What is regenerative agriculture?
What is regenerative agriculture? Landscape News
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The Importance of Regenerative Agriculture in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
The way humanity eats today is undermining our very ability to continue feeding ourselves tomorrow. Our food systems are the leading driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss, a key driver of land degradation, and the origin of up to one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. And yet, demand for food could double between 2005 and 2050.
So, how can we continue to meet this most basic of human needs in the decades to come? Enter regenerative agriculture – a term that’s increasingly popping up in policy debates and corporate commitments, but whose precise meaning remains blurry. So, what exactly does it entail? How can it benefit us, and what will it take to put it into practice on a significant scale?
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
There is no single set of internationally agreed principles for regenerative agriculture. Some definitions focus on processes – for instance, the use of cover crops and integration of livestock – while others emphasize outcomes, such as restoring the carbon content of the soil, or promoting biodiversity and ecosystem services.
However, the Africa Regenerative Agriculture Study Group, which is steered by partners like CIFOR-ICRAF and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, came up with a working definition ahead of COP26 in 2021.
Broadly, they see regenerative agriculture as encompassing both sustainable agroforestry techniques and conservation agriculture. This can include crop diversification, shade tree planting and reduced tillage to minimize physical, chemical and biological disturbances to the soil.
Why is Regenerative Agriculture Important?
Regenerative agriculture aims to boost efficiency and crop yields by restoring soil health and enhancing the biodiversity that underpins ecosystem services such as pollination. At the same time, it also reduces the need for inputs like artificial fertilizers and pesticides. This helps build climate resilience and offers communities with additional sources of income.
How Can Regenerative Agriculture Benefit Us?
Regenerative agriculture can benefit workers across entire supply chains, as well as consumers and the environment. Farmers, for example, can enjoy higher yields and lower costs by using alternative sources of livestock feed. This also reduces their dependence on costly inputs such as synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, and even antibiotics.
In East Africa, farmers adopting agroforestry practices have seen their yields double, and in the Sahel, FMNR led to increases in crop production ranging from 35 percent to 170 percent. The same report finds that the increased uptake of regenerative agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa could support nearly 5 million jobs and add more than USD 70 billion in gross value added per year by 2040. It would also bolster food security and help smallholders earn more money through diversified revenue streams.
How Can Regenerative Agriculture Help Solve Climate Change?
About one-third of the world’s carbon is stored in the soil beneath our feet. That makes it the second-largest carbon storage on Earth, after the ocean. Regenerative practices can sequester vast amounts of carbon dioxide by increasing soil organic carbon, reducing emissions from agricultural inputs, and increasing plant, shrub, and tree coverage.
Regenerative practices can also make farming systems more resilient to the effects of the climate crisis, such as more frequent and intense droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks. They also increase biodiversity, including that of plants, microorganisms, and insects, which is essential for climate and water regulation and to keep pests and diseases under control.
Is Regenerative Agriculture Profitable?
Despite the benefits, regenerative agriculture does incur start-up costs that farmers, agribusinesses, and policymakers must factor in. However, programs to halt and reverse land degradation could generate some USD 1.4 trillion per year in economic benefits – far exceeding the costs of continuing with business as usual.
So, if there is a clear business and environment for regenerative agriculture, what will it take to implement it on a large scale? Access to training, investment incentives, and appropriate policies – all grounded in an understanding that it’s all about preserving our food systems for future generations to enjoy.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | Target 2.4: Sustainable food production systems | Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters | Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into their national policies, strategies, and planning |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services | Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world | Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species | Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounts | Indicator 15.9.1: Progress towards national targets established in accordance with Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 |
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
The article discusses the importance of regenerative agriculture in ensuring sustainable food production systems to meet the increasing demand for food.
SDG 13: Climate Action
The article highlights how regenerative agriculture can help combat climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide and making farming systems more resilient to climate-related hazards.
SDG 15: Life on Land
The article emphasizes the role of regenerative agriculture in conserving biodiversity, restoring degraded land, and protecting natural habitats.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Target 2.4: Sustainable food production systems (SDG 2)
The article discusses how regenerative agriculture can contribute to sustainable food production systems by improving crop yields, reducing the need for artificial fertilizers and pesticides, and enhancing soil health.
Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters (SDG 13)
The article highlights how regenerative agriculture practices can make farming systems more resilient to the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks.
Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services (SDG 15)
The article emphasizes the role of regenerative agriculture in conserving and restoring terrestrial ecosystems through practices like agroforestry and farmer-managed natural regeneration.
Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world (SDG 15)
The article discusses how regenerative agriculture can contribute to combating desertification and restoring degraded land by improving soil health, reducing erosion, and increasing water retention.
Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species (SDG 15)
The article highlights how regenerative agriculture practices can help protect biodiversity by promoting ecosystem services, enhancing plant and insect diversity, and preventing habitat loss.
Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounts (SDG 15)
The article mentions the importance of integrating ecosystem and biodiversity values into planning and development processes to promote regenerative agriculture and achieve sustainable land use.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators. However, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:
- Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture (SDG 2)
- Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into their national policies, strategies, and planning (SDG 13)
- Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area (SDG 15)
- Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area (SDG 15)
- Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index (SDG 15)
- Indicator 15.9.1: Progress towards national targets established in accordance with Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 (SDG 15)
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
