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Regeneration International Speaks at the UNCCD COP 15
Regeneration International will hold a side event at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification COP 15 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on May 13.
The COP15 theme, ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity', is a call to action to ensure land, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.
COP15 will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future sustainable management of one of our most precious commodities: land.
Precious Phiri, Oliver Gardiner and André Leu will give presentations about multiple benefits of Regenerative Agriculture to regenerate degraded arid and semi-arid landscapes. The presentations will feature the Billion Agave Project, an agave-based agroforestry system, and regenerative grazing practices.
Learn more:
The Agave-Based Agroforestry System
A new video for the "4 per 1000" Initiative
Oliver Gardiner, Regeneration International’s Eurasia Coordinator and Media & Communications Coordinator has produced a new video for the The international "4 per 1000" Initiative. Titled Healthy Soils for a Healthy Planet, this inspiring video features the "4 per 1000" Initiative global network of partners, including minsters of many countries, United Nations organizations and NGO’s (featuring Regeneration International) talking about the multiple benefits of soil health to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Learn more:
Regenerative Farms and Healthy Soil Grow Healthier Food
A study, published in January in the journal PeerJ, by David R. Montgomery, Anne Biklé, Ray Archuleta, Paul Brown and Jazmin Jordan that compared regenerative farms with industrial farms found that that regenerative farms grow healthier food.
The authors stated "…averaged across all nine farm pairings the regenerative farm crops had 34% more vitamin K, 15% more vitamin E , 14% more vitamin B1, and 17% more vitamin B2). The crops from the regenerative farms also had 15% more total carotenoids, 20% more total phenolics, and 22% more total phytosterols. In addition, regeneratively grown crops had 11% more calcium, 16% more phosphorus , and 27% more copper . Cabbage from the regenerative farm had 20%, 41%, and 70% more vitamins C, K, and E, respectively, as well as more than twice the phenolics and phytosterols, and 48% more carotenoids than cabbage from the conventional field. Corn, soy, and sorghum grown under regenerative practices respectively had 17%, 22%, and 23% more zinc. In addition, peas and sorghum grown using regenerative practices had more vitamins, and regenerative soy and sorghum had more copper. However, averaged across all crops the regenerative ones also had less vitamin B6 and manganese, and regenerative soy had less vitamin C and several B vitamins (B1, B3, and B6)."
"Our results suggest that farming practices that affect soil organic matter and microbial communities are under-appreciated influences on crop nutrient density, particularly for micronutrients and phytochemicals relevant to plant health and chronic disease prevention in humans."
Learn more:
A review by the University of Washington
Industrial Agriculture and Climate Change responsible for Insect Apocalypse
A new study published in the journal Nature, demonstrates a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture and the dramatic decline in insects numbers. The study shows that areas with high intensity agriculture, insect abundance has already dropped by nearly 50%, while the number of species has been slashed by 27%.
According to CNN: "The researchers defined high-intensity agriculture as the kind characterized by the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, low crop diversity, large field size or high livestock density, among other things…” This is clearly modern industrial agriculture.
The researchers concluded: "A high availability of nearby natural habitat often mitigates reductions in insect abundance and richness associated with agricultural land use and substantial climate warming but only in low-intensity agricultural systems. In such systems, in which high levels (75% cover) of natural habitat are available, abundance and richness were reduced by 7% and 5%, respectively, compared with reductions of 63% and 61% in places where less natural habitat is present (25% cover). Our results show that insect biodiversity will probably benefit from mitigating climate change, preserving natural habitat within landscapes and reducing the intensity of agriculture."
Regenerating agricultural ecosystems is the real solution to the climate crisis, extinction crisis, eco-systems crisis and food crisis.
The Savory Global Network announced its global impact metrics
Savory Hubs teach, consult, verify, however most importantly, they connect. They connect desertifying land with much-needed animal impact. They connect brands to supply from verified regenerating land. And they connect land managers to a decision-making framework that brings about real, lasting impact.
Most impressively the impact since 2009 has resulted in 15,7755 people being trained to manage 21,717,875 hectares under regenerative grazing.
AGRA Watch and AFSA Launch a new film
AGRA Watch and the African Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) have launched “Money,” the third episode in their Rich Appetites film series
The Rich Appetites film series details how American billionaires and philanthro-capitalists like Bill Gates and his Foundation are underwriting the corporate control of African food systems under the guise of philanthropy. By funding industrial agriculture models, they’re harming small-scale African farmers and exacerbating the impacts of climate change.
The third short film in the series, entitled “Money”, explores how and why the Gates Foundation has spent billions remaking African agriculture as a business ripe for new investments, all while cultivating Bill Gates' global image as a “do-gooder” –– even though his actions are harming African farmers and the planet.
