Regenerative Agriculture: Soil Carbon Solution

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
and the SOIL CARBON SOLUTION

SEPTEMBER 2020
AUTHORED BY:
Jeff Moyer, Andrew Smith, PhD, Yichao Rui, PhD, Jennifer Hayden, PhD
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IS A
WIN-WIN-WIN CLIMATE SOLUTION
that is ready for widescale
implementation now.
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?
Table of Contents
3 Executive Summary
5 Introduction
9 A Potent Corrective
11 Regenerative Principles for Soil Health

and Carbon Sequestration
13 Biodiversity Below Ground
17 Biodiversity Above Ground
25 Locking Carbon Underground
26 The Question of Yields
28 Taking Action
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 30 Soil Health for a Livable Future

Many thanks to the Paloma Blanca Foundation and Tom and Terry Newmark, owners of Finca Luna Nueva Lodge and regenerative farm in 31 References
Costa Rica, for providing funding for this paper. Tom is also the co-founder and chairman of The Carbon Underground. Thank you to Roland Bunch,
Francesca Cotrufo, PhD, David Johnson, PhD, Chellie Pingree, and Richard Teague, PhD for providing interviews to help inform the paper.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The environmental impacts of agricultural practices This introduction is co-authored by representatives of two
The way we manage agricultural land 140 billion new tons of CO2 contamination to the blanket of
greenhouse gases already overheating our planet. There is and translocation of carbon from terrestrial pools to formative organizations in the regenerative movement.
matters. It matters to people, it matters to atmospheric pools can be seen and felt across a broad This white paper reflects the Rodale Institute’s unique
no quarreling with this simple but deadly math: the data are
our society, and it matters to the climate. spectrum of planetary species. Recent studies declared perspective on regenerative agriculture. The DNA of the
unassailable. The World Climate Research Programme, in
July 2020, projected that current CO2 trends would “likely that we’re experiencing a biodiversity apocalypse, with Rodale Institute is both regenerative and organic, and
In 2014, Rodale Institute released its landmark white paper 1,000,000 species at serious risk of extinction due to The Carbon Underground is honored to support Rodale
reach the doubling of pre-industrial ppm of CO2 by 2060,”—
entitled “Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate climate crisis and habitat loss. Couple that biodiversity Institute’s great legacy. Our organizations do not align on
up to 560 ppm. As a consequence, that body of distinguished
Change: A Down-to-Earth Solution to Global Warming.” collapse with the extreme water stress afflicting as many every nuance of what it means to be regenerative, as reflected
scientists predicted our planet will likely see increased
That white paper was unquestionably influential: it as seventeen nations (with a combined population of in the two standards, Regenerative Organic Certified, and
warming in the range of 2.6 °C to 3.9 °C. That magnitude of
stimulated corporate and governmental adoption of approximately 1.7 billion people), and it becomes clear the Soil Carbon Index, associated with Rodale Institute and
temperature increase is incompatible with the continuation
regenerative agriculture, it inspired many farming that much of our planet is degraded. The Carbon Underground, respectively. While those
of life as we know it. We will, if trends are not reversed, cease
organizations and farmers to adopt regenerative practices, standards differ in some important respects, we believe
to inhabit a livable planet.
and it accelerated the recognition that agriculture done This paper is not merely a revisiting of the problem or yet that what unites them is far more important than what
properly must be part of an effective global response to another dire report on the state of our planetary health. It is separates them, and from a carbon perspective, these
our climate crisis. However, while the 2014 paper was a not another “wake up call” asking the reader to pay attention standards are best understood as complementary, not
necessary wake-up call, it was not sufficiently effective This paper is not merely a to the science or the climate crisis we can all see and feel competitive. The regenerative movement is an ecosystem
because change hasn’t happened fast enough. The ecological
meltdown is accelerating. And its accelerating to a place
revisiting of the problem or yet around us. It is an invitation. An invitation to journey in a of involved farmers, ranchers, scientists, governments,
new direction. It is intended to be both a road map to change and NGOs, and like all ecosystems it is enhanced by robust
where we now face the very real challenge of being able to another dire report on the state and a call to action to follow a new path. One led by science collaborative diversity.
grow enough nourishing food to support the ever-increasing and blazed by farmers and ranchers across the globe.
human population. On World Soil Day in 2015, the Food of our planetary health. It is not Blessed with committed soil scientists and the talents of Together we both sound the alarm and proclaim the
and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
provocatively summed it up by stating "we have about 60
another “wake up call” asking agricultural expert Dr. Jennifer Hayden, Rodale Institute has regenerative farming solution: It’s time to start our
taken another look at the developing science—and calls upon journey with a brighter future for our planet and ourselves
years of harvests left—and then?" the reader to pay attention the reader to take positive steps towards impactful change. as the destination.
This deteriorating planetary condition, along with a to the science or the climate Based on peer-reviewed research and the seasoned
deepening scientific understanding of and support for
regenerative agriculture, is the ecological context for this
change we can all see and feel observations of agronomists working around the world, this
white paper confidently declares that global adoption of
new white paper. Farmers, ranchers, agronomists, and around us. It is an invitation. regenerative practices across both grasslands and arable
academic researchers have been on task for these past six acreage could sequester more than 100% of current
years, and their great strides alone support the issuance anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and that stable soil carbon
of a fresh assessment of the state of science and practice. can be built quickly enough to result in a rapid drawdown of
While the planet continues to overheat, conventional
agricultural production systems and arable land misuse have, atmospheric carbon dioxide. We now know enough to have
Any success the 2014 white paper had must be viewed in real hope, and with this hope comes the responsibility to
over time, degraded approximately 75% of the Earth’s land
a grim planetary context: in 2014, there were 397 parts per journey down a new path.
areas. On top of that existing degradation, we are now losing
million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2, while today the Earth
an estimated 36 billion tons of soil every year, based on the
is burdened with 416 ppm. Every ppm of atmospheric CO2
2017 consensus estimate of the European Commission Joint
correlates to the release of 2 billion tons of terrestrial carbon,
Research Centre. Once again, using simple but deadly math,
so those nineteen parts per million since 2014 represent the
this suggests that since 2014 (when the previous white paper
transfer of 38 billion additional tons of carbon from below
was published) the planet has lost more than 200 billion
ground to the atmosphere.
tons of soil, or approximately 26 tons of topsoil for every
human. As a global society, we continue to trade our soil
Continuing the climate math, carbon dioxide is 3.67 times the
weight of carbon, so this transfer of 38 billion tons of below-
and our future for short-term profits and status quo JEFF MOYER TOM NEWMARK
production models. Chief Executive Officer, Rodale Institute Co-Founder & Chair, The Carbon Underground
ground carbon resulted in the deposition of approximately
3 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 4

