What is Regenerative Agriculture?

What is Regenerative Farming?

Regenerative Agriculture is a philosophy (followed by a set of agricultural practices) that aims to reverse the depletion of natural resources that Industrial Agriculture caused. Regenerative Agriculture aims to build healthy soil for years to come, increase biodiversity, restore balance in ecosystems, and mitigate climate change.

How to start Regenerative Farming?

There are hundreds of ways to start Regenerative Farming today. An easy one is to enrich your soil not by adding chemical fertilizers but rather naturally. For instance, you can plant a clover, like Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), in your soil before starting the next season of your main crop. This legume is famous for fixing Nitrogen into the soil. Rhizobia bacteria located in the roots of Alfalfa convert atmospheric Nitrogen into organic Nitrogen, a procedure called “fixation.” This procedure provides great amounts of Nitrogen (N) to subsequent crops and soil organic matter. Moreover, this plant among others creates strong deep roots that penetrate the soil and improve air circulation, drainage, and microbial activity.

Planting a specific crop like this to improve soil structure and fertility is a typical example of Regenerative Farming that aims to reverse the natural resource degradation that Industrial Agriculture has caused. You can also familiarize yourself with Crop Rotation, Cover Crops, and Soil Conservation Practices.