Regenerative Agriculture’s Many Shades of Green

Regenerative agriculture has become a popular term used by food companies to make sustainability and climate claims, however, without clear, results-based frameworks, such claims are difficult to substantiate, according to a new global report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank.

The report says there is no single or widely accepted definition of regenerative agriculture today, nor is having a single definition the ultimate goal.

“Instead, it is more important to focus efforts on defining farm and region-specific outcomes and metrics. Indeed, within the agricultural community, there is consensus on the main regenerative agriculture practices, but no one-size-fits-all solution,” the report says.

The report says, around the world, farmers have various motivations for adopting regenerative farming practices and it is important to understand local obstacles to increase adoption of more sustainable practices. ;

“To have a frame of reference, the global food and agricultural supply chain – including supply chain participants here in New Zealand – needs to figure out how to measure outcomes like farm-level nutrient balance, water and air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration,” Rabobank NZ Head of Sustainable Business Development Blake Holgate said.

There is a strong and clear need for multidisciplinary biological science and data science training, as understanding how to interpret and translate unpredictable observations in biological systems is key to making meaningful, data supported conclusions.”

Rabobank NZ Head of Sustainable Business Development, Blake Holgate