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The Definition of Regenerative Agriculture
André Leu, International Director for Regeneration International writes:
There are claims that there is no clear definition of Regenerative Agriculture. Regeneration International started the worldwide regenerative movement in 2015. We have published our definition many times. We are the oldest and most significant of all the inclusive regenerative agriculture movements working on all six arable continents on our planet. Consequently, we state with authority that our definition is the primary one.
By definition:
Regenerative systems improve the environment, soil, plants, animal welfare, health, and communities.
The opposite of Regenerative is Degenerative.
This is an essential distinction in determining practices that are not regenerative.
Agricultural systems that use Degenerative Practices and inputs that damage the environment, soil, health, genes, and communities and involve animal cruelty are not regenerative.
The use of synthetic toxic pesticides, synthetic water-soluble fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, confined animal feeding operations, exploitive marketing and wage systems, destructive tillage systems, and the clearing of high-value ecosystems are examples of degenerative practices.
Such systems must be called degenerative agriculture to stop greenwashing and hijacking.
Regeneration International asserts that to heal our planet, all agricultural systems should be regenerative, organic, and based on the science of agroecology.
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Africa’s Deep Disappointment At The Stagnation Of Negotiations On Agriculture At COP28
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), which represents 37 African networks and organizations representing 200 million Africans, welcomes the first steps taken at COP28. The agreement on the operationalization of the agreement on loss and damage, the signing of the “Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action” by 134 world leaders, as well as the COP28 Presidency’s focus on transformation of food systems, with all its drawbacks, and the global agreement to reduce methane production by 30% by 2030, are among the notable results.
However, AFSA expresses its deep disappointment and concern over the stalled negotiations on the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture and Food Security (SSJW). Despite the critical importance of these issues, negotiations on joint work on agriculture and food security at COP28 are at an impasse, confirming the lack of progress noted at the body’s meeting subsidiary SB58 which was held in Bonn in June.
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COP28 so Far: World Changing or Greenwashing?
Firstly, there were reports that the state’s oil firm ADNOC may increase its production of oil by 42% by 2030. Furthermore, COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has been embroiled in a scandal after allegedly arguing that there is no science indicating that fossil fuels need to be phased out – although he later claimed that he had been misinterpreted.
Environmentalists’ hopes that an agreement will be signed to phase out fossil fuel usage may also be hampered by the fact that around 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the conference, more than any other COP.
COP28 has been an opportunity for the UK to reassure the international community that it is serious on reaching net zero. International opinion had dropped following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backtracking on some green targets in September 2023 – this represented a stark contrast to the EU and USA thundering ahead with their respective European Green Deal and Inflation Reduction Act.
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Put People, Nature, and Livelihoods at the Forefront of Climate Action
As the world grapples with various crises, including conflicts, disease, and hunger, Africa faces multiple challenges compounded by the escalating impacts of climate change ranging from cyclones and floods to prolonged dry spells. The effect on agriculture, a significant contributor to African nations’ livelihood and economy, poses a severe threat to Africa’s population.
We acknowledge Decision 3 CP/-27: Joint work on the implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security acknowledging the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, which expose millions, particularly small-scale farmers, low-income households, indigenous peoples, women, and youth in developing countries, to acute food and water insecurity. It also recognizes that farmers, including smallholders and pastoralists, play a crucial role as stewards of the land. Their vulnerability to climate change presents challenges in fulfilling this role.
It is however regrettable that the decision does not address the diverse impacts of different agricultural and food system models on the environment and climate change.
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Regeneration is Life – An Agroecological Paradigm to Overtake the Climate Crisis
On the occasion of the 28th Climate COP, Navdanya International presents “Regeneration is Life – An Agroecological Paradigm to Overtake the Climate Crisis“
There are two main paradigms of thinking of ourselves in the world and of our relationship with the Earth. We either think of ourselves as being separate from Nature or as being one and part of it.
The industrial agriculture paradigm, which sees the world as a machine, and not as a self-organized living system, has created devastation on the planet through extraction and exploitation. Together, the ecologically destructive practices of the industrial agriculture paradigm account for 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), making the global food system one of the main culprits behind climate change and environmental degradation. Acting as if the world were a machine undermines and eventually destroys living processes and organic systems.
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Trails of Regeneration: Arms to Farms
During the 2023 People’s Food Summit, Oliver Gardiner from Regeneration International, and creator of the Trails of Regeneration series, had a conversation with Mayor Rommel Arnado, who created this incredible program called Arms to Farms, talking about how Organic Agriculture transformed the society in the region they live in.
Mayor Rommel Arnado of the Municipality of Kauswagan, Philippines, and founder of the Arms 2 Farms program shares with Regeneration International how this incredible initiative started and how it transformed a war zone municipality into an organic agriculture farmland. These mind-blowing testimonies with the people involved in the program, their backgrounds, and the amazing transformation they had is incredible to watch.
Please learn about this and all the other amazing different stories about farmers making a change through Regenerative Organic Agriculture, Agroecology, among other new techniques in our 2023 People’s Food Summit page here.
