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THREAD: Truly regenerative agriculture needs to consider aspects beyond just soil. It should include what regenerates biodiversity, increases carbon sequestration, frees up land for rewilding, regenerates our health, and lowers risk of zoonoses. (1/11).
While the science shows regenerative grazing improves soil vs. typical grazing, it ignores the alternative, non-agricultural land uses: restoring forest/peatland/wetland, increasing biodiversity, or even solar farming. (2/11). https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/05/regenerative-agriculture-climate-change
The marginal land myth that grazing cattle/cows is the best agricultural use of grasslands is also a lazy reductionist view.
Even poor quality soils can support hardy plants like hemp, leafy greens, fruit trees, buckwheat, rye, barley, quinoa, etc. (3/11)
https://twitter.com/NicholasDCarter/status/1262807169310658561?s=19
Even poor quality soils can support hardy plants like hemp, leafy greens, fruit trees, buckwheat, rye, barley, quinoa, etc. (3/11)
https://twitter.com/NicholasDCarter/status/1262807169310658561?s=19
Allan Savory's one of many unscientific claims is that land over-rested deteriorates & livestock are needed.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Df7p3A48l05J6NN_shWo4qx-cvdAktoN/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A3kmRZobdzkDLA27I1Xhe7d-2Gst2uFy/view?usp=drivesdk
But there's many cases of unspoiled ecosystems existing in the complete absence of livestock or even wild grazers. (4/11)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Df7p3A48l05J6NN_shWo4qx-cvdAktoN/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A3kmRZobdzkDLA27I1Xhe7d-2Gst2uFy/view?usp=drivesdk
But there's many cases of unspoiled ecosystems existing in the complete absence of livestock or even wild grazers. (4/11)
Regenerative grazing proponent Gabe Brown has many areas without livestock, and even admitted on this podcast they're not needed for good soil health.
The reason it's so highly promoted is the artificial profit through subsidies & externalities. (5/11) https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bgPqDyzUeZBAvYWLKYPBx?si=Nk9Cm2w5S9ykVyuncALNTQ
The reason it's so highly promoted is the artificial profit through subsidies & externalities. (5/11) https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bgPqDyzUeZBAvYWLKYPBx?si=Nk9Cm2w5S9ykVyuncALNTQ
Yes, silvopastures beat typical pastures. Planting trees has wide-ranging benefits.
Yes, soil improves with cover crops & careful stomping vs. tilling.
I'm all about progress, not perfection, but grazing is greenwashing vs. plant-based systems. (6/11). https://twitter.com/NicholasDCarter/status/1266890053675958272?s=19
Yes, soil improves with cover crops & careful stomping vs. tilling.
I'm all about progress, not perfection, but grazing is greenwashing vs. plant-based systems. (6/11). https://twitter.com/NicholasDCarter/status/1266890053675958272?s=19
Real solutions: Sho farm in Vermont: 1300-acres built on principles of permaculture & agroforestry while using veganic & rescued duck input methods. They understand ecosystems, horticulture, soil science, & wildlife ecology: (7/11) https://www.livingfuture.org/news-knowledge/rethinking-regenerative-agriculture
Tolhurst Organic in the UK: A well-known stock-free farm, founded over 30-years ago, that is building organic material long-term through plants. They mix crops with indigenous species of trees and shrubs for increased C intake. (8/11)
https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/whitchurch/148496/farmer-of-the-future.html @GeorgeMonbiot
https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/whitchurch/148496/farmer-of-the-future.html @GeorgeMonbiot
Also see the increasing number of biocyclic certified farms in Europe, that consider all UN Sustainable Development Goals:
http://www.biocyclic-vegan.org/#SDG
Their biocyclic soil protects from erosion and dehydration, and *significantly* binds CO2 creating permanent humus. (9/11)
http://www.biocyclic-vegan.org/#SDG
Their biocyclic soil protects from erosion and dehydration, and *significantly* binds CO2 creating permanent humus. (9/11)
Unlike regenerative grazing, this can scale. While humus soil has a lengthy maturation period before it attains peak fertility, compost facilities can help while also having a side benefit of reducing the ~30% of all food that is wasted. (10/11)
http://www.biocyclic-vegan.org/documents/
http://www.biocyclic-vegan.org/documents/
Farmers want to be stewards of their land and be compensated fairly for doing so. So a shift is needed from all angles.
Two pieces I've written on the topic, and am always adding new resources on http://plantbaseddata.org (11/11)
https://awellfedworld.org/issues/climate-issues/farming-for-climate/
https://sentientmedia.org/farming-for-the-planet/
Two pieces I've written on the topic, and am always adding new resources on http://plantbaseddata.org (11/11)
https://awellfedworld.org/issues/climate-issues/farming-for-climate/
https://sentientmedia.org/farming-for-the-planet/
