Regenerative agriculture includes all practices that improve the capture and storage of carbon in the soil in the form of organic matter, restore soil biodiversity and improve the water cycle.
Regenerative agriculture is firmly in line with the objective of the Paris Agreement, i.e. to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C.
In order to achieve the objective of the Paris Agreement, it will be necessary to reach carbon neutrality on a global scale by 2050. To achieve this, not only must greenhouse gas emissions be drastically reduced, but also carbon sinks must be increased and, in particular, agricultural practices that promote carbon sequestration must be developed. In addition, one third of the planet's soil is currently degraded*.
To feed 9.8 billion people in 2050 in a context of climate change, it is crucial to preserve living soil.
The main practices of regenerative agriculture :
- no or minimum tillage, limited tillage to increase soil aggregation, water retention and infiltration and carbon sequestration;
- Covered soils to fix nitrogen, increase organic matter, make the soil more resilient to drought and flooding and allow micro-organisms to thrive;
- crop rotation and the use of green manures;
- the re-establishment of grassland and grazing systems to provide resilience and increase soil fertility in an organic way;
- incorporating trees to improve the soil's ability to absorb water.
Why limit tillage?
The organisms living in the soil contribute to its structuring, to the recycling of mineral elements and to nourish plants. With ploughing and extensive mechanical tillage, biological activity is disrupted with negative impacts on the organic matter (humus) production cycles. The disruption of soil life and the loss of humus leads to soil compaction and compaction. One third of the world's soils are degraded and suffer from erosion*. Yet organic matter (humus) is the key to soil fertility.
Today, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates that about 33% of the world's soil is moderately or severely degraded