How Regenerative Agriculture Can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Introduction

Agriculture is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for 18.4% of global greenhouse gases and is a major challenge to reaching net zero. However, innovative practices like regenerative agriculture offer promising solutions to mitigate this impact. This article explores the differences between perennial and annual crops, the principles and benefits of regenerative agriculture, and how companies can implement thelagse practices to reduce their carbon footprint and enhance food security. By adopting these sustainable methods, the agricultural sector can play a crucial role in combating the climate crisis.

Understanding the carbon footprint of agriculture

Agricultural emissions stem from various sources, including soil tilling, pesticide use, and monoculture practices. These methods not only degrade ecosystems and decrease soil health but also release emissions into the atmosphere, so much so that 50-70% of the carbon stored in the world's soils has already been released. Understanding the origins of these emissions highlights the importance of transitioning to more sustainable practices and improving soil quality.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture

Agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through several channels:

• Methane Emissions: Livestock, particularly cows, produce methane during digestion - a gas 27 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
• Nitrous oxide Emissions: This potent greenhouse gas is released from the use of synthetic fertilisers and manure. Nitrous oxide is 273 times more potent in trapping thermal radiations as that of carbon dioxide.
• Carbon dioxide Emissions: Soil disturbance through tillage and machinery use releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Conventional farming practices, including the use of fossil fuels, further exacerbate these emissions.

Addressing these emissions requires a comprehensive approach incorporating sustainable farming practices and innovative technologies.

What is Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming designed to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems. Unlike conventional agriculture, which often depletes soil and disrupts natural processes, regenerative agriculture enhances soil health, increases biodiversity, and sequesters carbon.

Its core principles include:

Minimising Soil Disturbance

Reducing tillage is crucial for maintaining soil structure and preventing carbon release. Conventional tillage methods can lead to significant carbon emissions as soil organic matter is exposed and decomposed.

Maintaining Soil Cover

Using cover crops is essential for protecting the soil from erosion and enhancing organic matter. Cover crops, such as legumes and grasses, provide a protective layer that reduces soil erosion and promotes the accumulation of soil organic matter.

Promoting Biodiversity

Encouraging diverse plant and animal life helps create resilient ecosystems. Biodiversity improves soil health and supports natural pest control, reducing the need for chemical inputs and enhancing the overall stability of agricultural systems.

Integrating Livestock

Incorporating animals into farming systems helps recycle nutrients and improve soil fertility. Grazing animals can contribute to soil health by trampling organic matter into the soil, which enhances its structure and nutrient content.

Maintaining Living Roots

Keeping roots in the soil year-round helps maintain soil structure and health. Plants with deep root systems, such as perennials, can improve soil carbon sequestration and reduce soil erosion.

How does Regenerative Agriculture Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Soil Carbon Sequestration

Healthy soils act as carbon sinks, capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Regenerative practices enhance soil organic matter and increase soil carbon sequestration. For example, cover cropping and reduced tillage help maintain soil integrity, preventing carbon release and promoting carbon storage. Soil carbon sequestration is a crucial aspect of mitigating climate change, as it reduces the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Reduced Reliance on Chemical Inputs

Traditional farming often relies on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their production and application. Regenerative agriculture reduces the need for these inputs by improving soil fertility naturally and promoting pest resistance through biodiversity. This not only lowers emissions but also reduces pollution and promotes healthy soil. By reducing dependency on chemical inputs, regenerative agriculture not only lowers emissions but also mitigates pollution and promotes healthier soil.

Enhanced Biodiversity

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in stabilising ecosystems and increasing resilience to climate change. By encouraging diverse plant and animal life, regenerative agriculture creates more robust ecosystems that can better withstand environmental stresses. This increased biodiversity supports natural pest control and pollination, further reducing the need for synthetic chemicals and enhancing soil health.

Water Management

Effective water management is key to regenerative agriculture. Practices like cover cropping and agroforestry improve soil structure and increase water retention, reducing the need for irrigation and lowering the associated energy use and emissions. Improved water retention also helps mitigate the effects of drought and flooding, contributing to more resilient farming systems.

