Every second, four football field-size land becomes degraded, reaching a total of 100 million hectares of land a year. Desertification and drought are climatic disasters becoming more abundant because of climate change. To promote awareness, the United Nations General Assembly declared the 17th of June as the official day to Combat Desertification and Drought. This day is about creating awareness, highlighting human-led solutions to these problems, and strengthening the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification implementation.
"Up to 40 % of the world's land is already degraded, affecting nearly half of humanity. Yet the solutions are on the table. Land restoration lifts people out of poverty and builds resilience to climate change. It is time to unite for land and show a red card to land loss and degradation worldwide."- Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary.
It is time to protect and restore our ecosystems to prevent more disastrous effects on the world's healthy land and ecosystems. This article will tell you more about regenerative agriculture and how adaptations in natural resource management can have a positive impact on your farm's ecosystem.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Figure 1. The 6 core principles of regenerative agriculture. (Derived from: Agricaptureco2.com, 2023)
Regenerative farming is a farming system in which the soil and the ecosystem are central elements. Regenerative practices sequester carbon in the soil and increase soil health while increasing biodiversity. This is done by implementing practices to minimize erosion and maximize the soil's water-holding capacity, using natural resources as efficiently as possible.
How does regenerative farming combat desertification and drought?
In regenerative farming, several techniques are used to combat desertification and drought. The following components work together to improve the whole ecosystem of your farm:
- Soil health: This is achieved using reduced tilling (or even no-tilling) practices. By doing this, the soil is minimally disturbed, allowing it to build up a healthy soil structure that will eventually lead to higher soil moisture conservation. It also causes more carbon to be stored in the soil, as tillage releases this carbon into the atmosphere. Another often-used technique is keeping crop residues on the soil that will function as a mulch. This will help the soil to build up organic matter and conserve soil moisture, increasing the soil fertility.
Figure 2. No-till practices sequester carbon and hold water in the soil. (Derived from: Kiss the ground, 2017)
- Water management: Optimal use of water resources is important as water is becoming scarcer worldwide due to climate change. Regenerative farming uses drip irrigation to irrigate crops to minimize water use. It also includes using cover crops and vegetation strips to hold water on the land and prevent it from running off. At the same time, they help to keep the soil together with their roots.
- Biodiversity: It is important to diversify crops on your farm, as they can break insect and disease cycles and reduce weeds, stabilizing your farm's ecosystem. It can also help you reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers, as including legumes in your rotations helps fix nitrogen in the soil. Livestock can be included in your farm system to keep it balanced as they mix their urine and manure into the soil while grazing, increasing soil fertility.
In conclusion, regenerative agriculture presents a promising solution to combat the increasing threats of desertification and drought. By prioritizing soil health, sustainable water management, and ecosystem restoration, regenerative practices restore degraded lands and build resilience in the ecosystems.
Adopting these practices is essential to preserve healthy land and ecosystems while contributing to a sustainable and resilient future for global agriculture.
Further reading
- What is Regenerative Agriculture?
- Regenerative Agriculture: What is it? Who is it for? Common practices, principles and resources
- The Significance of Sustainable Farming Practices
- Optimizing Soil Health: Understanding and Balancing Soil Organic Matter
- What is soil compaction?
- What is soil degradation?
- How to prevent soil erosion?