Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is an alternative farming practice that has been gaining momentum and interest among farmers because of its capability to lower input costs, improve soil health, and strengthen the resilience of farming systems. (Alexanderson et al., 2023).

Rodale Institute defined Regenerative Agriculture as “one that, at increasing levels of productivity, increases our land and soil biological production base. It has a high level of built-in economic and biological stability. It has minimal to no impact on the environment beyond the farmer field boundaries. It produces foodstuffs free from biocides. It provides for the productive contribution of increasingly large numbers of people during a transition to minimal reliance on non-renewable resources” (Giller et al., 2021).

According to FAO (2023), regenerative agriculture includes a broad range of farming and livestock techniques intended to restore and manage soil health sustainably via the sequestration of soil organic carbon. A transition to ecosystem rehabilitation in agriculture is guided by at least six management techniques and strategies:

●   reduction and removal of biocides in farming.

●   decrease or elimination of soil disturbance by limited or zero tillage.

●   steady use of green manures and integration of trees and herbaceous perennials to maintain cropping and ground cover.

●   increase of biodiversity (both temporally and spatially) to support a variety of above- and below-ground flora and fauna.

●   elevated organic amendments, especially carbon for fungal populations that promote soil structure and healthy plant rhizospheres.

●   animal integration and holistic management to improve nutrient cycling and lower greenhouse gas emissions.