As the effects of climate change have been worsening over the past years, finding ways to cut down its contributors is becoming a priority. Although all facets are being evaluated, one of the few things that have been overlooked is soil health. Our soil is being depleted thanks to practices in farming that aren’t focused on regenerating the land. This may only be saved using regenerative agriculture, which is a practice that will not only benefit the soil, but also crop yields.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Farming is a necessity. But to meet our demands, more land is being used to create farms. This lends up to disrupting ecosystems which will result in their deterioration.
Regenerative Agriculture is a farming system that uses the practices and principles of improving the ecosystem by enhancing biodiversity and enriching the soil. This can be achieved by improving watersheds or by using alternative farming.
Using these methods, the carbon produced by the process is captured instead of being released into the air. This helps lessen the carbon that is already in the atmosphere. Apart from that, it can also increase yields.
Why is it so important?
Farming practices can deplete the soil’s nutrients. If not properly taken care of in the long run, this can make the soil infertile. Regenerative agriculture needs proper management to achieve healthy soil without resorting to using too many chemicals.
To promote soil health, tilling should be reduced as well as the use of nitrogen fertilizers and cover crops. Prioritizing the diversity of plants and animals should be focused on but it’s done without having to sacrifice harvest. Doing so helps protect farmers from the damages caused by extreme weather and it also helps them increase their harvest.
Aside from having the ability to boost harvest and also the quality of crops, regenerative farming is good for the environment. As mentioned before, there’s too much carbon trapped in the atmosphere. Practicing this sustainable method will lessen the top causer of climate change. If carbon dioxide is released in the right environment, the soil will be richer in nutrients and it can also reduce infertile land.
What are the benefits?
Regenerative farming can help reduce the carbon levels in the atmosphere. This excess is used where it needs to be used — the soil. By doing so, the land will get the proper nutrients it needs to function well and increase the farmer’s output.
There are many techniques that can be used to achieve this. Some of them are by protecting soil using perennials and cover crops, avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and by practicing crop rotations.
Another advantage of regenerative agriculture is how it improves the soil’s water capacity. This leads to avoiding soil erosion which then enables groundwater to become better in conditioning the crops o be more resilient to diseases and pests.
Using Regenerative Agriculture has a lot of benefits — biodiversity increases which leads to soil with better quality that can withstand the impacts of climate change such as drought, floods, and even soil erosion. Moreover, having healthier soil means more harvest that promises better quality. This also helps improve the water quality in your land and lessens the impact of farming on climate change.
Overall, regenerative agriculture is a total win-win for farmers. You get to have crops of better quality just by ensuring the land gets all the nutrients it needs before and after harvests. It’s a sustainable practice that has a huge impact on communities and the globe. It can help provide a livelihood for farmers and food for the people while taking care of the environment at the same time.