Have you ever heard about regenerative farming? It is a technique similar to permaculture that combines ancient knowledge with modern techniques, imitating the natural processes to regenerate the soil exploited by intensive agricultural practices and obtain healthy and quality products.
What is regenerative agriculture? What are its advantages?
When we speak of regenerative agriculture we refer to a series of cultivation techniques that allow us to benefit from the properties of the land, without having to exploit it or impoverish it.
The model of intensive agriculture adopted since the post-war period in Italy and in the world was aimed at maximizing yields. . Without any concern about the negative effects of overexploitation of the soil.
Therefore, the use of heavy irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticides and excessive mechanization made it almost sterile, demineralized and washed.
To ensure that it recovers all its vitality and efficiency, it is necessary to act on minerals, organic matter and microbiology, fundamental elements of soil fertility. This is achieved thanks to the combined action of organic agricultural practices for plant nutrition and crop protection, supported by the biological and mineral enrichment of the soil with specific natural preparations.
It is a series of practices that allow to 'regenerate' the soil, enriching it. In this way, they make it capable of producing healthy and quality food at low cost, but without being exploited.
With regenerative agriculture, natural cycles are reactivated, transforming the soil into a vital and rich humus from the mineral and microbiological point of view. The objective is to make it suitable to house healthy and resistant plants, with quality fruits.
How regenerative agriculture works
After the analysis of the initial situation, to establish how much the soil is 'dry' and the soil is exhausted, it proceeds to its regeneration by adopting traditional agricultural practices. Among these, we must remember the rotation and the alternations of the crops.
The interventions of mechanical means are limited and the biological preparations are used to fertilize and nourish the soil. To protect the plants from the parasites, we use traditional techniques and techniques for integrated biological control.
The techniques of regenerative agriculture.
In essence, regenerative agriculture is a set of techniques to reconstruct the vitality of the earth that refers to permaculture.
It combines traditional knowledge with modern scientific knowledge, imitating natural processes, to guarantee many other benefits as well. These include reducing soil erosion and remineralizing them, ensuring the purity of water in groundwater or reducing the use of pesticides.
Some may argue that alternative agricultural methods are interesting in theory, but do not allow farmers to be competitive in the market.
An agriculture that is aware of the natural balance can increase yields, reduce or reduce the costs of chemicals such as fertilizers.
It must not be forgotten that it is capable of capturing very large amounts of CO2. The research carried out by several American universities maintains that if regenerative agriculture were applied everywhere, it could face 40% of global emissions, without counting the reforestation and the change to alternative energy sources.
It is interesting to note, however, that techniques such as regenerative agriculture are not enough, but a new mentality is needed. A mentality different from the current one in which nature is conceived as an inert object at the service of the human species. Climate engineering is not the most extreme effect of this philosophy that proposes the active intervention of man to counteract the negative effects of human activity on the environment itself.
A change of paradigm.
We do not want to deny the ability of technology to improve some of our problems, absolutely. But there is always the doubt that, to really change things, technique is not enough, a change of attitude is needed. The problem is not so much the use or not of avant-garde tools or concepts, such as having the right mentality and sensitivity to apply them.
Some sociologist calls this sensitivity empathy. A mental state in which we can listen to the other, be our similar, animal or plant, in such a way that we can act for a good that is not only that of our bank account but the whole system.
The other key word of this paradigm shift is biophilia, love of nature. Not as a romantic and abstract object, but as part of us.
In fact, regenerative agriculture has a humble attitude that does not think about solving problems globally, with a click of a large desk in a city office. On the contrary, it does so at the local level, grasslands for grazing, farm by farm.
It is an invitation to fall in love with nature, to take care of the territories in which we live. Because that way we'll take care of ourselves too.