Regenerative Farms vs Organic Farms: What’s the Difference?

/by

In the realm of sustainable agriculture, both regenerative and organic farming practices stand as beacons of environmentally conscious food production. While they share common goals of minimizing harm to ecosystems and promoting healthier food, these approaches diverge in their methodologies and overarching philosophies. Let’s delve into the differences between regenerative farms and organic farms:

CORE OBJECTIVES

  • Regenerative Farms: The primary goal is to revitalize and enhance the natural ecosystems of the land. Regenerative practices aim not only to sustain current conditions but to actively regenerate soil health, biodiversity, and overall ecosystem resilience.
  • Organic Farms: Organic farming primarily focuses on avoiding synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to promote soil and water quality, as well as human health. The emphasis is on preventing harm rather than actively restoring ecological balance.
KEEP READING ON COMMONS

Por qué creemos que la agroecología puede arreglar nuestros sistemas alimentarios

/by

Todos sabemos que no hay fórmulas mágicas que puedan hacer frente a la confluencia de crisis a las que nos enfrentamos actualmente en nuestro planeta: hambre, degradación generalizada de la tierra y los recursos hídricos, pérdida catastrófica de biodiversidad y el cambio climático. No obstante, la agroecología es un enfoque que puede abordar estos retos de forma sistémica mediante el desarrollo de un conjunto de soluciones localmente relevantes a través del apoyo a la innovación local a escala. Tiene el potencial no solo de hacer frente a la crisis alimentaria mundial actual, sino también de aportar soluciones a largo plazo a otros problemas medioambientales y sociales, como la pérdida de biodiversidad, la pobreza y la inequidad de género.

¿Parece demasiado bueno para ser verdad? Vamos a explicarlo: Lo que hace única a la perspectiva agroecológica es que se propone explícitamente abordar múltiples retos al mismo tiempo.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN LOS BOSQUES EN LAS NOTICIAS

Phytonutrients in Meat and the Nutritional Difference Between Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed

/by

Dr. Stephan van Vliet joins Chris on Revolution Health Radio to discuss his emerging research on the nutrient profiles of beef raised by various farming methods, including grass-fed grazing, grain-fed, and grain-finished. Dr. van Vliet explains how the nutrient profiles differ between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle, particularly with regard to omega-6 to omega-3 ratios and phytonutrients, what this cutting-edge research means for human health and nutrient density, and how this emerging evidence supports a shift toward more sustainable agriculture.

In this episode, we discuss:

How different grazing practices affect the nutritional composition of meat

The relationship between agricultural sustainability and the nutrient density of meats

The results of Dr. van Vliet’s work in the Beef Nutrient Density Project, which studies the relationship between farming methods and the omega-6 to omega-3 ratios of meat

The types of nutrients that are diminished in feedlot beef vs. grass-fed beef

Whether it is possible to consume phytonutrients, secondary plant compounds, in any significant amount from beef

Factors affecting the ability of the body to absorb phytonutrients from animal sources and what that means for people on carnivorous or vegan diets

How the principles of food synergy and nutritionism demonstrate the body’s preference for nutrients from whole foods

The state of Dr. van Vliet’s research in this field and where it is headed

LISTEN ON KRISSKRESSER.COM

 

Atrazine, an Endocrine-disrupting Herbicide Banned in Europe, Is Widely Used in the U.S.

/by

Atrazine is the second-most widely used weed killer in the United States, with more than 70 million pounds are applied across the nation each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It is an endocrine disruptor and also linked to various cancers, premature birth and birth defects.

The herbicide has been banned for use in the European Union since 2004. In the U.S., it is one of the most commonly reported contaminants in groundwater and public drinking water, according to the EPA.

While atrazine is applied to a wide range of crops, it is primarily used on sugarcane, soy, sorghum, and corn; the USDA notes that more than 65 percent of all corn crops in the U.S. have been treated with the herbicide. It is also a weed killer for golf courses, fields, and residential and commercial lawn spaces across the United States.

Atrazine is among the most prevalent herbicides used in Canada and Australia, as well.

The primary manufacturer of atrazine is Syngenta, a Swiss-based corporation owned by the Chinese state-owned company ChemChina.

KEEP READING ON U.S. RIGHT TO KNOW

Agricultura regenerativa: cómo la amistad entre plantas puede acabar con la degradación de los suelos

/by

En pleno corazón de la sierra de Madrid, entre El Escorial y Guadarrama, David Villacañas y Sonia Gómez son parte de un movimiento para devolverle la vida al suelo cansado y agotado e impulsar la seguridad alimentaria, con su proyecto El Jardín de Gaia, una finca agroecológica dedicada a la formación en agricultura regenerativa y sostenibilidad.

“Las ciudades han dejado de ser aquellos lugares idílicos donde una amplia mayoría de personas anhelaba vivir y cada vez es más fácil reconocer que el estilo de vida urbanita impacta negativamente en la salud del ser humano”, explican a EL ESPAÑOL-Enclave ODS

Son parte de un creciente movimiento global que practica la agricultura regenerativa, un cambio en la forma de cuidar la naturaleza mientras produce alimentos sanos y libres de pesticidas.

