Regenerative Agriculture 101: Everything You Need to Know

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Quick Key Facts

  • In regenerative agriculture, the physical, biological and chemical integrity of the soil is preserved through minimal disturbance.
  • Indigenous cultures maintain and have maintained a regenerative relationship with their natural environments, including the soil, for thousands of years.
  • Regenerative farming helps build healthy soil and increases plant diversity.
  • Through regenerative agricultural practices like using cover crops and no-till farming, nutrient-dense, chemical-free foods are produced.
  • Healthy soils maintained through regenerative farming trap water and nutrients and maximize the efficiency of water use.
  • Regenerative agriculture improves water quality and helps to restore and protect rivers, lakes and streams.
  • In the 1980s, Pennsylvania’s Rodale Institute began using the term “regenerative agriculture”; its founder, Bob Rodale, wanted to not only incorporate sustainability into farming, but regeneration.
  • Regenerative soil practices can reverse climate change by restoring the degraded biodiversity of soils and rebuilding organic matter, resulting in increased carbon sequestration and a healthier water cycle.
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Regenerative Agriculture Seen As Answer to Averting Africa’s Growing Food Crisis

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A vicious circle of unsustainable farming, which exacerbates climate change and leads to further extreme weather events, is behind the degradation of Africa’s soils. Western farming techniques, which may have yielded crops and vast profits for the last century or more, are now being found wanting, as more and more inputs are needed to repair soils that have become barren and eroded.

Livestock and poor soil management continue to increase agriculture’s carbon footprint, too. It is an environmental catastrophe that also brings human misery: according to the World Economic Forum, 228 million people in Africa face chronic hunger.

A raft of initiatives and projects continue to try and halt the erosion of Africa’s ability to feed itself, from philanthropic foundations to corporate interventions, with many are now coalescing around regenerative agriculture as a crucial solution.

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Ibiza apuesta por primera vez por la agricultura regenerativa

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Dentro de la agricultura, son cada vez más las personas que quieren apostar por producir en equilibrio con la naturaleza y de una forma mucho más respetable. Es lo que se conoce como agricultura regenerativa, un sistema que tiene como objetivo principal regenerar el suelo y que este sea saludable para que así sea sostenible y de más calidad nutricional.

En este sentido, una veintena de personas asistieron este sábado a las primeras jornadas sobre técnicas de agricultura regenerativa convocado por la Fundación IbizaPreservation junto a la Associació de Productors d’Agricultura Ecològica d’Eivissa i Formentera (Apaeef).

El objetivo de esta actividad fue el de «formar a los agricultores de la isla», aprovechando los recursos de manera eficiente y que al mismo tiempo «colaboren en la protección del frágil territorio de Ibiza». Unas jornadas que resultaron ser todo un éxito y en las que se agotaron las plazas de inscripción en poco tiempo.

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Big Food Companies Commit to ‘regenerative Agriculture’ but Skepticism Remains

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Will Cannon does more to sequester carbon than the average U.S. farmer.

After he harvests his corn and soybeans, he plants cover crops, which sequester carbon all winter long, on his entire 1,000-acre operation in Prairie City, Iowa. He’s avoiding tilling, or plowing, his soil as much as possible, which helps keep carbon stored in the ground.

“I’ve kind of had a passion for conservation all my life,” he says. “We’ve always been pushing the envelope on what we’re trying to do.”

Cannon is getting help to finance this climate-friendly way of farming, which costs him thousands of dollars for additional machinery and seed, from the kinds of companies that ultimately buy his product. Footing the bill in his case is PepsiCo and Unilever, which own food brands ranging from Lay’s and Gatorade to Hellman’s and Ben & Jerry’s.

This kind of cross-supply chain partnership could become increasingly common. A consortium of 12 food companies, including Mars, PepsiCo and McDonald’s, announced a plan to scale up the amount of regenerative farmland. The plan was released just days before the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt.

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Monthly Newsletter – Vía Orgánica

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For organic regenerative agriculture, fair trade,
social justice, sustainable living and sustainable production 

Ranch news

EDUCATIONAL RANCH VIA ORGÁNICA

Vía Orgánica ranch was born as a connection space between producers and consumers. Its first space was a store designed to publicize local, wild, artisanal products, coming from the hands of guardians of some natural landscape. It was the producers who inspired this project and continue to motivate it, which is why we dedicate this newsletter to the families of organic producers who take care of the planet and feed the world.

