Restoration Through Regeneration: a Scientific and Political Lens into Regenerative Agriculture in the United States

Abstract

The current agricultural system in the U.S., commonly referred to as industrial agriculture, is a system where the main goal is to produce the highest possible yield of crops at the lowest cost, for both human and livestock consumption, and relies heavily on manipulation of the land with monocropping, tillage, synthetic pesticides, and fertilizers. These practices compromise biodiversity, soil health, ecosystem health, and ultimately human health. It is becoming increasingly clear that we cannot sustain conventional practices if we wish to provide a healthy food system to future generations. An alternative, known as regenerative agriculture, produces high yields while also building soil health, increasing biodiversity, improving water cycles, and sequestering carbon. To achieve these goals regenerative agriculture utilizes a core set of techniques which include no-till farming, cover cropping, increased crop diversity, integration of livestock, and the reduction or elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Such practices have been shown to be more productive in the long term and more resilient when faced with severe weather events. Currently, there is a need for policies to help farmers implement regenerative agriculture principles, but conventional agriculture has become both politically and economically embedded in the U.S. food system. Not only do our current policies fail to adequately assist regenerative agriculture systems, they also actively support conventional agriculture through, for example, subsidy programs. This document serves as a comprehensive overview of the scientific understanding of agriculture, history of U.S. agricultural policy, key stakeholders in the field, and policy recommendations to expand regenerative agriculture.