The NRDC published an excellent report on Regenerative Agriculture
The NRDC has published a report REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE: FARM POLICY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, that is one of the most comprehensive resources on the multiple benefits of regenerative agriculture. It is really worth reading.
The authors interviewed 113 farmers and ranchers across the USA. The interviewees told the researchers what regenerative agriculture means to them, the opportunities to bring more acres under regenerative management, and the barriers standing in the way. They stressed that the larger food system needs reform to enable more regenerative agriculture and to support existing regenerative growers.
This report is broken into two parts. The first part distills our findings about regenerative agriculture, including the benefits it provides to our climate and biodiversity crises. The second part delves into the policies needed to remedy decades of degradation and consolidation and increase investment in regenerative agriculture.
According to the authors: "Farming for the 21st century and beyond requires reimagining our agricultural system; regenerative agriculture can get us there."
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Essential Reading and Viewing
Industrial Food Production Is Failing Us, Regenerative Farming Is the Solution
A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, based on interviews with more than 100 farmers and ranchers from 47 states, details how regenerative agriculture can make the food system more resilient and also protect biodiversity.
Indigenous Communities Transform a Mexican Desert Landscape Into Forest
Around 20 years ago, the communities here decided to start restoring water and soil fertility. Their tenacity has yielded some results: From out of the karst rocks appeared green shoots of vegetation, easily mistaken for glints of sunlight in the white desert.
Italian Govt Introduces New Law to Promote Organic Production
Italy is bringing us hope when most policies seem to be leaning towards agriculture that leaves small scale local growers impoverished while favoring industrious and degenerative forms of food production. This initiative is important for the olive industry in the country of Italy, where most growing farms are small scale.
This is great news in a world where any form of agriculture is extractive and promoting profits for large corporations. Most regions in the world need such policies for the longevity of farmers’ businesses and regenerative food systems.
The Belize Ag Report
The Belize Ag Report is an independent agriculture newsletter. Our purpose is to collect, edit and disseminate information useful to the Belizean producer, large or small. We invite opinions on issues, which are not necessarily our own. Belize Ag neither solicits nor accepts political ads.
West Texas Farmers Look to Regenerative Agriculture to Fight Extreme Weather
Some West Texas farmers have turned to regenerative farming techniques to improve their land and crops as extreme heat, strong winds and drought conditions have worked against them for years. Regenerative farming includes holistic practices like no-tilling the land, rotational grazing through livestock and steering clear of any chemical additives.
Farms following soil-friendly practices grow healthier food, study suggests
A new study, published in January in the journal PeerJ, looks at how regenerative farming practices—soil-building techniques that minimize plowing, use cover crops, and plant diverse crops—affect the nutritional content of the food.
Regenerative agriculture can combat climate change and keep food on our plates. Here’s how it works.
Last summer, the world's largest french fry producer, McCain Foods, made Canadian headlines when it promised to convert its entire supply chain to regenerative agriculture, an approach to agriculture that promises to sequester carbon and boost biodiversity.
Benedikt Bösel, updates from the 3000h German farm in transition
After hosting a special Transition Finance for Farmers series Benedikt and Koen talk about the importance of having the best team, bridging the gap in helping farmers transition to regen ag, syntropic agroforestry, and more!
These Cattle Ranchers Are Raising Better Beef, Spending Less — and Reducing Carbon Emissions
Today, Brown runs his 6,000-acre ranch near Bismarck with regenerative practices and helps run a consulting company, Understanding Ag, which consults with farmers managing 32 million acres across North America.
Brazil’s Agroforestry Farmers Report Many Benefits, but Challenges Remain
Smallholder agroforestry farmers in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest biome have observed environmental, social and cultural benefits arising from their restorative farming practices.
Watch: Yaira Gómez - Billion Agave Project | 2022 at Vía Orgánica´s agroecology center in Mexico
Watch: This family grows everything they need to survive - growing food for survival
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Support Our Work
Regeneration International relies heavily on individual donors to fund our work around the world. Please consider contributing today.
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Upcoming Events |
In Person:
05/11 - Aboveground-Belowground Interactions | France
05/16 - 6th European Agroforestry Conference, EURAF2022 | Italy
05/16 - Diseño y planificación de fincas | Mexico
05/17 - Agricultura Regenerativa | Spain
05/21 - Agroforestry Open Weekend 2022 | England
05/21 - Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour | California
05/24 - World Aquaculture: Mexico | Mexico
05/25 - Infoagro Exhibition México | Mexico
Online:
05/17 - Soils and a Sense of Place. Why Location Matters for Soil Health05/17 - Soils, Our Planet and the Climate Crisis
*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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