Perennial vs. Annual Farming

Perennial Crops:

Perennial crops, such as certain grasses and trees, do not need to be replanted yearly. Their deep root systems help store carbon and build soil health over time. These crops provide numerous environmental benefits, including improved soil structure, reduced erosion, and increased water retention. Additionally, perennial plants sequester more carbon in the soil compared to annual crops, making them a crucial component in the fight against climate change.

Annual Crops:

Annual crops commonly used in traditional farming e.g. corn and wheat, are also known as annual tilling crops, are dug up and replanted yearly and make up 80% of the global food supply. This massively hurts the resiliency of the soil as the roots don't have the chance to grow longer than a season's length, so the carbon storage potential is lost. This also leads to soil erosion, nutrient loss and a higher vulnerability to pests, so these crops often depend heavily on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, increasing their environmental impact further. Another downside to digging up crops annually is that carbon emissions released through the tilling process are much higher this way.

Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture:

Improved Soil Health

Regenerative practices enhance soil structure, increase organic matter, and promote beneficial microbial activity, which helps in keeping CO2 sequestered. Soil can also store more carbon when microbial activity is protected, such as when tiny soil particles clump together to form aggregates and shelter carbon particles inside. Healthy soils are better at retaining water and nutrients, leading to more productive and resilient crops.

Increased Biodiversity

Regenerative agriculture encourages diverse cropping systems and the integration of livestock. This diversity supports a wide range of wildlife and promotes ecosystem health.

Soil Carbon Sequestration

By capturing and storing carbon in the soil, regenerative agriculture helps mitigate climate change. Practices such as using cover crops and agroforestry enhance this carbon sequestration process.

Increased Crop Yields

Regenerative agriculture can lead to higher crop yields through improved soil fertility and health. Practices such as having diverse crop rotations and cover cropping enrich the soil, making it more productive and capable of supporting diverse crops. This can help meet the growing food demands of an ever-growing global population.

Enhanced Food Security

By creating more resilient farming systems, regenerative agriculture contributes to food security. Healthy soils and diverse ecosystems are better equipped to withstand environmental stresses such as droughts and pests. This ensures a stable and sustainable food supply, crucial for communities around the world.

Cost Savings

By reducing the need for chemical inputs, regenerative agriculture can lead to significant cost savings for farmers. Improved soil health and natural pest control reduce dependency on expensive fertilisers and pesticides, making farming more economically viable.

What are the Challenges in Measuring Carbon Sequestration?

Measuring carbon sequestration presents several challenges: 

Data quality requirements

• Primary data is required
• Carbon sequestration needs to be monitored regularly
• Soil samples are required to calculate carbon stocks
• Requirement to have ongoing storage to report soil carbon removals

Primary Data Requirements: Accurate measurement of carbon sequestration requires high-quality, site-specific data. This often involves primary data collection, which can be resource-intensive and technically demanding.

Regular Monitoring: Carbon sequestration must be monitored consistently over time to account for changes in soil carbon stocks. This requires ongoing sampling and analysis to ensure accurate reporting of carbon sequestration and to detect any potential carbon release.

Soil Sampling: To calculate carbon stocks, soil samples must be taken from various depths and locations. This process is time-consuming and requires specialised equipment and expertise.

Long-Term Storage: For carbon sequestration to contribute meaningfully to climate goals, carbon must be stored in soils for the long term. This requires maintaining or even enhancing soil health through sustained regenerative practices.

Value Chain Demands: Value chain actors are increasingly interested in detailed data on agricultural emissions and removals, and innovative removals and reduction techniques, to meet their FLAG (forestry, land sector and agriculture) Science-Based Targets (SBTs)  and other value chain objectives.

Despite these challenges, the evidence supporting regenerative practices and perennial crops continues to grow. Measuring the carbon sequestration potential of these practices is complex, but it is a necessary step in quantifying the benefits of shifting towards more sustainable agriculture. As sectors, such as brewing, begin to adopt these practices, the demand for accurate carbon measurements will only increase. For instance, Unilever's Knorr brand is looking to implement 50 regenerative agriculture projects, demonstrating a growing commitment to sustainable farming.

Technological Innovations in Regenerative Agriculture

Advanced Soil Monitoring

Technologies such as soil sensors and drones provide real-time data on soil health, moisture levels, and nutrient content. These tools enable farmers to make informed decisions and optimise their practices for better soil management and carbon sequestration.

Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture uses GPS and remote sensing technologies to monitor crop health and manage field variability. This approach helps farmers apply inputs more efficiently, reducing waste and emissions.

Biodegradable Mulches

New materials for mulching that break down naturally in the soil help retain moisture and reduce weed growth without the environmental impact of plastic mulches.

Renewable Energy Solutions

Implementing solar panels, wind turbines, and biogas systems on farms can reduce dependency on fossil fuels and lower overall emissions. These renewable energy sources support the sustainable practices of regenerative agriculture.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Tools

Innovative IPM tools, including pheromone traps and biological controls, reduce the need for chemical pesticides. These methods support biodiversity and improve the ecological balance on farms.

Carbon Farming Software

There are an increasing number of software solutions available for tracking and managing farm carbon footprints, supporting farmers to analyse the impact of the measures they implement.

By incorporating these new technologies, regenerative agriculture can become more efficient and impactful, further contributing to the reduction of emissions and the promotion of sustainable farming practices.

Future of Regenerative Agriculture

The future of regenerative agriculture looks promising as more farmers and companies adopt sustainable practices. By focusing on long-term soil health and ecosystem stability, regenerative agriculture can provide a sustainable solution to food production and environmental challenges.

Policy and Regulation

As the importance of sustainable agriculture becomes increasingly recognised, policies and regulations are evolving to support the transition to more regenerative practices.

In the EU, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has introduced eco-schemes that incentivise farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. These schemes provide financial support for actions that improve biodiversity, soil health, and water quality, helping to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture across the EU.

In England, the Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) is part of a broader effort to promote sustainable land management post-Brexit. Through the SFI, farmers are rewarded for practices that protect and benefit the environment, support food production and improve productivity. This initiative forms a key part of England's Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, which is shifting the UK agricultural policy from traditional production-based subsidies to rewards for environmental outcomes.

These policies reflect a growing recognition of the role that agriculture can play in mitigating climate change and protecting natural ecosystems. By aligning financial incentives with sustainable farming practices, both the EU and England are helping to pave the way for a more resilient and environmentally friendly agricultural sector.

Emissions reporting requirements

While soil sampling techniques are available, guidance on how to report this data within a greenhouse gas inventory is still only in the draft stage and is due to be publicly available in Q1 2025 through the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance.

Global Examples of Regenerative Practices

Apricot Lane Farms: A Regenerative Agriculture Success

Apricot Lane Farms in California is an excellent example of regenerative agriculture, showcased in the popular Netflix documentary The Biggest Little Farm. The farm integrates crops and livestock, prioritises soil health through composting, cover cropping, and rotational grazing, and enhances biodiversity while sequestering carbon.

Unilever’s Regenerative Agriculture Project in the UK

Unilever has launched its first regenerative agriculture project in the UK, aiming to revolutionise farming practices across its supply chain. By focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and carbon reduction, the project supports Unilever’s sustainability goals and fosters resilient agricultural systems that benefit both the environment and food security.

How Zevero Supports Regenerative Agriculture

Measurement and Reporting

The Zevero platform allows organisations to measure, reduce and reduce their carbon emissions across their supply chain, and have a team of carbon experts on hand to provide support along the way. By accurately tracking emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3, businesses can implement effective and scalable strategies to reduce their impact.

Client success

Zevero has worked with various companies to guide them through the process of measuring and reducing emissions. Gipsy Hill Brewery has created the world's first carbon-negative beer without offsetting emissions and Zevero helped to verify this claim. You can read more about this project here.

Takeaways

Carbon Sequestration: Regenerative agriculture promotes healthy soil and captures carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation.

Wider Adoption: Once an idea happening on a small scale and in Indigenous Peoples' groups, regenerative agriculture and perennial crops are on the corporate agenda. This is good news for the planet and good news for the future of food.

Technological Support: Innovations such as soil sensors and precision agriculture bolster the efficiency of regenerative practices, reducing emissions.

Economic and Food Security: Regenerative farming lowers costs, boosts crop yields, and strengthens food security against environmental stresses.

Zevero's Role: Reducing your emissions starts with Zevero. Contact us to begin taking accountability for your carbon footprint and lead the way to business sustainability.‍

So — don't lose the plot! Action for change starts beneath our feet. Stay grounded. For now, we hope we've planted a seed in your head.

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