Agriculture

I have always had a love and fascination for plants. I began growing them as a young boy at the start of grade school. I spent my childhood in the forest, learning the names of the plants and animals and understanding how they functioned as an ecosystem. I was destined to be a farmer because growing plants is fundamental to our work. Now, in my 70s, I continue to farm because my passion for growing plants and raising animals remains strong, and I will never quit. Two events profoundly influenced my approach to agriculture. In 1973, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird published " The Secret Life of Plants," which confirmed what I had known as a child: plants are sentient beings that communicate.

Agroforestry, the ancient agricultural system of integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock, has seen a revival in recent decades in the U.S. Around the country, agroforestry projects have sprung up, bolstered by federal grants like the Department of Agriculture’s Climate-Smart Commodities program. Federal agencies have also partnered with nonprofits to provide training and resources for farmers interested in diversifying their crops, bolstering their soil, and sequestering carbon.

The Regeneration International Academy, in collaboration with South Seas University, has conducted its fourth online certificate course in regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and organic farming. Integrating the three major global nature-based agricultural movements—agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and organic farming—is essential as complementary systems.

Zimbabwe and many parts of Southern Africa have long relied on maize as the staple crop. However, the increasing climate variability even in good rainfall years like 2025 and the 2024 El Niño-induced drought have exposed maize's vulnerabilities. Traditional grains such as finger millet, sorghum, and pearl millet are proving to be more resilient and sustainable, both nutritionally and environmentally. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has emphasized the importance of diversifying staple crops to improve food and nutrition security across the region. This piece shares the growing urgency around transitioning from maize to traditional grains such as finger millet, sorghum, and pearl millet, particularly in the context of arid Zimbabwe and broader Southern Africa.  

Farmers and food assistance groups around the country were reeling this week amid a series of moves by the Trump administration to cut funding for programs that support small and disadvantaged farmers and provide food for low-income families.

This Guidance Document is written to assist certifiers and operators in understanding how to comply with the standard. The Regeneration International Standard has been crafted in a format that is more accessible for farmers, rather than adopting a regulatory standard format. The standard is mainly informative rather than normative. It includes the Definition, General Principles, Guidance, and clear Prohibitions.

On December 6, 2024, the General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International approved the statement «Elevating Truly Regenerative Agriculture – Statement from the Organic Movement» in Taiwan, which provides members, partners and regenerative actors with valuable perspectives from the organic movement on current regenerative initiatives and claims to inspire thought and action.