At the same time, the climate crisis bears down. A decade ago, the minimal and it is adaptable to local contexts the world over. It can
INTRODUCTION
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said we needed to be rolled out tomorrow providing multiple benefits beyond climate
limit greenhouse gas emissions to 44 gigatons of carbon dioxide stabilization. The solution is farming. Not just business-as-usual
equivalent (44 GtCO2e) by 2020 [5]. If we did nothing new to industrial farming, but farming like the Earth matters. Farming in a
mitigate climate crisis, projections suggested that by 2020 annual way that restores the quality of soil, water, air, ecosystems, animals,
Human activities radically alter the planet—a power that comes emissions might be 56 GtCO2e, leaving a gap of 12 GtCO2e between and ultimately humanity. Farming that improves our soil’s natural
with a responsibility. Dominant societal narratives still favor the carbon already in the atmosphere and our desire to continue ability to function so the planet and all of its life can also function.
economic rewards even as the climate crisis and multiple other living normally on Earth [5]. This kind of farming is called regenerative agriculture.
interconnected environmental disasters shock our planet.
Earth has a big say in what happens, but the planet needs us Regenerative agriculture revitalizes land. It’s a systems approach
to cooperate in its healing for the sake of humans and all life. The solution is farming. where farmers work with nature, not against it. It’s a biological
Rachel Carson predicted this moment in 1962, and yet her words model based on principles of ecology. With the farmer’s help, farm
remind us that it’s not too late to change course: Not just business-as-usual and rangeland can lock carbon underground, thereby restoring
industrial farming, but degraded soils, addressing food insecurity, and mitigating the
“We stand now where two roads diverge. impacts of the climate crisis on food production. Regenerative
But unlike the roads in Robert Frost’s familiar Finca Luna Nueva farm in Costa Rica uses a syntropic farming system on farming like the Earth matters. agriculture is also our best hope for a quick drawdown of
poem, they are not equally fair. The road we newly established cacao fields, incorporating a diversity of plant species. atmospheric carbon dioxide. Let us learn from regenerative
farmers who have been cooperating with nature, who have “solved
have long been traveling is deceptively easy,
In 2018, total global emissions were 55.3 GtCO2e—approaching the for pattern” [8]. Their results are the inspiration that will fuel a
a smooth superhighway on which we progress
worst case scenario [6]. (A seven percent reduction every year for wholesale shift away from the failed era of sustainability to a golden
with great speed, but at its end lies disaster.
The other fork of the road — the one less What is Regenerative Agriculture? the next decade is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C) [6]. What’s age of regeneration.
more, “accelerated soil erosion may be the second largest
traveled by—offers our last, our only chance
to reach a destination that ensures the
source of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, and its Agricultural Emissions
Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles credible estimates are not known” [7]. We spent the last decade
preservation of the earth.” that rehabilitates the entire ecosystem and enhances natural walking a path to a precipice. The emissions cuts needed now “may Agriculture as practiced across most of the world is not yet part of
—Rachel Carson in the Introduction to Silent Spring [3] resources, rather than depleting them. seem impossible,” says Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the solution—it’s part of the problem. Rather than mitigating the
the UNEP, “but we have to try” [6]. climate crisis, it is a net producer of greenhouse gas emissions both
The globally connected food and farming system succeeds in Robert Rodale, son of American organic pioneer J.I. Rodale, directly through conventional industrial farming practices, and
producing an enormous oversupply of foodstuffs unimaginable to used the term ‘regenerative’ to distinguish a kind of farming And yet, there is hope right beneath our feet. There is a indirectly through land-use change and the greater food system
our great-grandparents because we’ve focused on calorie yields. that goes beyond simply ‘sustainable.’ Regenerative agriculture: biotechnology for massive planetary rehabilitation that is tested [10]. Agriculture production accounts for around ten percent of
It’s no surprise to anyone paying attention that this carbohydrate and available for widespread dissemination right now. The cost is annual emissions (6.2 Gt CO2e) [11]. The food system at large,
abundance comes at a high price: widespread degradation of land, “…takes advantage of the natural tendencies including fertilizer and pesticide manufacture, processing,
water and air; biodiversity and ecosystem losses; continued hunger of ecosystems to regenerate when disturbed. transportation, refrigeration and waste disposal, accounts for
and nutritional deficiencies paired with a rapid rise in obesity and In that primary sense it is distinguished 30% or more of total annual emissions [11].
related diseases; and destruction of rural communities and farmer from other types of agriculture that either
livelihoods around the world [2]. The dominant farming system oppose or ignore the value of those natural
relies on synthetic and proprietary inputs that increase in cost every tendencies.” [9]
year, while commodity crop prices stagnate and soils deteriorate.
These problems arise from chemical-based forms of agriculture, Regenerative agriculture is marked by working to
crop monocultures, and mismanagement of livestock, which now achieve closed nutrient loops, reduction or elimination of
cover what were once the world’s most fertile agricultural lands: biocidal chemicals, greater crop and biological diversity,
fewer annuals and more perennials, and practices that
“The uniformity at the heart of these systems, mimic natural ecological processes. Some leaders of the
and their reliance on chemical fertilizers, movement also believe regenerative agriculture should
pesticides and preventive use of antibiotics, extend beyond our treatment of natural resources and
leads systematically to negative outcomes include commitments to animal welfare and social fairness.
and vulnerabilities.” [4] These pillars are included in the Regenerative Organic
Certification [see page 23].
Alexandre Family Farms

5 RODALE INSTITUTE 6
With the widespread industrialization of farming in the mid-20th Improved management of farm and ranchland with known, low-
century, contemporary agricultural practices, such as synthetic cost practices can both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
fertilizers, pesticides, intensive tillage, monocropping, and yield-
based management systems, accelerated the depletion of soil
remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere [8,15]. Soil carbon
sequestration works with biodiversity above and below
Degraded farm soils are some
carbon stocks [10,12]. Most agricultural soils have lost from 30% ground—in plant and soil life—to capture carbon dioxide with of the best soils on the planet
to 75% of their original soil organic carbon to the atmosphere due
to conventional farming practices [13]. Two-thirds of the world’s
photosynthesis, drawing it down underground as soil carbon,
and locking it in soil organic matter through microorganism
to achieve carbon drawdown.
corn and wheat cropland now have less than two percent soil and mineral associations.
organic carbon [14]. Nitrous oxide emissions have been rising due to
nitrogen fertilizer over-use [11], and the intensification of livestock If carbon sequestration rates attained by exemplary cases were
and rice production has exacerbated release of methane (CH4) [11]. achieved on crop and pastureland across the globe, regenerative
agriculture would sequester more than our current annual carbon
Yet, there is hope. These degraded soils hold the promise for dioxide (CO2) emissions (Figure 1, page 10), providing a mechanism
regeneration. Degraded farm soils are some of the best soils on to meet global carbon emissions goals, drawdown legacy carbon
the planet to achieve carbon drawdown: they are already highly dioxide, and give us the time needed to bring emissions from other
managed, they’re accessible, and they have the capacity to hold a lot sectors in to balance.
of carbon—all it takes are management changes to make this happen.
While soils are inherently different, agricultural soils were chosen
because they are productive and they have the natural capacity to
store carbon over long timescales.
Regenerative agriculture, with its focus on achieving positive

ecosystem outcomes, can be practiced under many names: Greenhouse Gases
agroecology, organic, biodynamic, holistic, conservation,
The three most abundant greenhouse gases are carbon
permaculture, management intensive grazing, agroforestry and
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
more. There won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach for regeneration
Total greenhouse gas emissions are often expressed in a unit
of degraded farm and rangeland, but the vanguard of regenerative
called carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e. This unit puts all
farmers and researchers know enough now to provide guidance
greenhouse gas emissions on a level field by expressing them
for each farm given its specific physical, environmental, social and
in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide that would have the
economic contexts. Farming in ways that sequester carbon is not
same global warming effect. In 2018, 55.3 Gt CO2e were emitted.
just possible in many places, it’s already happening across the world.
More than 2/3 of total emissions come from carbon dioxide
alone: 37.5 GtCO2.
Soil Carbon Sequestration
Nearly 1 trillion metric tons of carbon emissions have
Globally, soil organic matter contains three to four times as much accumulated in the atmosphere, leading to CO2 concentrations
carbon as either the atmosphere or terrestrial vegetation [5,14]. of 407 ppm in 2018—47% above pre-industrial levels [13]. Soil
Even small changes in soil carbon can lead to large changes in the carbon sequestration focuses on removing carbon dioxide from
atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, either for better the atmosphere, but regenerative farming systems also reduce
or for worse [5]. The UNEP is unequivocal: emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane.
“To close the emissions gap, land use must

transition rapidly from being a net source
of emissions to a net sink.” [4]
A POTENT CORRECTIVE If only cover crops were adopted in otherwise conventional systems
across all cropland [16] ~4% of annual CO2 emissions might be
While the thought experiment shows us the potential for soil
carbon sequestration, soils are varied and it is unlikely that we
sequestered. However, by bundling practices, if management of all can achieve such a sweeping shift in agricultural production
In 2018, global emissions of greenhouse gases were 55.3 metric gigatons (Gt CO2e). The vast majority of these emissions—37.5 Gt—come current cropland shifted to a regenerative system like the Mid- quickly. But even small changes will have an impact—the
from carbon dioxide, which could be reduced significantly by regenerative agriculture [4]. Data from farming and grazing studies show Atlantic site [18] we could potentially sequester 8 times more than Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports
the power of exemplary regenerative systems that, if achieved globally, would drawdown more than 100% of current annual CO2 cover crops alone, or 32% of annual CO2 emissions (~12 Gt CO2). “high confidence” in the evidence for soil carbon sequestration as
emissions. Global extrapolations of carbon sequestration rates recorded by agricultural scientists in Table 1 are provided as a thought And, if all global pasture was managed to a regenerative model like an atmospheric carbon dioxide removal strategy [9].
experiment showing the power of regenerative agriculture to drawdown atmospheric carbon dioxide. the Midwestern US study [23], an additional 114% of all annual CO2
emissions (~43 Gt CO2) might be sequestered. There is a clear opportunity to restore degraded soils by capturing
TABLE 1: Carbon Sequestration Potentials atmospheric carbon through regenerative agriculture. Investing
By those calculations, shifting both crop and pasture in human capacity, knowledge infrastructure and safe, proven
management globally to regenerative systems is a powerful agricultural techniques can produce the change we need to
MANAGEMENT CARBON SEQUESTRATION GLOBAL EXTRAPOLATION b
PLACE/STUDY MAIN CROP combination that could drawdown more than 100% of annual stabilize the climate while providing significant co-benefits to
PRACTICES (Mg ha- yr- )
1 1
(Gt CO2 yr- )
1
CO2 emissions (Figure 1), pulling carbon from the atmosphere farmers and consumers everywhere.
% CO₂ and storing it in the soil.
C+ CO₂ CO₂
Offset
Cropland – accounts for approximately 30% of arable farmed land
FIGURE 1: Carbon sequestration potential of global adoption of regenerative agriculture
Cover crops
Global [16] Various 0.32 1.17 1.63 4.35
(global metanalysis)
60
Regenerative organic
Grain crop
US, Mid-Atlantic [17] system - diverse 0.85 3.12 4.34 11.6
rotation
rotation
Regenerative organic 50
US, Mid-Atlantic [18] system - compost Corn & Wheat 2.36 8.66 12.04 32.11
utilization
Multistrata
Costa Rica [19] Cacao & Poro 4.16 15.27 21.23 56.61
agroforestry 40
Mediterranean [20] Organic amendments Olives 5.3 19.45 27.05 72.13

