Land degradation around the world is continuing at an alarming rate. According to The Guardian, it already covers 15 million square kilometres, an area larger than Antarctica. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations stresses that the loss of land biodiversity on such a large scale is quite a threat to the world. Is there a solution to this problem? One way to counteract the negative effects of land degradation is regenerative agriculture.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a sustainable approach to growing food that focuses on protecting and restoring the health of the soil and surrounding ecosystems. The origin of the concept of regenerative agriculture dates back to the 20th century, when farmers in the United States and Australia began to recognise the negative effects of traditional agriculture.
The main tenets of regenerative agriculture include improving soil structure, increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
Regenerative farming methods
This type of agriculture is based on practices designed to keep the soil in a healthy state. Interestingly, some farmers carry out some of the assumptions without knowing that they fit into the philosophy under discussion. So, what does regenerative agriculture mean in practice? One of the principles is crop diversity, or so-called crop rotation. Introducing crop rotation increases biodiversity and fertilises the soil. It is therefore advisable to change the planting location of a particular crop or vegetable species every year.
Sowing a catch crop on depleted soil also has a good effect. This is a way of enriching it with more minerals. After the harvest season, it is advisable to graze animals in the place where the crop grew. This is a natural way of fertilising an unused, degraded field.
However, there are many more methods of regenerative agriculture. The concept is based on reducing the interference of machinery in the soil structure. This applies above all to ploughing. In addition, proponents of the regenerative approach recommend:
- lime the soil for cultivation,
- keep the use of artificial fertilisers to a minimum,
- use modern irrigation systems (e.g. mechatronic devices, reservoirs),
- avoid bare soil (better to plant catch crops on it),
- manage post-harvest residues.
Will these measures solve the problems of modern agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is best for the soil. However, excessive ploughing, monocultures and the use of large quantities of synthetic fertilisers have negative effects. These lead to degradation of soil structure, loss of organic matter and decline in biodiversity. Weakened soil loses its ability to retain water, which increases the risk of erosion. As a result, farmers receive poorer yields.
Practices used in regenerative agriculture increase organic matter content and protect against erosion. The use of natural fertilisers enriches the soil with valuable components. It also improves its ability to retain water.
Minimising mechanical treatments preserves soil structure. This encourages the growth of micro-organisms, which play an important role in making essential nutrients available to plants. In addition, healthy soil rich in organic matter absorbs and stores CO₂, reducing its concentration in the atmosphere.
Disadvantages of regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is not without its drawbacks. Its implementation is quite a challenge, as it requires a complete change of approach. In the initial phase, this type of agriculture may involve lower yields and more labour. In addition, some methods, such as crop rotation or the use of organic fertilisers, require additional knowledge and proper planning of operations.
If there is no change in agriculture, it is predicted that by 2050, up to 90% of the world’s soils will be degraded. This means that future generations may have a problem accessing food. It is worth thinking about this now by implementing concrete solutions.