I know these seem like scary times, and they are! Especially in the food space! Since the dawn of farming, most agricultural soils have lost from 30% to 75% of their original soil organic carbon (source). While that can be a frightening statistic, I am glad to see, there is hope to save us: Regenerative agriculture.
What are the Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative Agriculture offers a multitude of benefits for our farms, our environments, and our food, including (but not limited to):
- Fights climate change by pulling excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and putting it into the soil to support soil microbial life
- Mitigates the effects of extreme weather, like drought and flooding
- Grows new, healthy topsoil that was once eroded (95% of our food comes from topsoil!)
- Provides more nutrients to plants and grasses, which results in more nutritious meat from the animals that graze those forages
- Reduces runoff and fosters clean bodies of water
- Rebalances ecosystems and protects beneficial insects, including pollinators like bees
- Helps small farmers to return to profitability through reduced input costs and increased yields
Utilizing regenerative practices can help us undo the damage we’ve done to our natural world, our grasslands, and our soil. Hope is not lost, regenerative agriculture can save us.
