UK study outlines regenerative agriculture framework to tackle food systems decline

Regenerative agriculture is increasingly important in tackling global issues like soil degradation, climate change, and ecological decline, researchers in the UK emphasize. In a critical review, they offer a definition focused on ecological cycles and farm system outcomes, and describe regenerative agriculture as a “new paradigm” grounded in systems thinking and ecological reciprocity.

Recent studies estimate that transitioning to regenerative agriculture can produce significantly more food for lower prices compared to average conventional practices. The method is also seeing increased adoption by F&B firms looking to enhance their operational sustainability.

The review, published in CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, examines the rise of regenerative agriculture and its potential to transform farming systems from extractive to restorative. It provides a comprehensive assessment of regenerative agriculture practices, definitions, and scientific foundations.

Dr. Nicholas Bardsley, from the University of Reading’s Department of Agri-Food Economics and Marketing, argues that as global agriculture faces intensifying soil degradation, climate disruption, and ecological breakdown, there is a need for a deeper re-evaluation of how food is produced and what it means to farm regeneratively.

Bardsley notes that while regenerative agriculture is gaining traction globally, its definition remains contested. He defines it as farming geared towards working with and enhancing natural nutrient, carbon, and hydrological cycles for agricultural benefit.

Rethinking regenerative agriculture

Rather than prescribing specific methods, the study states that regenerative agriculture emphasizes observable outcomes such as improved soil function, biological activity, and resilience, allowing flexibility across farming contexts.

Cover cropping and minimal tillage can activate the “soil food web” and restore nutrient and water cycles, says the review.It highlights emerging evidence that biological processes, particularly plant-microbe interactions, can regenerate soil organic matter and structure at a much faster rate than previously thought. 

Practices such as cover cropping, minimal tillage, and livestock integration can activate the “soil food web” and restore nutrient and water cycles, offering new possibilities for soil regeneration.

The study also identifies the broader ecological and societal benefits of regenerative agriculture, such as enhanced carbon sequestration and reduced reliance on synthetic inputs.

The researchers also note that regenerative agriculture has the potential to improve public health through better crop quality and soil microbiome exposure.

Barriers to adoption

However, the paper highlights that there are significant barriers to the adoption of regenerative agriculture. These include insufficient long-term research funding and narrow policy frameworks. 

Additionally, market-driven approaches may dilute the integrity of regenerative agriculture through greenwashing, such as the co-option of the “regenerative” label.

By recognizing living processes as central to soil regeneration, regenerative agriculture challenges dominant assumptions in both science and policy, concludes the study. 

To overcome these challenges, the researchers call for a more comprehensive, systems-based approach to agricultural policy and greater recognition of regenerative farmers as “agents of ecological knowledge and innovation.”