Regenerative Agriculture: Promises and Prospects

In conventional croplands, huge monocultures and the extensive use of tillage, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides have resulted in the widespread degradation of agricultural soils. In addition, 41% of US land area is used for grazing or animal feed, often at the expense of native forests and grasslands. These strategies have made conventional agriculture a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
In contrast, regenerative agriculture emphasizes practices that rebuild soil health and diversify agricultural landscapes. These include no-till, cover crops, agroforestry and various edge-of-field practices. Regenerative agriculture brings many benefits. Rebuilding soil health clearly defends farms against increases in flooding and drought, reducing the risks from climate change. Prairie strips, hedgerows and other NRCS conservation practices boost biodiversity and help to reduce erosion and chemical runoff. However, claims that regenerative agriculture can reverse climate change are not well supported. The soil carbon sequestration on which these claims depend is hard to measure and generally temporary, and claims about the carbon benefits of grazing and the ability to control methane emissions from cattle are unrealistic.