Regenerative agriculture: The switch to sustainable farming

• Author:
• Author name

  Quantumrun Foresight
• December 7, 2022

Insight summary

As land degradation and deforestation continue to produce problems for the agriculture industry, experts are increasingly promoting regenerative agriculture to rebuild and improve soil health. This agriculture uses crop rotation and diversification methods to restore nutrients and keep carbon dioxide levels down. Other long-term implications of regenerative agriculture could include nonprofits establishing programs for farmers and ethical consumers preferring to purchase from regenerative farms. 

Regenerative agriculture context

Climate change is profoundly impacting agriculture, worsening existing problems and leading to increased drought and desertification in some regions. Regenerative agriculture is becoming necessary because it helps farmers preserve soil vitality and diversity. It also sequesters carbon into the soil, where it can be trapped for years. 

There are three main types of regenerative agriculture including:  

1. Agroforestry - which combines trees and crops on the same land, 


2. Conservation agriculture - which aims to minimize soil disturbance, and 


3. Perennial farming - which cultivates crops that live longer than two years to avoid replanting annually. 

One common technique in regenerative agriculture is conservation tillage. Soil erosion and the release of carbon dioxide are some of the effects of plowing or tillage, resulting in compacted soil that is difficult for microbes to survive. To avoid these consequences, farmers can adopt low- or no-till practices, minimizing physical disturbance on the land. This practice, over time, will increase levels of organic matter, creating healthier environments not just for plants but also keeping more carbon where it belongs—in the ground. 

Another technique is the rotation and covering of crops. For context, exposed soil left out in the open will eventually degrade, and all of the nutrients essential for plant growth evaporate or get washed away. Furthermore, if the same crops are planted in the same spot, it can cause an accumulation of certain nutrients while lacking others. However, by deliberately rotating crops and using cover crops, farmers and gardeners can slowly add more diverse organic matter to their soils—often without dealing with disease or pests.

Disruptive impact

Regenerative agriculture has the potential to improve the nutrient content of food and environmental sustainability. Fortunately, a critical advancement in this field is emerging called precision farming; this collection of technologies uses global positioning system (GPS) mapping and other sensors to help farmers automate and regulate processes like watering and fertilization. Additionally, apps that process information in real-time can help farmers better prepare for extreme weather and analyze their soil’s health and composition.

In the private sector, several large organizations are exploring regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Organic Alliance (a group of farmers, businesses, and experts) has established a certification program to ensure that products labeled “regeneratively grown” meet specific standards. Meanwhile, consumer food manufacturer General Mills plans to apply regenerative agriculture to over 1 million acres of farmland by 2030.

Various nonprofits are also investing and pushing for regenerative agriculture in the food and agricultural sector. For example, Regeneration International strives to “promote, facilitate, and speed up the worldwide shift from destructive to regenerative foods, farming methods, and landscapes.” Similarly, the Savory Institute seeks to share information and encourage grassland production systems that include regenerative agriculture.

Implications of regenerative agriculture

Wider implications of regenerative agriculture may include: 

• Nonprofits and food manufacturers partnering to establish educational programs and financial support for farmers who want to practice regenerative agriculture.


• Farmers training people on applying sustainable and regenerative farming, including knowing how to operate precision farming tools, software, and robots.


• Increased investments in agritech devices and programs, particularly for startups focusing on automated farming.


• Ethical consumers preferring to buy from regenerative farms, motivating many agribusinesses to switch to regenerative agriculture.


• Governments incentivizing regenerative agriculture by financing small farms and providing them with agritech (agriculture technology).


• Retailers and distributors adjusting their sourcing policies to prioritize products from regenerative farms, leading to a shift in supply chain dynamics.


• Consumers' growing demand for transparency in food production spurring the development of traceability technologies in agriculture.

Questions to consider

• If you prefer to buy your produce from sustainable farms, what are the characteristics/labels that you look for?


• How else can companies and governments incentivize farmers to apply regenerative practices?