The need we have as consumers to have healthy, seasonal, local, diversified food and above all grown with agroecological techniques; that improve the soil and preserve the species of flora and fauna, is increasing. The educational ranch concentrates and is an example of the different models of food production in semi-arid landscapes, expressing in a creative and beautiful way the work that many farmers carry out. We promote their wisdom and knowledge in activities that we spread through our tours and workshops. We allow to create a connection with what we consume and we offer the possibility of choosing and thinking about our consumption in favor of the solidarity economy, our health and the planet’s health too.

The educational ranch is a space to think about how our food gets to our table and the challenges that imply for each producer who resists and remains in their territory, which is why our relation offers another possibility to resume our food landscape with greater awareness.

Throughout our history, a network of more than 120 seasonal producers has been strengthened, who in small extensions of land, are given the task of maintaining traditional knowledge of food production, processing and conservation and offer their products in various stores, responsible in the region.

Choose your plan!

All November visit the ranch from Monday to Sunday and learn all about the Ofrenda that will be displayed with products from the milpa and the semi-arid landscape in tribute to the producers and leaders who have left.

Do not miss the whole month of hiking in the mountains! You can now come and collect your pumpkin to bake with butter, or make a pie.

Book your visit!

Billion Agave Project

Halfway through autumn, the Billion Agave Project advances with achievements and challenges, integrating more producers, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and decision makers to immerse themselves in this soil regeneration initiative with two dominant species of the semi-desert: the maguey plants and the mesquite trees.

Over two years we’re still learning about the nature of these species; the mesquites propagated by air layering and now distributed in the field while associated with native bushes and trees of the Jalpa Valley, show us their great capacity for adaptation and development.

As for the agaves, we learn about the management of this species, we have adapted tools such as clearings and coas for cleaning pruning and use of the agave leaves. We also explore the use of aggregation pheromones for the monitoring and control of the agave weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus), considered the main pest of the species.

Seasonal Crop

Guavas and the first tangerines begin to be harvested. Crops are raised for storage after the rainy season. The honey harvest begins in the region.

Do It Yourself

During the month of November, the temperature may begin to drop and you will receive the first frosts in your garden or orchard. Here we share some tips to maintain your plants.

– Water in the evening to prevent your plants from frost burn.

– If you have a blanket to cover your plants at night that can lower the temperature, take advantage of it, or use agrovelo or a sky blanket that allows you to lower the temperature below 0 degrees Celsius.

– Get ready to plant root crops that tolerate low temperatures such as radishes, carrots, turnips, garlic, onions, beets and also leaves such as lettuce, arugula and spinach. They love cool temperatures.

– Your orchard will be less colorful because the cold reduces flowering. But surely you can have a delicious salad harvested from your garden all year round.

Cooking Time

TAMALES DE MUERTO RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 

– 2 kg of black corn dough for tamales
– 1/2 kg of pork lard
– Chicken broth (as needed)
– Corn husks for tamales

FOR THE SAUCE: 

– 10 ancho peppers without seeds hydrated in hot water
– 2 large garlic cloves
– 1 small onion
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1/2 ranchero cheese

PROCEDURE FOR THE SAUCE

Grind the peppers, garlic and onion with a little of the liquid in which the peppers are hydrated, heat the butter and add the sauce. Cook for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be thick.

PROCEDURE TO PREPARE THE DOUGH

Cream the pork lard with a little salt until it changes color, then add the dough and a little broth and stir until the dough fluffs and is smooth. Mix vigorously until when you put a small piece of dough into a glass of water it floats.

The dough does not have to be very loose. Once ready, pour half of this dough on a clean and damp cotton cloth, spreading the dough with your hands. Spread using a spoon, half of the sauce and half of the cheese. Roll up with the help of the cloth, cut into slices and put each piece on the corn husks previously hydrated with hot water. Prepare a steamer, arrange the tamales horizontally and cook for one hour.

Enjoy your delicious tamales this Day of the Dead season with a delicious pumpkin atole.

