The Rise of Regenerative Agriculture: How Food Companies are Catalyzing Regenerative Farming Practices
- Media Manager
- Apr 17, 2023
- 1 min read
Conservation Finance Network
Written By: Christina Kohler
Published: April 18th, 2023
Photo Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
Regenerative agriculture is a defining term for sustainability in our food system - while there is no one true definition of regenerative agriculture, the concept has been around for centuries, taking root in Indigenous growing practices. Regenerative approaches can bolster soil health and watershed health. They can also add to climate mitigation and potentially tie into regulatory or commercial incentives for a more sustainable diet. Techniques include crop management - such as the use of cover crops to reduce soil erosion or crop rotation to support soil microbe diversity - and soil management such as conservation tillage which minimizes the plowing of lands and reduces soil disturbance.
You might ask how regenerative agriculture is different from organically grown products – in the United States, organic is a specific labeling term federally regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An organic product has been grown with strict specifications laid out and protected by the National Organic Program, ensuring the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal that you’re likely familiar with. However, countries around the world have their own organic certification programs - such as the EU organic logo or the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) - and not all are equivalent. Regenerative agriculture, on the other hand, is not currently regulated and does not have a standardized definition. There are some verification and certification systems in place, which we’ll explore later. The term “regenerative” generally focuses more on the health of the overall ecosystem, rather than the USDA Organic Seal which regulates specific practices and substances.