43.04 Regenerative grazing system
CO2 (Gt yr-1)

Cover crops and 30
Global Tropical* [21] Corn 5.8 21.28 29.60 78.93
green manure
Fungal compost Carbon (no

US, Southwest* [22] 10.27 37.69 52.41 139.76
(BEAM system) traditional crop)
20
Grazing or rangeland – accounts for approximately 70% of arable farmed land 37.5
Regenerative grazing
US, Midwest [23] Beef 3.59 13.17 43.04 114.77
system (AMP) 10
Regenerative cropping system
US, Southeast [24] Rotational grazing Dairy 8.0 29.36 133.37 355.65
12.04
+
C is change in soil carbon in (Mg ha-1 yr-1) and CO2 is the equivalent of C as carbon dioxide.
b
Total potential carbon sequestration in Gigatons (Gt) if all global cropland or grazing land converted to the respective Global annual CO2 emissions Global Soil C sequestration potential
regenerative system and percentage of carbon dioxide offset from 37.5 Gt CO2e global annual greenhouse gas emissions [4].
*Not peer-reviewed.

REGENERATIVE PRINCIPLES for
SOIL HEALTH and CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Regenerative agriculture is a systems These practices alone do not signify regeneration—they are a
starting point, not the end point. At a minimum, regenerative
approach to farming that builds soil health
agricultural practices that support soil carbon sequestration include:
by supporting biodiversity above and below
ground to return carbon and nutrients 1 Diversifying crop rotations
back to the soil.
2 Planting cover crops, green manures, and perennials
Biodiversity is the primary driver of soil carbon sequestration
3 Retaining crop residues
and many more farm and ecosystem benefits [25]. Soil organic
carbon, and the soil organic matter in which it resides, are vital to 4 Using natural sources of fertilizer, such as compost
plant growth by mediating soil aggregation, temperature, water
infiltration and retention, and nutrient cycling. Soil organic matter 5 Employing highly managed grazing and/or
also aids ecosystem services: reducing erosion, filtering pollutants, integrating crops and livestock
and providing habitat and food for diverse species. 6 Reducing tillage frequency and depth
Without sufficient organic matter, soil cannot support microbial life 7 Eliminating synthetic chemicals
or plant life without vast amounts of imported inputs. Two-thirds
of conventional corn and wheat cropland soils have been depleted Regenerative agriculture is focused on outcomes and practices
to less than two percent organic matter [12], limiting yields and that ensure outcomes: these interlinked practices support soil life
requiring injections of chemical inputs. This is food production on and minimize erosion by retaining biomass from a wide variety of
Photo: Brittany App, Tablas Creek Farm
life support, ignoring the vast potential for creating healthy food by living and dead roots, shoots, and microbes, which work together to
healing the land. But there is another way. As J.I. Rodale, a founder sequester carbon [8,26].
of the organic movement in America, wrote on a blackboard in 1942:
While most of the practices that enable soil carbon sequestration

Healthy Soil = Healthy are associated with regenerative farming systems, they are “best Carbon Cycle Institute’s Carbon Farming Practices
Food = Healthy People management practices” that can be adapted to any type of farm.
However, supporting soil life is not as easy as just adding one • Mulching/compost application • Forest Stand Improvement • Herbaceous Wind Barriers
practice; the synergies from interlinked practices in an overall
Crop and rangeland can be regenerated, soil organic matter
system are the key to the biodiversity that sequesters soil carbon [27]. • Residue and Tillage Management • Contour Buffer Strips • Critical Area Planting
can be recovered and soil life can thrive again—through
regenerative agriculture. • Anaerobic Digester • Riparian Restoration • Forest Slash Treatment
While regenerative agriculture has to be a place-based, customized, • Multi-Story Cropping • Riparian Forest Buffer • Filter Strip
Soil Carbon Sequestration
systems approach, there are certain interlinked practices that are
• Windbreak/Shelterbelt • Vegetative Barrier • Grassed Waterway
part of most regenerative systems. Soil carbon sequestration means maximizing atmospheric carbon Establishment
dioxide removal and minimizing soil carbon losses. • Windbreak/Shelterbelt • Hedgerow Planting
• Silvopasture Establishment Renovation
• C
ross Wind Trap Strips
For soil carbon sequestration to occur, all of the soil organic
• Forage and Biomass Planting • Alley Cropping Conservation Cover
carbon sequestered must originate from the atmospheric carbon
pool and be transferred into soil organic matter through plants, • Nutrient Management • Riparian Herbaceous Cover • Wetland Restoration
plant residues, microbial residues, and other organic solids [28].
• Tree/Shrub Establishment • Range Planting
Soil organic matter, while highly variable, is comprised of about

50% percent soil organic carbon [29].

BIODIVERSITY BELOW GROUND CARBON SEQUESTRATION - HOW IT WORKS
Soil life is exceptionally complex, comprised Feeding soil life to encourage biodiversity and abundance means 1 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
managing the farm so that there are living roots in the ground for as
of a vast community of microscopic bacteria, During photosynthesis, plants convert
much of the year as possible. Roots aid soil health by directly feeding carbon dioxide (a gas) into sugar
fungi, protozoa, and nematodes, as well (carbohydrate molecules).
microbes with their exudates including sugars, amino acids, and
as meso- and macrofauna like arthropods, organic acids, by creating the right kind of soil structure to protect
earthworms, springtails, spiders and insects. carbon, and by partnering with mycorrhizal fungi to store carbon
2 NUTRIENT EXCHANGE
This plant-derived carbon enters the soil
and cycle nutrients [33,35]. As leading soil ecologist Francesca in the form of litter or root exudates. Soil
There are billions of these organisms in just one teaspoon of Cotrufo, PhD of Colorado State University says: microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) live in
healthy soil. The soil community builds carbon stores through its association with plant roots and decompose
interactions underground with the soil physical structure, living these organic compounds. During the
“It’s becoming very clear that in order to decomposition, nutrients (nitrogen,
roots and decomposing organic matter, and aboveground with
regenerate soils, we have to have continuous phosphorus, sulfur, etc.) are released to
plants, animals, weather, people and their farming practices. support plant growth.
and diverse inputs, and that mostly comes
from living roots.”
The abundance and composition of soil life is heavily influenced 3 CAPTURING CARBON
—(Cotrufo Interview) Microbial necromass (dead microbial
by the farm system. To harness soil carbon sequestration and its
biomass) can be stored in organo-mineral
co-benefits, farmers choose interlinking management strategies that
Farmers must also manage microbial carbon use efficiency by associations or microaggregates. This
increase biodiversity above and below ground. A systematic review physically protected stable carbon is mostly
applying high-quality plant inputs. When processing plant inputs,
of over 50 international studies found nearly 60% more biomass of microbial origin.
microbes simultaneously use carbon for growth and maintenance.
from soil microorganisms in organically managed farm systems
Carbon use efficiency is the proportion of a carbon input that
versus conventional [30]. The soil life in the organic systems were 4 RESTORING BALANCE
microbes assimilate relative to the carbon lost, or respired, out Increasing the number of microorganisms
also over 80% more active than in conventional systems [30].
of the system as carbon dioxide [36]. Soil has a conservative in the soil helps bring carbon levels back
This is not surprising, as most organic systems, and all regenerative
carbon to nitrogen ratio of about 10:1. This means that for soil into balance, which leads to healthier soil,
systems, are built on interlinking practices designed to increase healthier food, and a healthier planet.
carbon sequestration to occur, every 10 units of carbon require
biodiversity and support soil health.
one unit of nitrogen. This explains why high carbon inputs are,
counterintuitively, not associated with proportional gains in soil
Recent research underscores the predominant role of soil microbes
carbon. Applying diverse but low quality (high C:N ratio) inputs
in building soil carbon stores. Contrary to previous thought, it’s
(e.g. high proportion of sawdust or woodchips) or cover crops
not the recalcitrant plant material that persists and creates long
(e.g. cereal only) results in low carbon use efficiency, which causes
term soil carbon stores, instead it’s the microbes who process this
a larger proportional loss of carbon. These high carbon to nitrogen
plant matter that are most responsible for soil carbon sequestration
ratio inputs also put microbes under stress, resulting in nitrogen
[31,32]. Stable soil carbon is formed mostly by microbial necromass
mining from existing soil organic matter. To avoid this, farmers
(dead biomass) bonded to minerals (silt and clay) in the soil.
should include high quality (low C:N) inputs such as legume cover
Long term carbon storage is dependent on the protection of the
crops and manure, vegetable based, or worm compost, which are
microbially-derived carbon from decomposition. This protection
more efficient in building carbon.
takes place in soil pores in a specific size range of 30-150
micrometers, which are created by roots from diverse polycultures—
Plants rely on available nutrients provided by the soil. This nutrient
not from monocrops [33].
cycle depends on rapid carbon matter turnover by microbes,
This means that to enable soil carbon storage, farmers should focus
resulting in particulate organic matter (POM), which does not store LIVING MICROBES
carbon over long periods [34]. Managing agricultural soil to increase
on encouraging diverse carbon inputs to create pore structures
biodiversity and soil life abundance below ground results in organic
and feeding soil microbes, both of which are achieved with a wide MICROBIAL NECROMASS
matter buildup that stores carbon for the short and long terms. Both
variety of plant roots. These roots help microbes build biomass that
types of organic matter are needed for proper ecosystem function,
becomes necromass-mineral amalgams that store carbon over very
long time periods [34].
nutrient retention and cycling, and food production. SOIL MINERALS