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Essential Reading and Viewing
Activists Warn Post-COP28 Japan-ASEAN Summit Will Be Full of Greenwashing and Dangerous Distractions
The glaring loopholes in the COP28 agreement which activists say will allow the expansion and continued use of fossil fuels will likely be fully exploited this coming weekend as the embattled Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, embroiled in a corruption scandal, prepares to host Asia Pacific leaders for the ASEAN-Japan 50th anniversary commemorative summit and Asia Zero Emissions Community Summit in Tokyo.
From Campus to Crop Fields: Regenerative Agriculture Project Launched in Mount Darwin Zimbabwe
When Hugo Winkfield, a 2023 graduate of the University of Exeter, took on a work placement opportunity in the town recently, he had no idea what to expect, but threw himself into learning. He did his placement with the Agricultural Research Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that functions as a research and demonstration farm, while providing Zimbabwean farmers with machinery and best practices for sustainable farming.
Making Regenerative Ag Work in Potato Production
Over the past four years, the European Union, guided by its Farm to Fork Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy, has made commendable efforts to transition its agri-food systems toward a model centered around sustainability. While these strategies have set ambitious targets, the potential of regenerative agriculture practices as a catalyst for sustainable farming remains largely untapped and must be a priority for EU policymakers.
Regenerative Ag Could Have Major Impact on Organics
Jessy Beckett Parr, chief program officer for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) led off the questioning by asking each panelist where they stood regarding the role of organic farming in a regenerative ag certification. In fact, CCOF offers certification to the Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) standard, which requires the USDA organic certification as a prerequisite. But there are others in the movement that do not believe organic farming practices have to necessarily be followed to be labeled regenerative.
The Cop28 President Told a Shocking Lie About Fossil Fuels – and He’s Wrong About Climate Economics Too
For months Sultan Al Jaber, the president of the Cop28 climate negotiations in Dubai, has been insisting that there is no conflict with his day job, chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) state oil company. Instead, he argued, the dual role enabled him to persuade fossil fuel companies to change. And some early successes in the talks provided some credibility to that claim. At COP28 he claimed there was “no science” showing that phasing out fossil fuels would keep the world beneath the internationally agreed guardrail of a rise of 1.5C above preindustrial levels.
Faces of the Network by Savory Institute
Faces of the Network' is an interview series featuring accredited members of the Savory Global Network, including Savory Hubs, Holistic Management Educators, and EOV Verifiers and Monitors.
Coming Soon: Documentary episode highlighting mezcal-makers and the Billion Agave Project
Here’s a sneak peek at an upcoming documentary episode featuring Ercilia Sahores of the Billion Agave Project, and showcasing the work of our sister organization, Vía Orgánica. This special feature delves into the innovative 'Billion Agave Project,' a revolutionary initiative aiming to transform agriculture and combat climate change. Learn how this project harnesses the unique abilities of agaves to rejuvenate barren lands, foster sustainable farming practices, and create a more resilient ecosystem.
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Support Our Work
Dear Friends of Regeneration International
Regenerative Agriculture is under attack by agribusiness. The poison cartels such as Bayer/Monsanto and Syngenta, along with their captive government departments, are trying to hijack regenerative agriculture to greenwash their degenerative systems.
“We need your participation and support as we move forward in this world-changing campaign we call Regeneration International. We need to build a massive international alliance to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, to sequester billions of tons of excess atmospheric carbon in our soils and biota, to regenerate billions of acres of degraded ecosystems, to eliminate rural poverty, to reverse our deteriorating public health and to revitalize rural communities all over the globe. The hour is late, but we still have time to regenerate.”
Please support our campaign to stop this greenwashing and ensure Regenerative Agriculture’s integrity by restoring farmer’s independence, promoting social justice, fair trade and regenerating ecological health.
Can you give $10 monthly or a one time donation today to support Regeneration International and our campaigns?
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Upcoming Events |
In Person:
01/04 - Ohio State Organic Grains Conference
01/05 - Curso: Introducción a la vida regenerativa
01/23 - Improving Profability and Resiliency Through Building Soil Health
01/26 - Agro Poultry Africa 2024
Online:
01/10 - Webinar - La agricultura regenerativa
01/11 - Webinar - Nati00ns Thematic Event Gender and Agrifood
01/16 - Webinar - Unveiling the Economic Power of Regenerative Agriculture
01/17 - Webinar - An Introduction to Organic Vegetable Cultivation and Tillage
01/17 - Webinar - Regenerating the Market Direct to Consumer Models Connecting Farmers and Families
01/24 - Webinar - Guelph Organic Conference
*Click here to view full events calendar and submit your own
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En Español
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Regeneration International is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, dedicated to building a global network of farmers, scientists, businesses, activists, educators, journalists, policymakers and consumers who will promote and put into practice regenerative agriculture and land-use practices that: provide abundant, nutritious food; revitalize local economies; regenerate soil fertility and water-retention capacity; nurture biodiversity; and restore climate stability by reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time drawing down excess atmospheric carbon and sequestering it in the soil.
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