THE RISE & RISE OF REGENERATION

By Sarah Ismail

If you’re interested in all things eco-friendly, it’s likely that you’ve heard of regenerative farming. This system of agricultural practices aims to regenerate the soil by repairing the carbon, water, and nutrient cycle to provide nutrient-dense foods while restoring the other essential ecosystem services provided by the soil.

Essentially, it’s about farming with nature, rather than against it.

We know that good soil generates healthy food, and a holistic, ecosystem-based strategy uses the principles and techniques of regenerative agriculture to increase the resilience, yield, and quality of farms, leading to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system – which is something we are in dire need of.

There are six core principles of regenerative agriculture:

1. Understanding the context of a farm operation 2. Minimising soil disturbance 3. Maximising crop diversity 4. Keeping the soil covered 5. Maintaining living roots year-round 6. Integrating livestock

Switching to regenerative agricultural methods minimises carbon emissions, promotes biodiversity, protects the soil, and ensures agricultural sustainability.

Unfortunately, ‘sustainable’ is no longer a sufficient definition. All agriculture that does not build soil biology and reinstate natural mineral and water cycles can be seen as destructive. Given the dire condition of soil worldwide, we can no longer simply sustain – we need to regenerate.

Despite sharing many of the goals of organic farming, regenerative farming goes beyond the replacement of chemical inputs and enhancement of microbial diversity to replicate and cooperate with nature rather than work against it.

A great example of a South African company making progress in this respect is Grounded (grounded.co.za), which aims to support farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture. They have partnered with the Peace Parks Foundation to create a commercially practical regenerative farm in the Simalaha Conservancy of remote Zambia, a region faced with the multiple challenges of human/ wildlife conflict, habitat destruction, climate change, a culture of unsustainable farming methods, and complex tribal land ownership. As of April this year, the initial Grounded plots are producing a good crop of vegetables, which they have begun to pick and analyse with the neighbourhood market and sellers while sowing their first season of onions.

How can you get involved? It’s simple – by taking the time to find out where the food you buy comes from and switching to conscious choices wherever possible, you can do your part in supporting the regeneration of our soil, the planet, and your health.