SPECIAL INSERT: FARMING SYSTEMS TRIAL
NITROGEN
Carbon does not cycle alone. The type of nitrogen used in an
agricultural system is linked to the carbon storage capability of that
Regenerative systems can provide the nitrogen needed for soil
carbon sequestration by including nitrogen-fixing legumes and/
RODALE INSTITUTE’S
system. Long-term studies demonstrate that providing crop fertility
with composts or manures results in increased soil carbon storage,
or trees in the farm plan, making synthetic nitrogen fertilization
unnecessary. Legumes planted as cover crops, forage, or cash crops
FARMING SYSTEMS
TRIAL – EST. 1981
while the use of synthetic fertilty sources results in the loss or no in regenerative systems work with rhizobium, a soil bacterium, to
change in soil carbon [37,38]. Organic nitrogen sources support soil fix atmospheric nitrogen which feeds plants and microorganisms.
carbon sequestration by feeding the microbes responsible for carbon This nitrogen fixing relationship supports carbon storage while
storage. Synthetic nitrogen sources encourage the dominance of reducing nitrogen losses and environmental damage that comes
bacteria that quickly turn ammonia into nitrate, which is easily with synthetic fertilization [49]. Ectomycorrhizal fungi, those North America’s longest-running
respired or otherwise lost from the soil [39–41]. associated most with trees, work with bacteria to control the side-by-side comparison of organic
amount of nitrogen available, keeping the soil community in a
and conventional agriculture.
balance that suppresses carbon respiration and increases soil carbon
When compost replaces synthetic storage [50–52]. Farmers can encourage atmospheric nitrogen
Rodale Institute has been comparing various grain cropping The Systems
fixation by inoculating legume or tree crops with nitrogen-fixing
nitrogen, plants grow more roots. rhizobia bacteria or ectomycorrhizal fungi.
systems, side-by-side, for more than 40 years. The Farming
Systems Trial, divided into 72 plots on 11 acres at Rodale
CONVENTIONAL SYNTHETIC
Institute’s headquarters in Kutztown, PA, have proven that
This system represents a typical
regenerative practices, including cover cropping, crop rotation,
Reduction of fertilizer nitrogen losses is vital. Less than half of the U.S. grain farm. It relies on synthetic
and composting, lead to increased soil health and carbon storage,
109 million metric tons of fossil-fuel-based nitrogen fertilizer used nitrogen for fertility, and weeds are
while producing competitive yields, using less energy, and being
each year is assimilated into crops, the rest is either leached into controlled by synthetic herbicides
more profitable for farmers.
groundwater creating marine dead zones, or lost as potent nitrous selected by and applied at rates
recommended by Penn State University
oxide greenhouse gas emissions [42]. In addition, the industrial
Learn more at RodaleInstitute.org/FST. Cooperative Extension. GMOs were
production of nitrogen fertilizer directly contributes two to three
introduced in 2008.
percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions; and the acidification
of agricultural soils due to synthetic nitrogen also contributes
another two to three percent of emissions [43]. ORGANIC LEGUME
Results at a Glance This system represents an organic cash
When compost replaces synthetic nitrogen, plants grow more grain system. It features a mid-length
roots, fixing more atmospheric carbon in the process [44]. Legume rotation consisting of annual grain crops
cover crops have been found to be twice as efficient in storing
The FST has shown that, in comparison with and cover crops. The system’s sole
soil organic carbon as nitrogen fertilization [45]. In a multi- conventional methods, organic systems: source of fertility is leguminous cover
decade field experiment comparing soil carbon sequestration crops and crop rotation provides the
primary line of defense against pests.
and fertilization, organic fertilization significantly improved the • P RODUCE competitive yields with a good
capacity of soil organic carbon storage in comparison to chemical management plan
fertilization [46]. In a cropping trial of wheat and maize, organic
• Y IELD up to 40% more in times of drought
ORGANIC MANURE
compost led to the formation of long-term carbon storage at the
This system represents an organic
rate of .38 metric tons of carbon per hectare per year, compared to • E ARN 3-6x greater profits for farmers dairy or beef operation. It features a
.23 for industrial fertilizers [47]. After 34 years in Rodale Institute’s long rotation of annual feed grain crops
Farming Systems Trial, the organic manure system had between • I MPROVE soil health and build soil organic and perennial forage crops. Fertility
18 to 21% higher soil organic carbon levels than the conventional matter over time is provided by leguminous cover crops
system [48]. In this long-term trial, the soil carbon sequestration and periodic applications of composted
• U SE 45% less energy
rate was highest in the first 15 years [17]. manure. A diverse crop rotation is the
Legume cover crops, like crimson clover, have been found to be twice • R ELEASE 40% fewer carbon emissions primary line of defense against pests.
as efficient in storing soil organic carbon as nitrogen fertilization.
• L EACH no atrazine, a toxic chemical,
into waterways Each system is further divided into two:
tillage and no-till, for a total of 6 systems.

FUNGI DIVERSIFY CROPPING
Fungal to bacterial ratios are ecologically important for carbon that researchers have suggested “the role of the symbiosis in global Only nine crops account for nearly 70% of worldwide agricultural conventional system. Both organic systems include diverse cover
storage and overall farm system sustainability [53–55]. Soils with nutrient cycling is significant” [61,66]. land use: sugar cane, maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil-palm crops and green manures with the manure system including a
higher fungal to bacterial ratios are characterized by higher fruit, sugar beet and cassava [79]. These crops are often produced multi-year, mixed perennial hay crop and composted manure as
carbon use efficiencies [53]. The two groups of beneficial soil fungi Mycorrhizal fungi secrete a protein called glomalin; this particular in monocultures or narrow cash crop rotations, like corn-soybean additional inputs. The conventional system is a corn-soybean
important for soil carbon sequestration are the decomposers— fungi-root partnership and its glomalin are largely responsible for rotations. Growing just one or two types of crop makes a farm prone rotation using standard chemical inputs with no cover crops.
saprotrophic fungi—and the root-associated, or mycorrhizal fungi creating persistent, stable soil aggregates that protect soil carbon to devastation from pest outbreaks or extreme weather, which After ten years of continuous no-till the conventional system had
[56]. Increases in plant abundance, plant diversity [57] and organic from being lost as atmospheric carbon dioxide [67,68]. This initial are becoming more common with the climate crisis. Increasing the lowest soil organic carbon levels in all six Farming Systems Trial
fertility sources [58–60] increase fungal biomass and fungi to shorter-term stabilization provides the time for organic matter biodiversity above ground by growing diverse crops in rotation, systems, including its tilled conventional counterpart, suggesting
bacteria ratios. to create bonds with metals and minerals, the resultant organo- cover cropping, strip-cropping, inter-cropping, multi-story cropping, that no-till alone, in the absence of cover crops and diverse crop
mineral or organo-metal complexes can remain in the soil for and integrating crops and livestock leads to resilience from these rotations, does not sequester carbon. No-till farming limits the speed
millennia [26,34]. kinds of shocks while aiding soil carbon sequestration. by which soil carbon loss and soil degradation occur, but it does not
sequester carbon.
Many plant species directly Since mycorrhizal fungi need root-partners to survive, farming
depend on these fungi for strategies that include perennial plantings, trees on edges, reduced Cover crops are equally A meta-analysis of worldwide studies found that cover crops are
tillage, and plants with long, fibrous root systems, encourage the nearly as effective as afforestation of cropland for sequestering
growth and survival. long-term stabilization of soil carbon [57,67,69,70]. Long-term
important for large and carbon, while also reducing nutrient leaching, wind and water
systems trials comparing organic and conventional systems find small-scale systems. erosion and pest pressure [16]. Cover crops are equally important
higher levels of mycorrhizal fungi in organic systems [71-73], for large and small-scale systems. Cover crops and green manures
Ninety-percent of all plants live in symbiosis with mycorrhizal presumably due to greater plant diversity through longer crop are a critical component for regenerative tropical agriculture
fungi [35]. These fungi are particularly important for soil carbon rotations and the use of cover crops and green manures. Promising Moving crop rotations away from monoculture with fallow towards where smallholder maize systems interplanted with legumes can
sequestration. Mycorrhizal fungi receive a significant portion of the effects have been shown for inoculation of soils with fungi, polyculture with no fallow increases soil biodiversity and sequesters sequester almost six metric tons of carbon per hectare per year
plant belowground carbon as their only energy source, in return, especially in cases where frequent or deep tillage has destroyed carbon [30,80,81]. For instance, switching a wheat-fallow rotation to [21]. Importantly, “sequestering that carbon is a free by-product of
they provide up to 80% of a plant’s nitrogen and phosphorus [61]. the native population [22,74]. Mycorrhizal fungi can be introduced a wheat-sunflower or wheat-legume rotation was found to increase doubling and tripling their own [smallholder’s] agricultural yields” [21].
Mycorrhizal fungi also provide soil and plants other important through inoculations that are easily prepared on-farm [74,75] soil organic carbon stocks significantly [80] and a continuous
benefits, such as resilience from drought and stresses through their and could be a strategy to accelerate carbon sequestration and barley system more than doubled soil carbon stocks compared to
mediation of soil physical structure and water [62–65]. So many regeneration of degraded soils. a barley-fallow system [82]. Integrating seeded grass species as cover
plant species directly depend on these fungi for growth and survival crops, living mulches, or in rotation increases soil carbon
due to the deep, fibrous root systems of these perennials [80,83].
BIODIVERSITY ABOVE GROUND

