant cover crops, which is critically important for nutrient balancing and overall soil health. Their soil health initiative aims to identify ways to help regenerate soils by enhancing organic matter and soil fertility and drive long-term economic and environmental benefits — such as soil carbon sequestration, reduced chemicals use, soil water holding capacity, and increased biodiversity — to improve the economic resilience of farmer communities. The commitment is in addition to Danone’s previously announced investment of up to $6 million in soil health research over the next four years. Read more in this Cision article.

As America’s largest maker of organic and plant-based foods, as well as yogurt, we saw an opportunity to initiate this breakthrough collaboration to benefit the farms on which we rely to make great food.” 

Tina Owens, Senior Director OF Agriculture, danone north america

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A group of veteran growers is undertaking a soil health experiment in reducing tillage, which has been out of reach for many on organic farms. If these three California farmers can figure out how to eliminate tillage in their production systems, there could be widespread beneficial effects. As these farmers continue to learn the many nuances to cover species, plasticulture and occultation, composting, and other methods that change the living processes happening underground the results have surprised even the most veteran farmers in the experiment. Read more in this Civil Eats article.

It’s one of the most exciting times I’ve had as a farmer…The scientific body of knowledge is making wonderful leaps in our understanding of soil ecology. The hunches we had as organic growers . . . are now being borne out and understood.”

PAul Muller of Full Belly

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While the organic label remains valuable to consumers, some are starting to look for more than what organic certification requires. The pandemic has driven demand for more attention to how products are sourced – regenerative agriculture certifications might be what today’s consumers are looking for. Read more in this Worth article.

As important as the organic designation has been, it leaves a critical part of the agricultural puzzle unaddressed. We may know that our kale has been grown without certain synthetic chemicals. But how do we know if it’s been cultivated in a way that restores the planet, strengthens food security or fights climate change?”

Karn Manhas

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Evan Thaler, a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his team of scientists has estimated that a century of plowing has destroyed a third of all cropland topsoil, negating centuries of accumulated prairie grass, on hilltops in the upper Midwest. Although some scientists are skeptical of Thaler’s methodology citing use of assumptions to fill in gaps in data, even the study’s critics agree that topsoil is endangered. Read more in this NPR article.

The new study emerged from a simple observation, one that people flying over Midwestern farms can confirm for themselves. The color of bare soil varies, and that variation is related to soil quality.”

DAN CHARLES

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General Mills’ and Danone’s programs are testing theories of carbon sequestration, gathering new data which could lead to big changes to our agricultural system. These pilot programs help farmers transition to no-till agriculture and crop rotation, plant cover crops, and other regenerative practices. By switching to these regenerative practices– through government grants and fund matching initiatives – they hope farms will restore soil, foster biodiversity, protect water systems, reduce greenhouse gases, and sequester more carbon as explored in this Greenbiz article.

Danone’s farmers planted cover crops on 64 percent of the total acreage and practiced no-till on 77 percent. The national average is 5 percent and 33 percent respectively. They also doubled the number of crop species to 32.”

Jesse Klein

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