b'HYPE or HOPE?REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS.BY: PROF. MARIO CACCAMOWHY IT MATTERS N ow as the interest in regenerative agriculture (aka regen-ag) reaches fever pitch across the agricultural Regenerative agriculture aims tovalue chain, the National Institute of maintain agricultural productivity,Agricultural Botany (NIAB) in the UK is increase biodiversity, and inpreparing the ground for a major research particular restore and maintain soileffort to deliver the science needed for a biodiversity, and enhance ecosystemcommercial scale-up of regen-ag, combin-services including carbon captureing research leadership in soil science, vari-and storage. Often this approachety testing, rotational agronomy, precision is described as a set of principlesagronomy, cover cropping, data science and to meet the main goals and targetswater use efficiency. of Europes Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. As part ofTHE BIG EMBRACEthe European Green Deal, the FarmMajor food and drink producers, retail-to Fork and Biodiversity Strategiesers, NGOs and even high street banks together address the challengingare moving rapidly and in serious num-transition of European Union (EU)bers to embrace regenerative agriculture agriculture towards a net 55 peras the solution to a more environmentallyProfessor Mario Caccamo is chief executive of the cent reduction in greenhouse gasresponsible approach to farming, with asso- UK crop science organisation NIAB(GHG) emissions by 2030, withciated benefits for improving soil and water the aim of making European foodquality, enhancing biodiversity, reducing production the global standard forsynthetic input use and conserving natural sustainability. This is to be achievedresources. by substantially strengtheningBut questions still persist over whetherSO, WHAT IS REGENERATIVE diverse efforts to tackle climatethe economics of regenerative agricultureAGRICULTURE EXACTLY?change, protect the environment,stack up at the farm level andat a time ofThere has been much debate of late about and restore and preservemounting concern over the impact of bothwhat regenerative agriculture really means. biodiversity in European agriculturalclimate change and the Russian invasion ofThe lack of a clear definition has led some landscapes. And regenerativeUkraine on global food prices and the secu- to suggest that it is simply greenwash, agriculture is one of the brightrity of supplywhat impact a large-scaleand others to claim that organic farming pulsating dots on the radar screenswitch to regen-ag practices would haveis its proper designation (see for example to get there. on our domestic food production capacityOrganic: the benchmark for truly regen-if its not possible to bring more land intoerative farming) production. Trials at Rothamsted Research since 2017, for example, involving 24 different cropping systems that combine a variety of regen-ag practices have so far shown that,https://ofgorganic.org/news/organic-the-in the short-term, reduced tillage invari- benchmark-for-truly-regenerative-farmingably results in lower crop yields, and that sophisticated soil management strategies alone cannot be viewed as the short-termBut for me, a key strength underpin-fix for more sustainable food production.ning the potential of regenerative agricul-Similarly, a 2022 study involving sat- ture lies precisely in the lack of prescription ellite mapping of more than 90,000 fieldsand in its definitions flexibility, provided its in six U.S. Corn Belt states found thatguiding principles are observed.some commonly grown cover crops canThese guiding principles are founded depress yields in following cash crops byon well-established farming practices, many more than five per cent, depending on fac- of which have been studied in the UK as tors such as rotation and soil type. This ispart of applied agronomy research pro-deterring uptake of these practices by somegrammes for many years (for example: in U.S. growers and highlights the importanceterms of longer, more diverse rotations, use of a science-based approach to deliveringof cover crops, min- and no-till cultivation regen-ag principles. systems, and soil health improvement).26ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE'