Regenerative Food Systems
To sustain is not enough, what we are currently providing is not sustaining our population or planet. Therefore we need to regenerate.
HEalthy soil
At the heart of regenerative food systems is the requirement for healthy soil - soil that is rich in biodiversity and supports the crops and animals above and within it.
Just like other living things, soil needs to breath and requires water and air to stay alive. The symbiotic relationships between living organisms within the soil encourage a balanced ecosystem where water and air can flow easily and plants can flourish.
"Your underground livestock" as Nicole Masters of Integrity Soils calls it.
healthy plants & animals
When you have got healthy soil, you have got an essential and strong foundation for healthy plants and healthy animals.
Grown from rich balanced soil, plants and cover crops sustain each other and those that feed on them. They acquire the ability to resist pests without the use of harsh chemicals and that is the perfect equation for a productive and profitable system.
Nutrient dense food and healthy happy animals are the products of a chemical free farming system and they all come from healthy soils.
healthy people
Plants harvested and consumed locally are always going to have the maximum nutrient value, and plants and animals grown on regenerative soils will be that much better again.
Regenerative agriculture and food systems is good for growers and communities too, as it places a priority on human welfare as well as the environment.
Lower input systems mean growers and farmers are able to spend more time with their loved ones and focusing on what is most important in life.
To farm regeneratively is to continually seek ecological improvement as well as better socio-economic outcomes for people.
Regenerative Agriculture is often considered difficult to define, yet ultimately it has very clear aims. Create healthy soil, to support healthy plant and animal growth which provides maximum nutritional value to the consumer. In doing so, the practices of regenerative agriculture improve the ecosystem that the soil, plants and animals are a part of. For example, by avoiding tilling the soil and the use of chemical inputs, biodiversity of the soil is increased. Or by maintaining diverse cover crops, carbon and nitrogen can be more readily absorbed reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Regenerative agriculture shares many of the same values as permaculture, agroecology, some forms of organics. It also share commonalities with indigenous forms of growing and farming, especially Hua Parakora or mahinga kai. Inherent in these approaches are respect for the within all growing things, including the hands of those who tend the soil and farm it.
Regenerative practices include:
Minimise external inputs
Mixed farming
Minimal tillage
Crop rotation
Use of manure and compost
Use of perennials
and other soil activities
"more than ever we need a model of agriculture that reflects economic, social, and environmental resilience; one that works with nature, rather than seeking to modify and dominate it" Alina Siegfried – Pure Advantage website
EXPANDING THE FOOD SYSTEM
Prioritising Land
Small-scale growers need access to land, as well as community access to meaningful and productive public spaces which can support food production and provision. These spaces need to be reimagined not as decorative community gardens or as a token gardening activity but rather as a hive of community horticulture initiatives that encourages people to grow local, consume locally with an appreciation of the importance of how food is grown. Growing in homes gardens and the skills and knowledge in how to be self-sufficient or ‘community-sufficient’ are also vital to create greater food security and resilience.
Ecological Resilience
Small-scale growers are important components in ecological systems, they have a predisposition to environmental improvement and zero-waste circular systems to divert waste. They also keep practices such as seed saving alive, enabling seed regeneration and crop diversity, as well as maintaining crops suitable to the local climate.
Growing Demand
Small-scale growers see a need to promote the values inherent in their produce (environmental, nutritional, social etc.) to eaters to increase their awareness and understanding of the factors related to food production, and to encourage new consumer perceptions, behaviours and demand around food. There is significant potential to support their efforts in this area to create more awareness and demand for local small-scale grown regenerative food. This supports diversification in the marketplace, as well as the positive outcomes from the growing styles described in these research findings.
Regulatory Fit
Small-scale growers are faced with a range of policy compliance, governance, regulations, legal structures and relationships, which can be seen as somewhat restrictive. There is further need to identify more closely where challenges arise, and whether such structures and frameworks are in-sync with the needs of small-scale growers, and whether there are opportunities to improve understanding and engagement between all stakeholders in order to strengthen and support local food supply chains.