Both enhanced cash-crop rotations and introducing cover crops
result in continuous cover, which increases soil microbial biomass
and soil carbon by ensuring available energy and root hosts for
bacteria and fungi [81,84,85].
An abundance of biodiversity above ground crop rotations require chemical inputs to control weeds, insects,
and diseases and to provide fertility. These inputs destroy soil
results in greater soil health and soil carbon Diversifying with cover crops is more effective than no-till in
biology and exacerbate soil carbon loss.
sequestration below ground [25,76]. sequestering carbon. In a 30-year trial of maize cover cropping in
Brazil, the effect of a legume cover-crop on soil carbon stores was
In general, systems based on organic management principles foster
A lack of life above ground—bare soil—disables photosynthesis greater than the effect of not tilling the soil [86]. Similarly, in Rodale
biodiversity. Recent research comparing more than 60 crops grown
and encourages erosion. Losing soil to wind and rain decreases Institute’s Farming Systems Trial, differences in soil carbon were
in conventional and organic systems worldwide found that organic
agricultural productivity and nullifies any hope of shifting not impacted by tillage intensity but differed significantly between
systems fostered significantly more biodiversity, both in abundance
agriculture from a climate problem to a climate solution. organic and conventional systems [87]. Soil organic carbon (SOC),
and in species richness [77,78]. Any farm, whether certified organic
microbial biomass carbon (MBC), active carbon (PoxC), and water
or not, can borrow from organic models to introduce a set of Apricot Lane Farms, in Moorpark, California, grows an
Another sign of a poorly designed system is a monoculture—one extractable carbon (WEC) were all higher in the Rodale’s organic
practices that regenerate soil life by focusing on biodiversity above assortment of grasses, nitrogen-fixing legumes, native
type of crop covering a vast landscape. Monocultures and simplistic manure system compared to the conventional system, while SOC
and below ground. weeds, and flowers under 75 varieties of organic and
and MBC were higher in the organic legume system than the
biodynamic certified fruit trees.

REDUCING TILLAGE
Plowing clearly affects soil life—it breaks up aggregates, destroys carbon sequestration potentials in conventional systems, found
fungal networks, increases water trans-evaporation, increases no benefit of reduced tillage in soil carbon storage [112].
the breakdown of organic matter, and can lead to wind and water No-till systems can best reverse the trend of soil organic carbon
erosion. Tilled, exposed, and eroded soils allow formerly stable losses when they are part of a systems approach to regeneration that
soil carbon to be released as a greenhouse gas [106,107]. includes cover cropping, enhanced crop rotations, and reduction
Switching from deep, regular tillage to reduced tillage programs or elimination of synthetic inputs [90, 91]. Soil improvements
improves soil structure, reduces carbon dioxide emissions and occur when conventional, no-till farming practices are replaced
contributes to increases in soil organic carbon [108,109]. with organic farming methods, even though some tillage is used in
organic systems [113]. Soil carbon and nitrogen were higher after
Compost helps divert waste from landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas
nine years in an organic system with reduced tillage compared with
emissions reductions while providing organic fertility. Photo: Herb Pharm.
There is growing evidence that three conventional no-till systems, two of which included cover
crops [113]. Any soil carbon gains achieved under conventional
conventional no-till alone does no-till may be countervailed by the greater nitrous oxide emissions
not sequester carbon. from synthetic nitrogen fertilization in these systems [114,115].
MULCHES AND COMPOST
Regenerative organic reduced tillage systems depend on heavy
Diverse crops also play a significant role in soil carbon sequestration Using only small amounts of fungal rich plant-based compost to The interlinking effects of regenerative practices are highlighted cover cropping for weed suppression [116]. Coupled with the
when their plant and root residues are retained rather than inoculate soils can result in substantial carbon sequestration and soil by the highly variable outcomes researchers record in tillage benefits of organic management in general, organic reduced tillage
removed or burned [81,88–90]. These residues fuel the soil food health improvements [22,99,100]. For instance, a single application experiments. There is growing evidence that conventional has been shown to increase soil organic carbon by nine percent after
web, constructing more complex biochemical structures that serve of compost to grassland soils increased soil carbon in labile and no-till alone does not sequester carbon, but must be part of two years and more than twenty percent after six years [116,117].
as forerunners to building soil organic matter [34,77]. Residue physically protected pools over subsequent years [100]. Compost a systems approach, especially when considering the entire soil A recent review of reduced tillage in organic systems found that
removal, whether of the main cash crop or a cover crop, has become also helps divert waste from landfills, contributing to greenhouse profile rather than the surface soil [110]. For instance, after seven using inversion tillage to only a shallow depth results in significantly
common for the production of biofuel, but this practice depletes gas emissions reductions while providing organic fertility [101]. years comparing conventional industrial maize systems under higher soil carbon stocks, and while weed abundance increased,
soil organic matter [91]. Retaining crop residues as a mulch prevents reduced and conventional tillage, the reduced tillage system yield was not necessarily affected [118].
erosion, inhibits weed growth, moderates soil temperatures, reduces However, relying on compost, especially composted manure, to resulted in more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions [111].
soil water evaporation, provides organic matter that is cycled by promote carbon sequestration in cropland soil may be difficult A review of more than 30 studies found no difference in annual soil
earthworms, and protects soil from extreme weather events. because of limited supplies and the economic and environmental organic carbon stocks between tilled and untilled plots [16]; and an
costs of transportation [101,102]. This is especially relevant in experiment testing conservation tillage with cover cropping on soil
limited resource smallholder agriculture when livestock is not
The benefits of compost present [21]. In addition, carbon inputs originating outside of a farm
and transported considerable distances are difficult to attribute
can accrue quickly. carbon sequestration values when considering the amendments’
full lifecycle. Therefore, on-farm and local waste stream composting
In addition to retaining residues as mulch, compost made from that recycle nutrients naturally should be promoted. For instance,
plant residues and/or manure increases soil biodiversity and incorporation of manure and crop residues in integrated crop-
microbial biomass which improve soil structure, nutrient cycling, livestock systems sequesters carbon, improves soil function
and disease suppression [18,92-96]. Compost is highly efficient in and mitigates erosion [103-105]. Farmers can select appropriate
building soil carbon by both feeding microbes and directly forming amendments from a range of on-farm or locally available mulches
organo-mineral associations [96]. The benefits of compost can and composts to support soil life and soil organic matter in a way
accrue quickly: after only one application of plant-based compost, that adds carbon to the system, rather than redistributing it.
soil organic carbon and aggregate stability can increase significantly
in the following years compared with non-amended soils [97,98].
In a 10-year trial, fields amended with composted dairy manure
sequestered more than two metric tons of carbon per hectare per
year, while the paired conventional farming system lost carbon [18].
Rodale Institute’s roller crimper, shown here, rolls cover crops

