Regenerative agriculture is a practice that gives back more, or as much, to the land than is being taken. Industrial agricultural practices are extractive in nature—not only are the crops unsustainably grown, but the land is left barren and nutrient deficient. This impacts natural habitats and makes it difficult for plants to grow in the future, harming both humans and wildlife.
Alternatively, regenerative agriculture is humble in nature. It reminds us that we as humans, and Mother Earth need one another. It means growing as though your field is a forest. By mimicking the forests’ symbiotic processes, we can love the land and steward it with intention, patience, and gratitude. Pollination is an example of this mutually beneficial relationship, where bees and plants rely on each other for survival and reproduction. Similar to bees, humans depend on nonhuman life to survive. This interdependency is reflected in regenerative practices like mulching which improves soil health by providing nutrients and conserving moisture, ultimately yielding healthy crops.
Agriculture should be generative and regenerative. We should not use the land and what it gives us as a commodity, but as a gift.
Quinoa flourishing in a regenerative agriculture field. Bolivia, 2021.
Photography By Pamela EA