“En pocas palabras, la agricultura regenerativa es una agricultura respetuosa con la naturaleza”, dice Sonia. “Se trata de pensar en la salud del suelo, los animales, los humanos y cómo se relacionan todos ellos”.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN EL ESPAÑOL

Regenerating Rural Opportunities

/by

I have been given this amazing opportunity to travel Canada and interview agricultural producers about regenerative agriculture for the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast. I’ve never done anything like this before, so when this opportunity came knocking about six months ago, turning it down didn’t cross my mind. I recognize most people don’t get opportunities like this. Heck, I’ll probably never get another one like this. I thought while I am on the road for the podcast, I could and maybe even should share with folks what I am seeing in terms of regenerative agriculture across the country.

This podcast series is part of a larger project called Stories of Regeneration led by Regeneration Canada. Over the summer, Regeneration Canada is hosting farm-to-table events (Alberta, yours is coming up on September 23) and creating short films on the same producers I am interviewing for the series.

KEEP READING ON REGENERATION CANADA

A 4th-Generation Farmer’s 3 Tips For A Farm-Like Lifestyle Wherever You Live

/by

While growing your own produce and raising livestock surrounded by fresh air and acres of open space sounds like a dream, it’s not a reality for many of us. But according to Will Harris, a fourth-generation farmer and owner of White Oak Pastures—a family farm utilizing regenerative agriculture and humane animal husbandry practices—it is possible to follow a farm-like lifestyle wherever you reside.

City dwellers, take note! On this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, Harris shares helpful tips to take ownership of your personal food system and live a healthier life. (As a result, we may even shift the future of agriculture.)

1. Choose grass-fed meat, if you’re able

If you can, Harris recommends always opting for grass-fed meat. Now, grass-fed has become a bit of a buzzword in health and well-being conversations, but Harris provides some thought-provoking insight into the cattle-raising process: On Harris’ farm, it takes cows about two years on the pasture to reach what he calls their “slaughter weight,” which is about 1,200 pounds.

“The life of an industrial creature is very, very different,” he explains. “It is all about how fast you can grow the animal and how cheaply you can do it.” In the industrial model, he says it takes around 18 months for the cow to reach 1,500 or 1,600 pounds. “It produces an unnaturally obese creature that would never occur in nature,” he explains.

And unnaturally obese creatures have a much shorter life expectancy: Says Harris, the average natural life span of a cow is around 20 to 24 years, but if you left an industrial cow to live out its days in that feedlot, “[it] wouldn’t live to be much older than that 24 months old,” Harris notes. “The creature is dying of all the diseases [from] obesity and lack of exercise that kill most of us.”

 

CONTINUE READING ON MINDBODYGREEN.COM

When Discussing Flora and Fauna, Don’t Forget ‘Funga’

/by

Fungi. They grow between toes, on bread and in the shower. But the organisms also produce food and medicine and act as ecosystem maids by decomposing dead matter — benefits that are sometimes overlooked (SN: 11/17/20). That’s why the Fungi Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fungi education and conservation, advocates for adding “funga” to the popular phrase “flora and fauna.”

The mushrooming movement is also backed by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which in August called for the addition of “a third ‘F’ — funga — to address the planetary challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.” More than 20 countries already use the term, including Australia, Iceland and Brazil.

Historically, fungi have been left out of most conservation discussions and plans, says mycologist Giuliana Furci, founder of the Fungi Foundation, which was created in Chile and is now based in the United States. While flora refers to an area’s plant diversity and fauna its animal diversity, fungi don’t fit into either category.

KEEP READING ON SCIENCE NEWS

De la tierra al armario: por qué la moda apuesta su futuro a la agricultura regenerativa

/by

Invertir en agricultura regenerativa está de moda. Desde enero de 2021, el grupo Kering —propietario de marcas como Gucci o Balenciaga— y la organización ambiental Conservation International están al frente del Fondo de Regeneración por la Naturaleza para impulsar la transición de un millón de hectáreas de cultivos y pastizales convencionales hacia este tipo de prácticas agrícolas que buscan recuperar la biodiversidad del ecosistema. En paralelo, el conglomerado francés LVMH ha unido fuerzas con la Unesco para poner en marcha diferentes programas de regeneración que reviertan la deforestación y la desertificación del suelo. Son tan solo dos de los ejemplos más visibles de un movimiento que quiere devolverle a la naturaleza todo lo que nos ha dado y encaminarse hacia una industria más justa y resiliente, alineada con los tiempos y los recursos del planeta.

La moda depende de grandes extensiones de tierra para cultivar nuestra ropa: en concreto, cerca del 36% de los tejidos del mercado son fibras naturales.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN EL PAÍS

AFSA Urges African Climate Leaders: Prioritise Agroecology, Food Sovereignty and Biodiversity Conservation Now!

/by

As members of the Africa Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA), we represent the largest social movement made up of farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous communities and societal organizations civil society across the continent. As the 2023 Africa Climate Week (ACW) takes place from September 4-8, 2023 in Nairobi, and runs alongside the September 4-6 African Climate Summit, both hosted by the Government of Kenya, we take this moment to highlight the importance of sustainable, people-centered and African-led solutions to address the urgent climate crisis.

While these platforms provide vital opportunities to discuss climate solutions across various sectors, it is disheartening to recognize that the relentless impacts of the climate emergency continue to reverberate across Africa. Every day, rising temperatures, floods, storms, droughts and land degradation disproportionately affect small-scale food producers and communities, amplifying their vulnerabilities. Faced with the urgency of adapting and preserving their livelihoods and the subsistence of their families, the need for increased support becomes essential.

KEEP READING ON AFSA