Lifeline: Regenerative Agriculture

CampaignsLifelines

Jan 7

Summary

Agriculture contributes 18%-21% of global emissions. Moreover, 52% of agricultural soil is degraded, risking famine and the release of 850 billion tonnes of CO2e. Adopting sustainable agricultural practices, like regenerative agriculture, is key to reducing the sector's emissions and improving food security.

Overview

Every day, the agriculture sector produces ~24 million tons of food and provides livelihood to 2.5 billion people, serving as the largest source of income for poor and rural households. However, if current agriculture-caused land degradation continues, crop yields are expected to fall by 10% across the world, and up to 50% in certain regions by 2050.

To keep global warming below 2oC, stop biodiversity loss, redress inequalities in food access, malnutrition and hunger, and ensure there is enough quality soil to feed the world, the global agricultural sector will need to raise food production by 60-70% and simultaneously regenerate soil on more than 1.6 billion hectares of cultivated farmland.

Without fundamental reform, the current global food system will be unable to sufficiently improve soil health, ensure food and livelihood security, and adapt to and mitigate climate change. Rapidly scaling up the practice of regenerative agriculture is one key pathway for transforming the global food system.

Solution

Regenerative agriculture aims to maintain vegetation cover throughout the year via crop rotation and perennial crops, reduce soil degradation, increase diversity of soil organic matter, maximize nutrient and water use efficiency by crops, integrate livestock management with improved grazing practices, and minimize dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

In October 2023, the global land area certified by Regenagri* regenerative agriculture measured 856,024 hectares, a 43-fold increase since December 2020. Between 2022-23, Regenagri noted an average greenhouse gas emission reduction of 1.5 tonnes CO2eq. per hectare under regenerative agriculture and 0.7 to 1 tonnes CO2eq. carbon sequestration per hectare.

“Congratulations to Climate Clock on their lifeline launch on World Soil Day. The clock is ticking, but this is our time on the planet. Let’s be the generation that turned this around. Save Soil - Fix Climate Change. Let us make it happen.”

— Sadhguru, Founder of the Save Soil Movement