Regenerative Agriculture: Environmental Benefits and Business Opportunities

Modern agriculture is in crisis, and the more years pass, the more soil quality is being lost. As far as biodiversity is concerned, we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, and one of the most promising alternatives for such an uncertain future is regenerative agriculture.

Although the term regenerative agriculture has no fixed definition, it is very often used to describe agricultural practices that promote and stimulate soil health by regenerating its organic carbon. Globally, the soil surface has a distinct capacity to incorporate carbon, in fact, it is much more efficient than the atmosphere. However, globally, carbon stocks have been radically reduced as a result of factors such as the conversion of native lands to plantation and grazing land. Indeed, one of the main objectives of regenerative practices is to use some of the carbon that plants have absorbed from the atmosphere in such a way as to regenerate by balancing the carbon present in the soil.

In terms of climate change benefits, the main objective of regenerative agriculture is to remove carbon dioxide from the air and collect it in the soil.

Among the many practices within the concept of regenerative agriculture is so-called 'no-till agriculture' where the farmer instead of ploughing uses methods to channel the seeds of the plantation directly into the soil to limit carbon losses. There is also the use of cover crops, which are used to embank and cover the soil after the main plants have been harvested. A better known practice is ‘rotation’, where planting three or more plants in rotation over several years, often in combination with livestock grazing, results in an increase in overall soil quality. This rotation technique also has an extremely positive effect on the quantity produced per mt2: one mt2 of regenerative cultivation produces more than three times the agricultural product of intensive cultivation. Increasing the quality of the soil will also reduce the amount of fertiliser and pesticides used for planting, generating multiple benefits in terms of their disposal through the groundwater.

In terms of climate change benefits, the main objective of regenerative agriculture is to remove carbon dioxide from the air and collect it in the soil. However, there are also many business opportunities that can potentially be linked to regenerative agriculture.

There is no doubt that such methods of cultivation are linked to food consumption and use, and more and more products have moved from being produced sustainably to being produced through regenerative cultivation methods. In this case, more and more restaurants are including menus with 'climatarian' diets, aimed at reducing the ecological footprint. In this way, the consumer, by recognizing these products, is stimulated and sensitized more towards certain virtuous choices, and small acts such as going to the restaurant could generate big changes on a city scale.

As mentioned above, regenerative agriculture is also able to increase the overall harvesting capacity per square meter by increasing soil quality, reducing costs, conserving water and generating more biodiversity. It should be borne in mind that in traditional agriculture, where land is ploughed and plants grow with the help of expensive fertilizers and pesticides, farms and industries lose tons of topsoil per acre every year, precisely because of certain chemicals that seep into the aquifer system.

Also related to the above point is the concept of 'fair trade' for which according to Fair Trade USA CEO Paul rice, "By 2006, Fair Trade and other forms of ethical sourcing will prove that the voice and choices of the consumer can truly change the world".

Business Benefits

• Regenerative agriculture is a promising resource for the catering industry, as more and more users will be inclined to buy zero-impact products.
• By increasing soil quality, regenerative agriculture produces more agricultural quantities per mt2, promotes savings in water quantities and finally acts directly in a positive way in the production and protection of biodiversity.
• A business focused on 'Fair-trade' not only generates positive outcomes in economic terms, but is also capable of directing consumer preferences towards more conscious and sustainable consumption.