Regenerative Farms are Taking the Charge to Decrease Carbon Emissions
Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have doubled as compared to the agrarian era, i.e., before the industrial revolution. We are currently in a crucial period of history, as the assessment from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demonstrates. Climate change impacts every nation worldwide, and the only way to prevent incoming catastrophes is by acting quickly.
Agriculture plays a key role in the fight against climate change. While food and farming activities are estimated to be responsible for around a quarter of global GHGs, farms also possess a formidable potential to reverse the situation. Soils take in more atmospheric carbon than they emit, ranking as the second largest carbon sink after oceans.
Agriculture is Emerging as a Leader in the Fight Against Carbon Emissions.
The earth's valuable soil is among the most underutilized tools in our fight against climate change. It plays a crucial role in securing global food security and has a huge capacity to deposit carbon. This makes farming a silver bullet for both climate change mitigation and food safety.
Farms transform carbon from the atmosphere into plant material through photosynthesis, and they also sequester carbon in the soil. Incorporating climate-smart equipment and regenerative farming practices can help in removing even larger amounts of carbon from the environment while lowering the amount and severity of agro-based GHGs.
Protect Global Food Security
The capital-intensive nature of agricultural production leaves farmers vulnerable to the unpredictability of the weather, droughts, pests, diseases, market imbalance, and regulatory reforms. These factors are directly or indirectly related to climate change, which means climate change largely affects farm output. We need to revise the techniques of growing our food because the way we farm can help slow climate change. Farmers, the guardians of our precious soil, will also be better equipped to satisfy the rising food demand while restoring the soil's potential to store carbon.
Soil is a Solution to Climate Change
Humans released 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2021— the highest recorded level in human history. According to studies, the soil absorbs around 25% of global fossil fuel emissions annually. They do this through a natural process that has fewer negative impacts on land and water, requires less energy, and is also less expensive. Traditional agricultural systems, on the other hand, cause a loss of 42-78 gigatonnes of carbon storage potential by destroying farmlands and shortening soil's efficiency to absorb carbon by 50–66%.
Our soil is alive— a gram of soil contains billions of microorganisms. They purify water, retain moisture, and allow plants to release oxygen into the atmosphere. If we take good care of farming lands, it will substantially repay us with bountiful crop outputs while also absorbing CO2.
Regenerative Organic Farms— Naturally Enhancing Soil Quality
Regenerative organic farming is more than sustainability. It applies special techniques that strengthen the farm ecology instead of depleting it. Regenerative farms entail altering agricultural operations to enhance the productivity and ecosystem health of the farms.
Carbon-smart farming using effective management techniques can increase the quantity of carbon stored in our soils. It has been demonstrated that techniques like reducing tillage, growing cover crops, and adding organic matter can improve soil organic carbon (an indication of healthy soil). And, the healthier the soil, the higher the soil organic matter, which boosts agriculture productivity, controls erosion, strengthens the soil, and improves the surface and groundwater quality. Farmers also greatly benefit from the carbon sequestered in soil organic matter. Eventually, all of these contribute to lessening the adverse effects of climate change on ecological communities.
Aside from mitigating climate change, soil carbon supports food and nutrition security by reducing food waste at the farm level. The generation of wasted food exclusively in the U.S. produces GHGs equal to 32.6 million automobiles. On a global level, statistics indicate food waste accounts for 8–10% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. A sizable portion of food waste is also linked to pests and diseases, costing billions of dollars globally in crop productivity every year. Regenerative farming practices facilitate taking control of food waste right from the source to the table, which could help cut down massive greenhouse gas emissions.
The successful 234 acres of Apricot Lane Farms is a reflection of what one can achieve by pairing regenerative and organic practices. John and Molly Chester (and their pupper Todd), in 2011, closed their old chapter to live in wide open spaces and grow their own food. The decision to get elbow-deep in soil proved to be the best choice yet. The application of holistic farming techniques allows Apricot Lane Farms possibility to convert acres of barren land into an organic farm that blossoms with healthy, bountiful crops. For example, planting over 160 varieties of vegetables, fruits, edible flowers, and herbs on a mere 2-acre farm, formerly a barren location. As an outcome of years of commitment to on-extractive methods and intensive crop rotation, the level of soil organic matter in their farms (6%) rates at what is considered among the highest soil organic matter content. The contributions of Apricot Lane Farms are not just rejuvenating the ecosystem but also transforming the food supply and contributing to climate change mitigation by reducing the release of atmospheric carbon.
The long-running Rodale Institute Farming System trials reveal that yields are consistently higher in regenerative organic farms even amidst the tragedy of droughts. This implies that soils in regenerative settings are healthier, i.e., higher carbon storage, organic soil matter, etc. It is also an indication that yields produced in organic systems are more resistant to the harsh weather events brought on by climate change. For instance, organic corn yields outperformed conventional yields by 28% to 34% in one of the test trials. The image below is a glance at a six-week difference between an organic legume-based farm and a conventional farm during the 1995 drought. The corn in the regenerative farm is growing healthy on the left side, while water stress is seen in the traditional corn on the right side.
Conclusion
Regenerative organic farming is still used on a relatively tiny percentage of farmlands in the United States. This is because farmers are compelled to shoulder short-term financial obligations, and assistance is limited. Government, businesses, and consumers all play important roles in supporting agriculture advancement. The more our soil regenerates, the higher amount of CO2 we can trap and deposit from the environment. While soil by itself cannot address climate change, it can be a highly-valued contributor to our efforts. The complete transformation of traditional agricultural practices is possible, but only if global cooperation creates a more respectful relationship between farming and nature.