Regenerative Agriculture: An agronomic perspective.

Area of Science:

• Agronomy
• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Agriculture faces crises: soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and plateauing yields.
• Regenerative Agriculture has resurged in interest, promoted by diverse groups from NGOs to multinational corporations.
• Key regenerative practices include residue retention, cover cropping, and reduced tillage, some aligning with good agricultural practices, others being niche.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define Regenerative Agriculture from an agronomic perspective.
• To analyze the reasons for its growing prominence and the problems it purports to solve.
• To critically evaluate the contextual application of regenerative practices.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and critical analysis of Regenerative Agriculture concepts and practices.
• Examination of the discourse surrounding Regenerative Agriculture, including its proponents and detractors.
• Agronomic perspective on the applicability and potential outcomes of promoted practices.

Main Results:

• Regenerative Agriculture is presented as a solution to current agricultural crises.
• Many promoted practices are not context-specific and may not yield claimed benefits universally.
• The resurgence of Regenerative Agriculture may be a re-framing of agroecology and sustainable intensification, potentially causing confusion.

Conclusions:

• The broad promotion of Regenerative Agriculture, without regard to context, can obscure more fundamental agricultural challenges.
• The conflation of diverse practices under the Regenerative Agriculture banner may hinder clear public and scientific debate.
• Guidance is offered for research agronomists engaging with the complex landscape of Regenerative Agriculture.