The climate problem has been framed in a manner that emphasises temperature changes and carbon emissions, with renewable energy being positioned as the core solution. However, on taking a closer look at where all this energy is going—in food systems, construction, urban design, supply chains, and so on—tremendous inefficiencies can be observed in all these systems. This is accompanied by the realisation that the framing itself is limited.
Research by the Soil Association Exchange shows that farms with a mixture of arable crops and livestock have about a third more carbon stored within their soil than those with only arable crops, thanks to the animals’ manure. This also has an effect on biodiversity: mixed arable and livestock farms support about 28 grassland plant species in every field, compared with 25 for arable-only and 22 for dairy-only.
There have been criticisms about regenerative grazing systems and their ability to sequester greenhouse gases to assist our climate change efforts. These criticisms stem from academics steeped in the current industrial agriculture systems.
At the height of summer, chef Rob Rubba and his team at Oyster Oyster, a vegetable-first restaurant in Washington, D.C., are preparing for the dwindling of food in the coming winter. It’s a tedious but worthwhile process: drying mushrooms, vegetables, and herbs, making pickles and slaw, and preserving garlic blossoms and coriander seeds in airtight jars before these ingredients vanish with the end of the season.
Regeneration International director, André Leu was part of the Radio Cafe Podcast, to talk about his new book is The Regenerative Agriculture Solution: A Revolutionary Approach to Building Soil, Creating Climate Resilience, and Supporting Human and Planetary Health, published by Chelsea Green Press, where you can use the code CGP35 to get 35% off this book.
WE, the more than 400 delegates, comprised of farmers, youth, women, entrepreneurs, researchers, CSOs, and policy actors, attending the Tripartite Event on African Agroecological Entrepreneurship, the Harare Seed and Food Festival, and the 5th Biennial Food System Celebration held in Harare, Zimbabwe from 11th to 14th September 2024, under the theme ‘Celebrating Our Healthy African Food Heritage’, hereby make this ‘Harare Declaration of Commitment and Call to Action’ for advancing agroecology and agroecological entrepreneurship in Africa.
Have you ever thought about the value of soil? It covers 30% of the earth’s surface. It supports all of our ecosystems, from farms and grazing land to rainforests and the vast northern taiga. It contains more carbon than the earth’s atmosphere and all its plant biomass combined. The amount of fresh water in soil that’s available to grow plants is 100 times greater than all the world’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands put together. Soil connects the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. And 95% of the food we eat is dependent on it, making soil the single most important resource for agriculture to feed the world.