into a weed-suppressing mulch in an organic no-till system.
SYSTEM COMPLEXITY
GRAZING MANAGEMENT
Carbon Sequestration Factors
Regenerative agriculture is a knowledge-intensive, systems-based
Regenerative grazing couples the sequestration potential of forage to recover between grazing (Teague interview), mimicking
approach grounded in ecological thinking. It is not simply reducible • existing and historic soil organic carbon content
highly managed grazing systems to enhance the large natural large herds found in nature, allowing soil organic carbon to increase
to a handful of practices, instead it’s guided by principles and • climate and landscape position
sink capacity of perennial pasture and woodlands [5,25,104,119]. even at stocking rates thought to be detrimental to soil health in set-
outcomes. Even within organic systems growing the same crops and • length of growing season
Grazing lands account for more than 70% of the global agricultural stocking systems [122, 123].
using the same tillage, management choices like cover crop type and • soil type, depth, and water holding capacity
land area (there are 1.4 billion hectares of arable cropland versus
frequency and the use of compost, have significant effects on soil • the main cash crops or livestock
3.3 billion hectares of meadows and pastures) [79]. Thus, grazing Regenerative grazing can also be employed in integrated crop-
health over the long-term [85]. Researchers studying nine different • type and rate of fertilizer used
lands may provide the greatest potential to sequester carbon livestock systems. The careful management of grazing in these
vegetable systems, some organic, some conventional, over almost • available soil nitrogen
through regenerative agriculture if managed properly to regenerate systems is critical to increasing soil organic carbon. In a nine-year
twenty years found that only one of those systems—an organic • use of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides
soils, providing a massive carbon sink with many co-benefits for study of cover crop grazing, Brazilian researchers found greater
corn-tomato-cover crop and manure system—increased soil organic • cover crop types and rotation
ecosystems, ruminant livestock and ranchers. stocks of soil organic carbon and nitrogen under moderate and light
carbon along the full soil profile [102]. • tillage intensity
grazing intensity (20–40 cm height) than for ungrazed or higher
• type and frequency of compost applications
intensity grazing [124]. Similar conclusions about intensity have
The potential and rate of soil carbon sequestration for any farming • use of irrigation
Livestock itself is not the been made by other researchers investigating integrated crop-
system depends on many interacting factors [85,130,131] including: • prevention of land use change once carbon is stored
livestock systems [105,125,126]. The addition of rotational grazing
problem, it’s the way we have to a cash crop rotation can provide multiple benefits beyond the
existing and historic soil organic carbon content, climate and and many other management choices.
landscape position, and length of growing season [See Sidebar for
chosen to raise livestock that increased carbon storage, including increased soil glucosidase
more factors].
creates the problem. activity, available calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, soil pH, and an
increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio [127].
This complexity means that farmers can best create regenerative
systems when they draw from a basic ecological literacy to make
However, livestock production is increasingly “landless” [79]. Even
management decisions for their particular farm’s context.
in places previously known for grass-fed production, such as Brazil Researchers have also found
and Argentina, deforested land that once held extensive pastures for
cattle are now being turned into conventional soybean cropland to reduced methane emissions from “Globally, farmers risk becoming passive
customers of the agroindustry, in which
feed cattle held in crowded lots [120]. These conventional livestock cattle in regenerative systems. a declining ecological literacy translates
production systems contribute an estimated 7–18% of global
greenhouse gas emissions [23]. into an increased reliance on purchased
In addition to managing grazing activity, more diverse pasture grass synthetic inputs.” [132]
But livestock itself is not the problem, it’s the way we have chosen mixes, and those that include legumes, better sequester carbon than
to raise livestock that creates the problem. Levels of greenhouse less diverse pastures [128]. Researchers have also found reduced Longer more complex rotations, including cover crops, perennials,
gas emissions from beef production are dependent on the type of methane emissions from cattle in regenerative systems, suggesting and trees, ensure there are diverse living roots in the soil for
grazing system [23,122], or lack of grazing. With appropriate grazing this may be due to the increased diversity of pasture grasses in as much of the year as possible—an important principle for
management, ruminant livestock can increase carbon sequestered in theses systems [121]. In general, shifts in grazing management regenerative agriculture. Reintroducing highly managed livestock,
the soil that more than offsets their greenhouse gas emissions, and present a great potential for agricultural mitigation of the climate retaining crop residues, reducing tillage and adding composts or
can support and improve other essential ecosystem services [121, crisis, besting even policies aimed at reducing deforestation or microbial inoculants can further amplify soil health.
122]. targeting crop production practices [129].
These synergistic practices combine to form regenerative systems
Regenerative grazing is an umbrella term encompassing many forms that promote biodiversity above and belowground. The suite
of management intensive grazing such as adaptive multi-paddock of practices that make an appropriate system for any one farm
(AMP) grazing, holistic grazing management, and mob grazing. will differ, but the menu of regenerative practices is broad and
While these systems do have differences, their commonality is in the substantiated enough now that every farm can implement some
frequent, calculated movement of high densities of ruminants with management changes that help move agriculture from a climate
decisions made based on the herd size and qualities of the available crisis problem, to part of the solution.
forage. Critically, this highly managed movement of the herd allows
Photo: Alexandre Family Farms

SPECIAL INSERT: CERTIFICATIONS, PRODUCTS AND INITIATIVES Photo: Savory Institute
WHERE is REGENERATIVE FARMING

in the MARKETPLACE? Soil Carbon Initiative
SoilCarbonInitiative.org
In recent years, a number of nonprofits and brands have been While the term “regenerative” is currently vulnerable to
developing definitions of regenerative agriculture, product labeling greenwashing, these initiatives are attempting to develop criteria— The Soil Carbon Initiative (SCI), created by The Carbon
and certifications, and measurement systems to track outcomes. and transparency—to help consumers identify regenerative products Underground and Green America, is an outcomes-based,
in the marketplace: scientific, agricultural standard designed to help farmers and
supply chains measure improvements in soil health and soil
carbon. The SCI creates a framework that calls all who touch
Regenerative Organic Certified™ the soil to address the climate crisis by building soil health
and increasing soil carbon sequestration through better soil
RegenOrganic.org health. The SCI does not dictate practices, so no matter the
Regenerative Organic Certified, a new high-bar label led by the Regenerative Organic Alliance underlying agricultural system (organic, regenerative,
(and backed by brands and nonprofits such as Rodale Institute, Patagonia, and Dr. Bronners), non-GMO, conventional), the SCI can measure soil health and
requires organic certification as a baseline, while adding additional criteria for soil health, soil carbon. The outcomes-focus allows supply chains to use
animal welfare and social fairness such as: SCI to measure the results of customized soil health programs.
Farmers demonstrate commitments annually by submitting

SOIL HEALTH ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIAL FAIRNESS evidence of learning/teaching about soil and ecosystem health,
• Builds Soil Organic Matter • Five Freedoms: • Capacity Building and of actions taken to improve ecosystem and soil health.
The actions are aligned to five principles of soil health:
• Conservation Tillage 1. Freedom from discomfort • Democratic Organizations
1 Minimize Soil Disturbance
• Cover Crops 2. Freedom from fear & distress • Fair Payments for Farmers
2 Maximize Crop Diversity and On-Farm Biodiversity
• Crop Rotations 3. Freedom from hunger • Freedom of Association
3 Keep the Soil Covered
• No GMOs or Gene Editing 4. Freedom from pain, injury or disease • Good Working Conditions
4 Maintain Living Roots Year Round
• No Soilless Systems 5. Freedom to express normal behavior • Living Wages Savory Institute’s
5 Integrate Livestock
• No Synthetic Inputs • Grass-Fed / Pasture-Raised • Long Term Commitments
Land to Market Program
savory.global/land-to-market
• Promotes Biodiversity • Limited Transport • No Forced Labor
Ecological-Outcome-Verification (EOV) is the outcome-
• Rotational Grazing • No CAFOs • Transparency and Accountability
based science protocol inside of Savory Institute’s Land
• Suitable Shelter to Market regenerative program. It is intended to give a

voice to the land in the marketplace. The scientific protocol
evaluates a comprehensive aggregate of environmental
health indicators including: soil organic matter, soil carbon,
soil water holding capacity, water infiltration rates, and
ROC Star Farms biodiversity. The protocol utilizes a mix of quantitative
and qualitative data and photographic records that work
The first Regenerative Organic Certified synergistically to account for changes in ecosystem services.
products hit shelves in 2020. The certification EOV employs a variety of indicators that help producers
is for food, fiber, and personal care products. make management improvements, alongside other
empirical indicators that have value in the marketplace.
As of July 2020, through Savory's global network of Hubs, Coconut Farmer in Sri Lanka. Courtesy of Serendipol, Ltd.,
over 2 million acres have been measured by EOV. Dr. Bronner’s sister company and supplier of Regenerative
23 24
Organic Certified™ Coconut Oil.
LOCKING CARBON UNDERGROUND
Regenerating soils while sequestering This is important as reduced tillage systems that once were assumed
to have lost soil carbon compared to no-till, rather
carbon can happen quickly, but trapping
may have redistributed carbon to below the plow level and out
carbon in the soil for long periods of time
of reach of most soil sampling [28]. Beyond 30 centimeters in the
is a more time-consuming process. soil profile, the age of carbon increases, much of it persisting for
thousands of years [141].
Since the carbon cycle is dynamic and the study of soil is inherently
complex, the factors influencing retention time of carbon in soil are
Both rapid and stable carbon sequestration under the conditions
actively being researched [34,133].
encouraged by regenerative agriculture are possible. Additions
of fresh organic matter can, under the right circumstances, be
All soil carbon is in flux and the degree to which it is protected
effectively sequestered rapidly. After only one application of
in undisturbed soil aggregates protected from decomposers and
compost and cattle manure, soil organic carbon levels were
respiration largely determines how long it is held in soil [26].
significantly higher in the ensuing years, even after accounting for
the carbon in the amendments [97,99]. Two years after conversion Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trial has proven that organic systems
(right) can outperform conventional systems (left) during times of drought.
from a degraded conventional row crop system to regenerative
Carbon is more likely to be grazing, dairy farms in the Southern US began sequestering carbon
protected deeper in the subsoil at a rate of 4.6 metric tons of carbon per hectare per year. This
increased to a very high 9 metric tons a year before the researchers
at one to two meters.
THE QUESTION YIELDS
saw a plateau and decline in the rate of sequestration after six years
[24]. Similarly, in tropical soils, results suggest that two years of
organic system management may significantly and consistently
of
Carbon locked in mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM)
enhance microbial biomass carbon [142]. Crop yields are often touted as the In 2016, Rodale Institute’s organic no-till with manure system
has a saturation point, but is stable over millennial time periods, produced 200 bushels of corn per acre—a record-breaking yield
while particulate organic matter (POM) cycles more quickly to
reason why we cannot scale up organic
These results suggest that stable soil carbon can be built quickly for the organic system and well above the county average and the
provide plant nutrients each season but may be able to accrue and regenerative systems, but evidence
enough to result in a rapid drawdown of atmospheric carbon conventional corn yield that same year (140 bushels per acre).
carbon indefinitely [134]. Soil structure plays a critical role in the
dioxide upon transition to regenerative agricultural systems.
does not support this claim. Over a forty-year period there has been no statistical difference in
stability of soil carbon [33, 135, 87], which can be improved by crop yield between the organic and conventional systems within that trial
management and diverse types of plant roots growing for as much Meta-analyses of refereed publications show that, on average, [17,147].
of the year as possible. organic yields are lower than conventional [143,144]. But the
yield gap is most prevalent when practices used in organic mimic It has been noted that the organic yield gap also arises, in part, due
Carbon is more likely to be protected deeper in the subsoil, at one to conventional [145], that is, when the letter of organic standards are to a lack of varieties adapted for organic systems [31]. Conventional
two meters [5,136–140]. And yet, it remains rare that soil carbon is followed using an input mentality akin to conventional chemical- seeds, and the chemical systems they are locked in, have benefitted
measured below plow depths of 30 to 40 centimeters [16] meaning intensive agriculture. Regenerative systems are based on a holistic from immense R&D funding by private corporations and their
it is likely that current data sets underestimate soil carbon stocks. approach to farming that aims to improve soil health, they are not university researcher partners, whereas ecological plant breeding
Recent results from paired organic and conventional vegetable simply replacing conventional chemicals with organic-approved for organic production has not [148-150].
and grain systems found significant differences in the deeper chemicals.
soil profiles [48, 87, 102]. If soil had not been measured below 30 Importantly, yields under organic systems are more resilient to
centimeters, almost 60% of the soil organic carbon in the organic Actual yields in well-designed regenerative organic systems, the extreme weather accompanying climate change. As found in
system would not have been accounted for [102]. Conversely, the rather than agglomerated averages, have been shown to the long-running Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, during
shallow measurement depth would have suggested that carbon outcompete conventional yields for almost all food crops drought years, yields are 30% to 100% higher in the organic systems
was gained in the conventional system, when in fact the deeper including corn, wheat, rice, soybean and sunflower [18,72,143]. [151,152]. Crop resilience in a changing climate is an important
measurements revealed an overall loss of carbon in that system Researchers have found that “adoption of organic agriculture under economic co-benefit because “climate-resilient soil can stabilize
[102]. agroecological conditions, where it performs best, may close the productivity, reduce uncertainty, and produce an assured yield
yield gap between organic and conventional systems” [144,146]. response even under extreme weather conditions” [5].
Photo: Savory Institute

A strong evidence base has been building that shows regenerative
systems bring a wide range of traditionally under-valued benefits
farmers for whom yield is a matter of eating or not eating,
regenerative agriculture with few inputs is the best means of TAKING ACTION
that are equally as important as yields [2,77,146,153]. When increasing yield as documented across tropical regions for more
compared to conventional industrial agriculture, regenerative than 50 years by development agronomists [21].
systems improve:
We need to reduce greenhouse gases WHAT CAN EATERS DO?
in the atmosphere now.
• Biodiversity abundance and species richness
Just over 55% of world crop production is eaten directly by Put the Pressure On!
people [158]. Calorie availability could be increased by 70% by
• Soil health, including soil carbon This requires strong policy action that can support the total 1 Put pressure on supply chains. We need to take away
shifting crops away from animal feed and biofuels to direct human
• Pesticide impacts on food and ecosystem transformation of our energy and transportation sectors. At the the social license for food companies to use food and fiber
consumption [157]. If livestock were raised on pasture instead of
• Total farm outputs same time, we know that the terrestrial carbon pool is a massive products and ingredients that degrade ecosystems. Tell food
competing for arable land suited for human food production, “a
• Nutrient density of outputs reservoir that’s been drained by intensive agricultural practices. manufacturers that ecologically destructive supply chains
100% shift to organic agriculture could sustainably feed the human
• Resilience to climate shocks We can refill that reservoir by recarbonizing farm and rangeland are a time bomb about to explode for their brands. Let them
population in 2050, even with a yield gap” [158]. What’s more, over
• Provision of ecosystem services soils. know it’s no longer ok to produce food at the expense of
40% of the current global harvest is wasted each year, largely before
• Resource use efficiency humanity’s future. Demand food and fiber products that are
it ever reaches consumers [159].
• Job creation and farmworker welfare Farmers have led the revolution in regenerative agriculture, and sourced from farms employing regenerative practices.
• Farm profitability many need little more than knowledge, experience and support
It’s clear we need to make environmentally conscious food choices,
• Rural community revitalization to switch practices. However, beyond a certain eyes-to-acres ratio 2 Give policymakers hope. We need to approach
but we also need to focus resources on solving food waste, returning
[160], taking a new approach may be more difficult. Large-scale governmental leaders with regenerative strategies. Many
ruminants to pasture, and curtailing the use of fertile land for fuel
conventional, industrial farming is locked in a system that needs of them buy into the green revolution myth that we can
production. When we take a holistic perspective on the food system,
THE MYTH OF A FOOD SHORTAGE we see that yields alone mean little. Regenerative agriculture
more than the farmer’s will to shift. It’s a system built on high
capital expenses, proprietary inputs, seeds purposefully designed
sustainably intensify conventional agriculture. They know
absolutely can feed the world. And it can do it while stabilizing the soils of their states and nations are being destroyed, but
to work only in tightly controlled chemical regimes, and on scales they don’t see an alternative. Tell them there is a better way,
There is no global food shortage. Nor are we on a trajectory for the climate, regenerating ecosystems, restoring biodiversity,
reliant not on eyeballs and acres, but by satellites geolocating across show them this report and others like it. Let them know you
a global food shortage. World food production has been steadily and enhancing rural communities.
miles. The great capital expenses involved produce low-priced support their actions to shift agriculture from the problem
rising, currently providing 2,900 calories per person per day, 22%
commodity crops. The only way these systems work is through side of the climate equation to the solution side.
more than is needed [154].
externalization of costs and sheer scale coupled with support from
government agricultural policies and entrenched interests of large 3 Start a conversation. Ask your grocer, school,
The continued use of the trope that ‘we will soon need to feed nine 40% of the current global harvest is wasted each year.
agribusiness corporations. To recarbonize, we need to support workplace, local hospital, and other institutions and
billion people’ as justification for seeking ever greater yields is
place-based, customized regeneration for all farms, including large organizations you frequent to carry products from farms
duplicitous. Hunger and food access are not yield issues.
scale operations. practicing regenerative agriculture. If they can’t talk to the
They are economic and social issues which, in large part, are the
result of inappropriate agricultural and development policies producer directly, tell them to look for third-party verified
In the past five years, there has been an explosion of attention on labels like Regenerative Organic Certified, Land to Market,
that create and reinforce hunger [155]. We currently overproduce
regenerative farming, carbon farming, soil carbon sequestration and Real Organic Project, and the Soil Carbon Initiative.
calories. In fact, we already produce enough calories to feed nine
soil health. Among several international initiatives, the “4 per 1000”
billion people. However, we do it in a manner that degrades soils
launched at COP21 in 2015 galvanized many governments to support 4 Buy regenerative. When possible, buy from brands who
and harms the environment, putting our health and future food
soil carbon sequestration as part of their climate change strategies. source food stocks and ingredients from regenerative farms.
production at risk.
The voluntary program draws attention to “an annual growth rate Let them know you appreciate their sourcing practices.
of 0.4% in the soil carbon stocks in the first 30-40 cm of soil, would Or better yet, buy directly from regenerative farms.
significantly reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere Many regenerative farms that sell to the public are proudly
Over 40% of the current global related to human activities.” In the U.S., a bill introduced in early transparent about their practices. But remember that most
harvest is wasted each year. 2020, the Agriculture Resilience Act, would have the country farms, especially large-scale ones further from metropolitan
join the 4 per 1000 initiative, and lists a comprehensive set of areas, are not set up to sell directly to the public—shopping
regenerative agriculture policy support measures. alone is not going to shift this.
Worldwide hunger and food access are inequality issues that can
Policymaker, farmer, or eater—everyone can do something to
be ameliorated in part by support for small-scale regenerative
support shifting the food system from industrial to regenerative.
agriculture, both urban and rural [156]. For those smallholder
Photo: Rodale Institute
WHAT CAN FARMERS DO? WHAT CAN POLICYMAKERS DO?

Grow This Movement! Defund Soil Destruction!
1 Grow the community. The regenerative agriculture 1 Learn from constituents. Regenerative agriculture is a
movement is farmer-led; if you don’t know of a group nearby, farmer-led and consumer-supported movement the world over,
join a regional, national or international organization for it does not have the lobbying power of industrial agribusiness.
farmer-to-farmer learning about organic, regenerative, Prioritize actively building relationships with this movement.
agroecological, holistic grazing, or syntropic agroforestry, Even in unlikely places, there are passionate people working
among others. If you already frequent these circuits, consider to shift the food system from a climate problem to a climate
creating a Carbon Farm Plan or becoming certified to a solution. Find these constituents; they may be regenerative
more stringent standard that goes beyond organic, such as farmers, natural food store and co-op buyers, sustainable
Regenerative Organic Certified, Real Organic Project, Land to agriculture organizations, or even university researchers.
Market (for graziers), or Soil Carbon Initiative. You can also Build the relationships that will keep you informed about
set up a local or regional group to regenerate at the landscape regenerative agriculture locally and globally.
scale, organize a Regeneration Alliance, or start or join a food
SOIL HEALTH LIVABLE FUTURE

policy council where diverse constituents make a path for a 2 Support regenerative, organic, and regenerative
regenerative food system that is adapted to the local context. organic agriculture. Policies that support regenerative
agriculture recognize and reward farmers for building soil
for a
2 Experiment, observe, share. As a farmer-led movement, organic matter. These policies are best focused on supporting
experimentation on real farms is critical. When you shift and rewarding positive outcomes. There are a wide range of The climate crisis is a monumental This shift is going to take all of us working together—farmers, eaters,
and policymakers—to create widespread societal support for moving
management practices based on what you are learning, observe policy options, from direct cost-sharing for cover crops to opportunity to change course.
to regenerative systems. We need to put positive pressure on supply
and measure changes in soil health and biodiversity, and then facilitating farmer-to-farmer peer learning, funding organic
chains, get better at measuring and sharing on-farm progress, and
share those results with others. Whether informally talking research, creating local or regional food policy councils and Now is the time to create a future that embraces life, a future bent
defund soil destruction.
to your neighbors, hosting field-days, posting on social media, integrated landscape initiatives, and much more. The current on encouraging health, a future where healthy soil, clean air and
collaborating with researchers, or speaking at conferences and complexity of precise outcome measurements means that clean water is available to all. In so many ways, a fundamental
Robert Rodale urged us toward this vision of regeneration in 1985:
other meetings, when you experiment, observe and share your it may be more feasible to support systems of interlinked restructuring of how we cultivate our food is at the heart of
farm’s regeneration story, you inspire others, provide data for practices, such as those proposed in the U.S. Agriculture this shift; we need to cooperate with nature. The tired era of
researchers and policymakers, and enhance the benefits to your Resilience Act, than to reward outcomes. sustainability is over. We turn now to regeneration. Regenerative
My hope is that the period of sustainability
farm, community, and the greater food system. agriculture is our best hope for creating a future we all want to live will not be sustained for more than 10 or 15
3 Defund soil destruction. Policymakers can shift in, and a future our children will be happy to inherit. years but that we will move beyond that to
3 Measure outcomes. Regenerative systems provide a wide soil destructive policies in many ways. Start by rethinking the idea of regeneration, where what we are
host of beneficial outcomes that society values. High total commodity-based subsidies and support, crop insurance, Regenerative agriculture is aligned with forms of agroecology really doing with the American Land is not
farm outputs, nutrient density, resilience to extreme weather, biofuel mandates, government procurement programs, practiced by farmers concerned with food sovereignty the world only producing our food but regenerating,
ecosystem services like reduced runoff or fertilizer use, and job government funding for chemical-intensive research, and over. Choosing farming practices that create regenerative systems improving, reforming to a higher level the
creation are a few [2]. In addition, farms can track the buildup agribusiness corporate mergers. Consider how a Healthy Soil can increase soil carbon stocks, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, American landscape and the American Spirit
of soil organic matter where testing services are available and Act might be introduced to give soil rights [5]. Be vigilant to the maintain yields, improve water retention and plant health, improve [162].
affordable. In general, 50% of soil organic matter is soil organic global political power of industrial agribusiness corporations; farm profitability, and revitalize traditional farming communities
carbon [29]. For some regions, testing soil carbon sequestration their consolidation is a serious threat to shifting the food while ensuring biodiversity and resilience of ecosystem services. Nearly 35 years later, the specter of the climate crisis has provided
may be feasible in the near future with affordable soil sensors system to regenerative approaches [161]. an unparalleled opportunity to harness cutting-edge technological
and other accurate soil carbon measurements [140]. There Soil carbon sequestration through regenerative agriculture understanding, human ingenuity and the rich history of farmers
are also many no-cost observations to determine soil health is a human-scale remedy to global warming that’s ready for working in tandem with the wisdom of natural ecosystems to arrive
impacts related to management changes, including biodiversity implementation now. Farmers are already leading the evolution at a stable climate. It’s time now to heal our land and ourselves.
observations, soil aggregation and water infiltration tests. You to regenerative systems. But we need to scale up and out, to make
can obtain or design a soil health card to record observations regeneration possible on conventional farms, on smallholder
and track your farm’s progress. tropical farms, on orchards and ranches the world over in ways
that make sense for each place.

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Regenerative Agriculture: Soil Carbon Solution

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What are regenerative principles for soil health and carbon sequestration?

What are regenerative principles for soil health and carbon sequestration?

How does biodiversity below and above ground impact soil health?

How does biodiversity below and above ground impact soil health?

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

and the SOIL CARBON SOLUTION

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

11 Regenerative Principles for Soil Health

17 Biodiversity Above Ground

25 Locking Carbon Underground

26 The Question of Yields

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 30 Soil Health for a Livable Future

3 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 4

Alexandre Family Farms

Regenerative agriculture, with its focus on achieving positive

“To close the emissions gap, land use must

Mediterranean [20] Organic amendments Olives 5.3 19.45 27.05 72.13

CO2 (Gt yr-1)

Fungal compost Carbon (no

9 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 10

While most of the practices that enable soil carbon sequestration

Soil organic matter, while highly variable, is comprised of about

11 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 12

13 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 14

15 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 16

BIODIVERSITY ABOVE GROUND

17 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 18

Rodale Institute’s roller crimper, shown here, rolls cover crops

Photo: Alexandre Family Farms

WHERE is REGENERATIVE FARMING

Farmers demonstrate commitments annually by submitting

• Suitable Shelter to Market regenerative program. It is intended to give a

Photo: Savory Institute

WHAT CAN FARMERS DO? WHAT CAN POLICYMAKERS DO?

SOIL HEALTH LIVABLE FUTURE

29 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 30

31 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 32

33 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 34

35 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 36

37 RODALE INSTITUTE RODALE INSTITUTE 38

Copyright © 2020 Rodale Institute

611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530

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