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  • Publication | 2024

Regenerative Agriculture in Practice: A Review

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Key Findings:

  • Regenerative agriculture has the potential to improve soil health, increase crop productivity, and mitigate climate change, but its effectiveness depends on local climate conditions and existing practices.

  • There is limited empirical evidence on the impact of regenerative agriculture on productivity, resilience, and carbon mitigation, and more research is needed to assess its cost-effectiveness.

  • Regenerative agriculture may not be suitable for all farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, due to high upfront costs and limited access to credit and markets.

  • Payments for ecosystem services (PES) can incentivize farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture, but PES schemes need to be carefully designed to be effective. 

Policy Recommendations:

  • Governments and development organizations should invest in research and development to improve the understanding of regenerative agriculture's impact on productivity, resilience, and carbon mitigation.

  • Policymakers should design and implement policies that address the trade-offs between short-term productivity loss and long-term productivity gain, and between short-term adaptation to climate shocks and sustainable adaptation to climate change.

  • Governments and private sector companies should provide financial incentives, such as PES, to encourage farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices.

  • Policymakers should support the development of local knowledge support systems, such as e-extension services, to help farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices.

  • Governments should consider implementing policies that promote climate finance, such as carbon credits, to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture.