What does "Regenerative" Mean?

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Modern "conventional" agricultural systems have a negative impact on the health of our planet. The difference between "conventional" and "organic" agriculture is fairly simple: conventional uses chemicals and GMO's and organic does not. But why is organic not good enough? Organic agriculture does not regenerate the land. This means that while organic practices are less harmful than conventional, organic still includes practices like tilling and monocropping that work against the natural ecology and deplete soil health over time. 

Regenerative Organic Agriculture enriches the health of our soils and keeps excess carbon in the ground by supporting the natural ecological systems of the land. The Rodale Institute has been a world leader in agricultural research for more than seventy years. Here's some of what they have to say about regenerative organic agriculture:

The number one priority in regenerative organic agriculture is soil health.

Soil health is intrinsically linked to the total health of our food system. Soil health affects everything from plant health to human wellbeing and the future of our planet.

Regenerative prioritizes soil health while simultaneously encompassing high standards for animal welfare and worker fairness. The idea is to create farm systems that work in harmony with nature to improve quality of life for every creature involved.

Watch this video of Bob Rodale describing the difference between sustainable and regenerative (start at 1:23) in an interview with the USDA in 1989:

 

 

 


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