Regenerative Agriculture

IN NEWS:

• Farmers in Madhya Pradesh who follow regenerative farming methods find that they reduce the need for frequent irrigation, which conserves water and energy.
• Regenerative agriculture has recently received much attention from all stakeholders, including producers, policymakers, scientists, and consumers. The importance of regenerative agriculture was also emphasised in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on "Climate Change and Land."

WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE?

• Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming system that focuses on soil health, food quality, biodiversity improvement, water quality and air quality.
• Regenerative agriculture enhances the overall ecosystem and the rehabilitation of the farm.
• This farming practice goes a step ahead of sustainable agriculture and aspires not only to maintain the resources like soil and water but also to improve them.

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ADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE:

• Improves Soil Health:
  • A regenerative farming approach focuses on restoring soils that have been degraded by overuse or too much exposure to artificial fertilisers and pesticides through industrial and agricultural practices.
  • Regenerative agriculture seeks to minimise soil disturbance on both a physical and chemical level. For instance, minimising tilling and avoiding synthetic chemicals to improve soil health and fertility.
  • Also, leaving soil undisturbed allows for a healthy exchange of air and water between soil particles, which is crucial for plant root development.
• Reduced costs:
  • Employing regenerative agricultural methodologies means that the farmer doesn’t have to spend money on artificial fertilizers because the soil is healthy and replenishes itself.
  • Additionally, there is no need to invest in expensive herbicides and pesticides because the farm is a more robust ecosystem that can tolerate disturbances by invasive or competing species.
• Improved water use efficiency:
  • One of the core principles of regenerative farming is to improve soil health.
  • According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, healthy soil helps in better water storage, transmission, filtering, and reducing agricultural runoff, thereby improving water use efficiency and reducing the need for frequent irrigation.
  • Studies have established that one per cent increase in soil organic matter per 0.4 ha increases water storage potential by more than 75,000 litres.
  • Improving water use efficiency is crucial for India, as the country extracts 251 cubic km or more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater withdrawal, each year (UN’s World Water Development Report, 2022); 90 percent of this water is used for agriculture.

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• Increases biological diversity:
  • Regenerative agriculture encourages crop diversification, or the planting of a wide array of different plants.
  • Having a wide range of herbs, flowers, and vegetables will bring an equally diverse mix of beneficial insects and pollinators to the farm, helping to control pest populations and increase plant productivity.
• Mitigates climate change:
  • In its "Special Report on Climate Change and Land," the IPCC states that 23% of the total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are directly related to "agriculture, forestry, and other types of land use." 
  • Conversely, regenerative agriculture seeks to increase the organic matter in the soil, which makes it better able to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, meaning it has the potential to reduce climate change instead of contributing to it.

• Production of healthy food:
  • The healthier the soil, the healthier the crop yield.
  • Various studies show that a healthy soil microbiome full of vital bacteria, fungi, and nematodes is more likely to produce nutrient-dense food, promoting better human health.

DISADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE:

• Requires more work
  • Regenerative agriculture requires more work to produce goods.
  • There is more physical burden like pulling weeds and other cultivation techniques, which in conventional agriculture can be dealt with using artificial pesticides and tillage machines.
• Requires specialized knowledge:
  • The quality of a crop produced through regenerative farming is heavily reliant on the skills, knowledge, and experience of the farmer.
  • In regenerative farming, the farmer has to monitor crop growth patterns during every critical stage of growth. If the farmer is unable to recognise and address a problem, the value of the crop may be affected.
  • Also, in-depth local knowledge about soil systems, ecology, meteorology, and other factors that can influence the growth of crops is needed to successfully carry out regenerative farming.
• Difficult to implement on a large scale:
  • Regenerative farming is also difficult to do on a mass scale.
  • The need for crop rotation limits how many types of produce can be grown at one time.
  • Also, adopting holistic grazing techniques requires greater land mass than traditional agriculture. Because of this, mass production of crops is difficult to achieve through regenerative practices.
• Marketing challenges:
  • Products from regenerative agriculture would be more expensive than commercially grown products.
  • This makes it difficult for farmers practising regenerative agriculture to compete with other commercially produced products that are easily available at lower costs.
• Time-consuming:
  • Though regenerative farming can be beneficial, as it increases farm productivity, its results can’t be seen overnight. Establishing the principles and methods of regenerative farming can take years, so reaping the benefits will take a long time.
  • For example, at small scales, such as the ZBNF (Zero-budget natural farming) farmers in Andhra Pradesh, the transition from conventional to regenerative can be quite short with little investment required. However, at a large scale, the change can take much longer.
• Expenses:
  • Though regenerative agriculture is cheaper in the long run, the initial investment would be high.
  • Any new agricultural system that doesn’t incorporate conventional methodologies will require larger initial investments and work.

WAY FORWARD:

• Governments or the financial sector could play a role by offering subsidies, incentives, or some other kind of insurance to alleviate the risks associated with the transition from commercial to regenerative agriculture, which involves huge initial investment
• The government should support the creation of groups or hubs of regenerative farmers for knowledge sharing and social and cultural support.
• Initiatives should be taken to launch new brands, sourcing ingredients from regenerative agriculture.
• Create consumer awareness about regenerative agriculture and thereby increase the demand for products from regenerative agriculture.

CONCLUSION:

• Widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture will be important to effectively and systematically address some of today’s most pressing challenges such as climate change, food security and nutrition, water and soil quality, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Discuss why India needs to promote regenerative agriculture and examine the challenges associated with its implementation.