Inspirations

This month in which we honor our deceased, we do not forget and honor those who gave their lives to defend the environment and therefore all of us. This 2022 they have been assassinated: Verónica Patricia Guerrero Vinueza, Francisco Vázquez Domínguez, José Trinidad Baldenegro, Néstor Iván Merino Flores, Patricia Rivera Reyes, Teófilo Barrera Herrera, Marcelo Carrera Reyes, Omar and Jesús Bañuelos Acevedo. We demand justice and an end to violence against defenders in Mexico and around the world.

November Activities

December Activities

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT US!

Remember that we are open from 8 am to 6 pm
Carretera México/ Querétaro, turnoff  to Jalpa, km 9
Agroecological Park Vía Orgánica.
For information on our products, seeds and harvest,
call our store at 442 757 0490.
Every Saturday and Sunday nixtamalized tortilla with Creole and local corn!
Enjoy our sweet and sour kale chips for children and not so children!

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Paraná más orgánico, modelo exitoso para la orientación y certificación gratuita de los productores orgánicos en Brasil

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Nació en 2009 como un programa para fomentar la cualificación de los recursos humanos para la producción ecológica y la agroecología. Este programa de orientación beneficia a los agricultores familiares, quienes buscan una producción más orgánica para sus alimentos.

Uno de sus objetivos más importantes es lograr que los productores orgánicos en el Estado de Paraná, Brasil, consigan la certificación de forma gratuita.

A raíz de su éxito, este modelo ha sido extendido a otros estados de la Federación de Brasil con el propósito de lograr un país más orgánico.

En una entrevista realizada por el diario Onews al Profesor Rogerio Barbosa, Coordinador Estatal del Programa Paraná Más Orgánico, que para el momento estaba en su duodécimo año de existencia, encontramos detalles interesantes como los siguientes:

  • Su misión es que Paraná, quien hasta hace poco era líder nacional en el número de productores orgánicos certificados, mantenga una posición destacada en este ranking.
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Regenerative Agriculture’s Critical Role in Stabilizing Our Climate

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It is no exaggeration to suggest that combating climate change has become the most important human endeavor of the 21st century. Driven by the confluence of rapid population growth and the industrialization of societies across the globe, increased levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are contributing to consistently higher temperatures, melting icecaps, rising seas, and more frequent natural disasters that threaten our way of life on Earth.

A 2021 study by the World Meteorological Organization found that the number of weather-related disasters to hit the world has increased five-fold since 1970. These disasters have included hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme events. The collective loss of human lives, destruction of property and natural habitats, and economic impacts of the events have been staggering, and scientists have warned that things will continue to worsen before they can get better. Without swift, decisive, and coordinated action by world leaders, businesses, industries, and the public, the long-term effects of climate change could prove utterly catastrophic.

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People’s Food Summit 2022

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Regeneration International, in conjunction with our partners, held a world wide “People’s Food Summit” again this year.

It was the second time this world’s first event was held – a major 24-hour event on World Food day on Oct 16, featuring speakers from every region of our planet.
It was a spectacularly successful event, with over 700,000 people from all regions of our world tuning in to watch and listen to numerous topics.

Because we reached so many people, this event had a very high impact.
This year’s participatory, virtual summit started in Oceania and moved westwards through the time zones of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Each region was self-organized, so they were empowered to present the messages and issues that are their priorities.

The People’s Food Summit is a truly participatory summit that empowers the majority of the world’s food producers: the small-holder family farmers, pastoralists, and foresters who produce 70% of the food we eat.

This year we also featured natural health as how we produce our food and what we eat is essential to our health and the health of our environment and society. Regenerative organic agriculture and climate change were also a feature of the summit.

Regeneration International has been working with our many partners such as the Organic Consumers Association, The Global Alliance for Organic Districts, IFOAM Asia, Navdanya, the International Network of Eco Regions, Savory Hub Africa, Via Organica, AFSA, The League of Organic Municipalities and Cities and BERAS International in hosting the People’s Food Summit on World Food Day to present these inspiring speakers, and get an overview of exciting agricultural projects from around the world.

Resources:

The  Good Food Festivals  – Market for Smallholders’ Traditional, Climate-Smart Crops and Source of Healthy Foods for Zimbabwean Consumers by Caroline Jacquet

Take some time to listen to some of these highlighted talks!