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.
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.
This week, Mexico’s leaders voted to enshrine that concept in the Constitution, declaring native corn “an element of national identity” and banning the planting of genetically modified seeds. The measure, which aims to protect Mexico’s thousands of varieties of heirloom corn from engineered versions sold by American companies, has become a nationalist rallying cry. Support for the reform has only grown in recent months as Mexico has fended off insults, threats of tariffs and even the specter of U.S. military intervention from President Trump.
As an Urban botanist and plant lover, most of my wild plant sightings are of the same aggressive introductions, hanging on in the cracks of the sidewalks. The alternatives are urban gardens, yet most are filled with the same gaudy box-store plants. Don’t get me wrong, I do admire the steadfast dandelion, for its tenacity and beautiful spring colour, and am a huge fan of the wonderful displays of colourful impatiens and petunias that sprinkle our city in summer, and dare I say it, I love the gorgeous red of the aggressive burning bushes each fall.
It’s been two years since Culdesac Tempe, the self-proclaimed "first car-free neighborhood in America," opened with a goal of making walkability its centerpiece. With the first phase finished last year, the high-profile development continues to unfold on a 17-acre site along a light rail line in an established neighborhood about 15 miles east of downtown Phoenix. The $200 million project now includes 288 apartment units with about 300 tenants, reeling residents in with appeals of a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle, built-in community with ample amenities, and accessible transit to Tempe and the greater metro area.