Climate Action Planning fellow, Caitlyn Hanley, addresses challenges faced by the agricultural sector such as soil erosion, nutrient depletion, rising farm debt, and increased food demand. She references a solution that is rooted in Indigenous practices. Focusing on soil health and natural carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture offers a sustainable solution that enhances ecosystem resilience and reverses environmental damage. Regenerative agriculture can foster a global shift toward sustainable food production by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water use while promoting biodiversity.
Food is not only essential for survival; it is an integral component of cultural traditions and human interactions. While current trends of land degradation, water exploitation, and the loss of biodiversity are threatening food production, climate change is increasing the rate of soil erosion and the depletion of nutrients in the land. These threats have brought forth high levels of farm debt and bankruptcies as well as a growing global demand for food. Regenerative agriculture is among the few sustainable solutions to these concerns.
Regenerative agriculture, a soil-centered land stewardship philosophy, is becoming increasingly known as a potential solution to the climate crisis because it increases ecosystem resilience and reverses conditions. Natural processes, such as the promotion of excess plant-derived carbon dioxide, restore balance, and initiate photosynthesis while enhancing the biology of the soil. Some of the carbon dioxide is sent back out, but when undisturbed, around half of the carbon is either used by the plant or accumulates in the soil. At its core, regenerative agriculture is the process of improving soils using practices based on ecological principles such as adaptive grazing, no-till planting, and limited use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
Soil biology is ultimately the foundation and guiding factor of regenerative agriculture. The soil is home to 25% of all of earth’s animal species, and 40% of all terrestrial organisms depend on their relationship with the soil (2). Healthy soil is filled with earthworms, insects, fungi, and other microbes, all of which engage in active symbiotic relationships formed between plants, animals, and the soil. As creatures supply plant roots with nutrients and water in exchange for carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the ecosystem works together to decompose organic debris. This dynamic improves nutrient cycling and nutrient availability, improves soil porosity to help with water infiltration and retention, and binds together soil particles into aggregates that aids in holding the soil in place to reduce erosion.
Although, by nature, all naturally occurring agricultural practices sequester carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, a combination of practices usually excluded in conventional agriculture ensures that more carbon is stored than released. Such an approach ensures that there is more carbon stored in the soil where it is beneficial to the organisms rather than released into the atmosphere where it could contribute to the warming climate. Practices that prioritize maximum carbon sequestration include eliminating or reducing tillage to avoid soil agitation, keeping the soil covered with roots in the ground throughout the year (with cover crops, mulch, and compost), rotating crops, maintaining permanent plantings through pollinator habitats, and lastly by increasing biodiversity (with multiple plant species, animal integration, and natural fertilizers when possible) (2).
It must be emphasized that regenerative agriculture is not a new practice. Indigenous communities have been strong leaders in regenerative food production for millennia through their successful methods of farming that were in harmony with the natural environment (4). Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous populations protected ecosystems and preserved biodiversity through land management and farming practices. We have Indigenous communities to thank for advancing practices that define sustainable agriculture and land stewardship. Their deep and integral knowledge of both land and water can now guide the shift to a globally regenerative system, but certainly the burden of change cannot fall solely on them.
Food production globally accounts for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of all freshwater usage, and is a leading cause of biodiversity loss (3). As climate continues to change in a variety of ways but the need for food remains significant, it is critical to make a shift to producing food in ways that restore nature and support communities. Major investments and system-wide structure changes need to be facilitated by governments, corporations, and NGOs. Shifting markets to sustainable practices can move the agricultural economy in a more enriching way, such as redirecting the large sums of money spent by governments every year on harmful agricultural subsidies and instead making direct investments to support regenerative practices.
Wolfe’s Neck Center practices regenerative agriculture, while actively working to engage the surrounding community in their efforts. The Resilience Corps witnessed this firsthand during our service day, where we joined dozens of others in efforts to get the farm ready for the coming season. The Wolfe’s Neck Center is an active participant in the USDA’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities program, where they will invest millions in advancing climate-smart agriculture (5). Throughout the course of five years, they plan to improve the soil health by funding, implementing, and adopting climate-smart practices while expanding the market demand of climate-smart commodities for producers across the nation (5). Wolfe’s Neck staff expressed to us during our service day that their goal and driving mission is to foster fair and resilient food systems in the face of climate change. Their climate-smart agriculture initiative is a way to implement sustainable regenerative agriculture practices.
Picture of the Resilience Corps on our Day of Service at Wolfes Neck Center in April.
According to the Nature Conservancy, food demand is expected to increase by 50%, and protein demand by over 70% before 2050 (3). With temperatures and inconsistent water availability on the rise, we are in a crucial moment in time to make changes across food producing sectors. Transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices, just like Wolfes Neck Center is doing, enables producers to increase crop availability while creating long-term returns for themselves and the planet.
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About Caitlyn
Caitlyn is excited to return to her hometown of Portland, ME, to join the Resilience Corps. Caitlyn’s passion for ecosystem conservation, soil health, and community involvement was first piqued when she was younger, working part time at small, organic farms. Focusing on the intersection between environmental science and public health, she graduated from Bates College in May of 2023 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies. She spent the summer in Carrabassett Valley working as a GIS Technician for Sugarloaf’s Mountain Bike Park and the fall working as a barista in Vermont. In her new role with the Resilience Corps, she hopes to learn how to combat issues of environmental degradation at an a local level. In her free time, Caitlyn loves to bike, ski, knit, swim in the ocean, and paint. She is excited to build a new community and learn about her hometown from a different perspective.
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