Now, an unlikely alliance of conservationists, farmers and cattle ranchers is working to incorporate 2.5 million hectares (6.2 million acres) of land into sustainable management schemes, focusing on soil health and aiming to restore and reforest 1.4 million hectares (3.5 million acres).
For years, volunteers of a social agricultural enterprise have witnessed farmers spend months toiling the field only for extreme rain to wash away their crops in an instant, leaving them with nothing to harvest and, often, nothing to eat.
Over the past three years, 12Tree has dedicated significant time and resources to answering these very questions. And though we feel we are just beginning on this journey, we have been delighted with the results. It is our pleasure to share with you here our thoughts and experiences on regenerative agriculture.
Politicians have a complicated relationship with science. When they think the evidence comports with their political goals, they love scientists and the work that they do. However, when their ideology clashes with the data, our representatives twist themselves in knots to avoid conforming their views to the facts. Case in point, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted the following comments about regenerative agriculture...
The post ‘Regenerative’ Farming: AOC’s
Researchers have just begun to show recently that soils managed according to the principles of regenerative agriculture—minimal tillage, crop rotation, and the use of cover crops—yield more nutritious harvests.
Some of the largest companies in the U.S. have pledged to adopt climate-friendly agricultural techniques. But some farmers say they haven’t provided enough incentive.
The manufacture of synthetic fertiliser is highly energy intensive. One kg of nitrogen fertiliser requires the energy equivalent of 2 litres of diesel. Energy used during fertiliser manufacture was equivalent to 191 billion litres of diesel in 2000 and is projected to rise to 277 billion in 2030. This is a major contributor to climate change, yet largely ignored.