On Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Change ...

Not a farmer?  Not sure you're interested in reading about natural farming practices?  You might want to take an interest ... it's quite possible that your future depends on it.  Regenerative Agriculture ranks 11th on the Drawdown list, a compilation of existing strategies and technologies that - if implemented - will draw carbon down out of the atmosphere, and slow anthropogenic climate change.  

Growing up in a city, I didn't have much awareness of where my food comes from.  I've been trying to learn more, purchase more mindfully and responsibly, and grow some of it myself.   Given the devastation of the climate crisis on food security around the world, and given that much of the crisis can be directly attributed to unsustainable agricultural practices, adopting approaches that increase agricultural yield while simultaneously improving the health of the soil, the flora and fauna, the global carbon cycle and THUS HUMANITY seems like a no brainer - check out the numbers!  Solving the climate crisis and global hunger at the same time?  Count me in!

NFTI practices Regenerative Agriculture, which was an uncertain term for me.  Everything is approached with a long term view to improving the quality, vitality and productivity of the soil, and thus the ecosystem.  Careful attention is paid to the patterns in individual areas of the land, and the way the animals respond to different environments and one another.  The process is very iterative, adjusting the plan and system based on how elements respond. All of this feels familiar to me. As a naturopathic doctor, I am focused on assessing as many aspects of a person’s health as I can in order to identify obstacles and strengthen organ systems in order to elevate the vitality and healing potential of that individual.  

Conversations with the staff and interns at NFTI have provided some lovely insight into these farming principles.  I caution that all errors in this post are mine - I have a very rudimentary understanding of how this all works (though I hope some of it is sinking in!); I’ve liberally sprinkled hyperlinks so you can read more about whatever captures your interest!  

As I understand it, Regenerative Agriculture can be seen as an umbrella term that describes a practice of managing land in a way that allows it to heal and become more sustainable.  This approach promotes ecosystem health, which can be assessed in a number of ways - the degree of biodiversity, the quality of the soil, the land’s productivity, the degree to which it is able to draw down and hold carbon in the ground.  

Permaculture is “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.” In other words, work smarter, not harder.  We see this in NFTI in many ways.  Reusing materials as much as possible.  Designing spaces to minimize multiple handling.  Attempting to use natural resources as much as possible.  My favourite is the pigs. While they’re cute (and delicious - sorry vegetarians - they do have a very happy life), they also serve some incredible purposes on the farm.  They are used to open up the canopy and break up dense areas of forest. They turn over the organic and decomposing matter on the top of the soil (turning the compost, essentially).  This allows more sun to reach the forest floor, and nourishes the soil, which allows grasses to grow that the sheep and cows can more easily graze. There is constant experimentation, constant adjustment to lessons learned, and constant efforts to use what is on hand to produce with minimal input and minimal waste. 

Holistic Management, I’m told, is a tool that takes into consideration social, environmental and financial implications when making a decision.  Once the “whole” is defined, and goals determines, this tool can help decide what is best for the health of the system (if only this was the approach to everything we do!).  It might be about what land to purchase. It might be how to best manage a particular paddock (one of the paddocks at NFTI is called the “sacrificial paddock” - the sheep and goats are permitted to overgraze the area because it would be too expensive and labour intensive to properly contain and move them often enough to avoid land degradation.  On the other hand, the pigs and cows are easier to manage, so their movement patterns are deliberately managed so as to regenerate the land (“holistic planned grazing”).  It might be about which animals to milk or separate or cull or sell based on how they affect the rest of the herd.  This reminds me of the importance of avoiding reductionist or “heroic” medical approaches to address disease in people.  We must consider social determinants; stressors; relationships; financial resources; source of food; self care … and the value of treating each person individually.  

Carbon Farming is a cool term!  In the current climate of urgency regarding environmental degradation, this should speak to us all!  Elaine Ingham is a soil scientist that coined this term.  She promotes the optimization of soil microbes through deliberate composting strategies as a method of enhancing the health of the entire system, which enables the foliage to most effectively integrate atmospheric carbon.  Sounds a lot like the naturopathic focus on gut bacteria as key to the health of the whole body!

These and related methods have had remarkable effectiveness in regenerating even the most apparently hopeless and arid land - check out the attached TED talk, and visit the Savory Hub website which has a number of great stories about the impact of Regenerative Agriculture on the health of the land and the communities that live on it.  Currently NFTI is only one of two Savory Hubs in Canada.  Given the vastness of Canada, and the degree to which our economy is driven by agriculture, this seems short sighted and alarming.  I am blessed to live in a country with abundant natural and agricultural resources; I will be one of the last on the planet to go hungry.  And I do not take this fact for granted.  

What can you do if you're not a farmer?  Support small farmers that practice Regenerative Agriculture, and pressure your local grocers to do the same.  Demand policy change that mandates all farmers employ regenerative strategies - insist it be an election issue.  Learn more about where your food comes from and how its production impacts the larger system - both locally and globally.  Our future depends on it.

​Love.