We often hear the word regenerative agriculture in the context of sustainable farming, but what is it exactly?
For those of you who, like me, briefly dabbed into meso-American history in college, might remember many academics linking the disappearance of the Mayan civilization to their practice of slash and burn, which required eradicating plants and trees and then setting fire to the empty land in order to maximize the soil’s productivity. Thanks to the nutrient-rich ash, Mayan farmers reaped the fruits of their labor for two to three years, only to having to start fresh with new land afterwards, as the practice of slashing and burning eventually leads to soil “infertility”. If the theories are correct, this constant abuse to the Mayan ecosystem led not just to massive soil erosion and destruction of local habitats, but to the overall disappearance of the Mayans as a society. Slash and burn was, as it stands, the antithesis of regenerative agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture utilizes farming practices that increase soil biodiversity and organic matter. It isn’t necessarily organic agriculture, mainly because organic farming is known to use a lot more more water than regular farming (i.e. organic cotton requires almost twice as much water per yield than conventional cotton). Following California’s 2013-2017 drought, Fibershed’s own Rebecca Burgess has collaborated with farmers and ranchers across the state to promote and implement carbon farming (ecologically enhanced agriculture) “to improve the rate at which Co2 is removed from the atmosphere and transformed into plant material and soil organic matter” and achieve “land self-renewal”. These practices, according to Burgess, imply discontinuation of overgrazing, tillage, and the use of diesel and other fossil-fuel-based elements for transportation, dyeing, and treatment of cultures. Instead, she suggests that soils should be covered yearlong with living plants and other organic matter, be minimally disturbed and diversified with animals and plants. The organisms naturally present in the soil serve multiple functions, from nourishing plants to aiding water-channeling to them. Tilling (the practice of preparing the soil for farming through mechanical agitation) kills the majority of those organisms, forcing farmers to rely on harmful fertilizers to provide the same assistance to the plants that the soil’s organisms do for free, and absolutely at no negative impact to the environment.
Another cardinal factor in regenerative farming is related to the animals, which should be managed following planned grazing principles, by mimicking their natural nomadic patterns. With the right practices, animals can have a fundamental role in sequestering massive amounts of carbon into the soil, nourishing lands and even reversing the effects of deforestation and desertification. Rather than perpetuating the devastating practices of overgrazing (when animals eat grass before its natural ability to regrow at a sustainable pace), regenerative farming teaches that animals should be allowed to graze in tightly packed herds, like they normally do in nature, allowing sufficient time for grass to grow and be consumed again, in a perpetual cycle.
Farmers and ranchers are challenged in following regenerative agriculture principles due to financial constraints and weather unpredictability, as well as labor and equipment availability. What they need is financial incentives, like the ones provided by Carbon Farm Planning (CFP) or the Carbon Management and Evaluation Tool (COMET).
There are many different types of regenerative agriculture, but according to Terra Genesis International (a management and consulting group dedicated to the stabilization of climate change and to help shifting farming towards holistic and regenerative practices), the four common guiding principles are:
1. “Progressively improve whole agroecosystems (soil, water, and biodiversity)”
2. “Create context-specific designs and make holistic decisions that express the essence of each farm”
3. “Ensure and develop just and reciprocal relationships among all stakeholders”
4. “Continually grow and evolve individuals, farms, and communities to express their innate potential”
In her latest book, FIBERSHED, Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy (2019), Rebecca Burgess informs us that by regionalizing the supply chain and sequestering three additional tons of Co2 per hectare, the carbon impact in any land would actually be negative. Fibersheds can empower farmers and ranchers to explore the wide variety of methods currently known to capture carbon and grow climate-friendly fibers, as well to become part of a strong network of growers and makers united by the same passion for our lands, our soils, and entire ecosystems.
(Cover photo by Pixabay on Pexels)