Regenerative Agriculture
- December 3, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Regenerative Agriculture
Subject: Environment
Context: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on “Climate Change and Land” listed Regenerative agriculture as a ‘sustainable land management practice’ that focused on ecological functions and “can be effective in building resilience of agroecosystems.”
Concept:
- Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming system that focuses on soil health, food quality, biodiversity improvement, water quality, and air quality.
- It is a method of farming that improves the resources it uses,rather than destroying or depleting them.
- It is often also referred to as — agroecological farming, alternative agriculture, biodynamic agriculture, carbon farming, inclusive nature farming, conservation agriculture, green agriculture, organic regenerative agriculture and sustainable agriculture.
- Regenerative agriculture adheres to the following principles:
- Minimise soil distribution through conservation tillage
- Diversify crops to replenish nutrients and disrupt pest and disease lifecycles
- Retain soil cover using cover crops
- Integrate livestock, which adds manure to the soil and serves as a source of carbon sinks.
Benefits:
- Improves soil health through practises that increases soil organic matter, biota and biodiversity.
- Enhance water holding capacity and carbon sequestration.
- Reduces erosion, facilitates retention and nutrient cycling.
- Provides habitat for diverse species and is beyond sustainability.
- Builds resilience and mitigates the effects of extreme weather caused by a changing climate.
How is regenerative agriculture being different from other similar practices?
| Conservation Agriculture | Sustainable Agriculture | Agroecology Farming | Regenerative Agriculture |
| – based on three principles — zero tillage, crop diversification and rotation. – preserve soil organic matter and moisture. – promotes nutrient cycling and helps the prevention of pests and diseases. – supports sustainable land management, environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation. – 20 to 50% less labour-intensive and contributes to reducing GHG emissions. | – ensures food production through resource efficiency, making farming economically viable and improving farmers’ quality of life. – However, the term ‘sustainable’ implies maintaining the status quo. – Sustainable farming practices aim to use only the resources that are available. | – a holistic approach that enables interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. – It brings equity to the food system by offering people a choice over both production & consumption. – shares commonalities with sustainable agriculture. | – works on the premise that healthy soils are the foundation of regenerative agriculture, which in turn enables the symbiotic relationship between plants and soil microorganisms living in the soil. – It is open, as there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach to soil regeneration. |