Why Soil?

Reducing soil disturbance is key to limiting erosion, improving water retention, and preserving the vital microbial, fungal and microfauna life that make it a living ecosystem.

This is achieved by avoiding mechanical actions that disrupt soil structure, such as plowing and tilling. By minimizing disturbance, we promote biological activity, the formation of stable organic matter, and crop resilience.

Practices like no-till or reduced tillage, and planting perennials are regenerative approaches that help maintain soil structure and life, reduce land erosion, and support more resilient farming systems.

Regenerative agriculture aims to optimize inputs by prioritizing natural nutrient cycles. The goal is to reduce—or, when possible, eliminate—the use of synthetic inputs, such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers. This improves soil health, enhances biodiversity, closes nutrient cycles on the farm, and can lead to reduced production costs.

Practices such as integrated pest management, diversified crop rotations, and the use of organic fertilizers (such as manure and compost) can maintain productivity while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. This principle promotes long-term resilience by supporting farming systems that rely on biological processes over chemical interventions.

Maintaining soil cover and living roots throughout the year creates stable, life-supporting conditions for the soil. Living roots feed soil microbes, improve structure, and support nutrient cycling.

Practices such as cover cropping—either intercropped or sown after harvest—or the addition of mulch help protect the soil from erosion, buffer temperature extremes, and preserve moisture. Perennial plants, agroforestry, and silvopasture are regenerative practices that maintain deep, active root systems that build long-term fertility, improve water retention, and sequester carbon.

A healthy water cycle allows water to infiltrate the soil, remain available to plants, and recharge aquifers. Degraded or bare soils lead to increased runoff, erosion, and water scarcity. Regenerative land management practices such as cover cropping and planting windbreaks enhance the soil’s ability to function like a sponge—to filter, absorb, and slowly and evenly (where possible) distribute water across the landscape. Efficient irrigation and water harvesting infrastructure are also key tools for water conservation and management. 

On a broader scale, perennial vegetative cover, particularly through trees and shrubs, contributes to a functioning water cycle by influencing evapotranspiration, microclimates, and infiltration, with potential impacts on rainfall and groundwater recharge.

Biodiversity—above and below ground—is the foundation of resilient and productive ecosystems. Diverse biological communities support nutrient cycling, pollination, natural pest control, and soil health while also reducing vulnerability to disease and climate stress. 

Regenerative practices such as crop rotation, multi-species planting, creating habitats for wildlife, planting pollinator strips, and reducing synthetic inputs help protect existing biodiversity and foster a greater variety of species and ecological interactions.

Regenerative practices aim to preserve or restore lands and habitats such as peatlands, wetlands, and forests. These ecosystems play a crucial role in maintaining water cycles, filtering groundwater, sequestering carbon dioxide, cooling the climate, and protecting the diverse plant and animal species that inhabit them. 

On farmland, this can look like preserving or restoring wetlands or native grasslands, or integrating natural habitat corridors into agricultural areas—practices that not only protect natural ecosystems but also contribute to restoring ecological function at the landscape level.

Thoughtfully integrating animals into farm systems promotes balance within agricultural ecosystems. The plant-animal relationship helps recycle nutrients, manage vegetation, and improve soil health. 

Well-managed grazing can enrich soils with organic fertilizers, reduce the need for external inputs, and support biodiversity. It also allows animals to express natural behaviours, contributing to their overall well-being.

Animal welfare means raising them with care and responsibility: providing adequate nutrition, comfort, and preventive health support. When animals are grass-fed and raised in healthy ecosystems, their products can also offer valuable nutritional benefits.

However, regenerative integration of livestock should never justify converting natural ecosystems—such as forests, native grasslands, or wetlands—into pasture. Regeneration must focus on healing degraded farmland, rather than expanding agriculture at the expense of intact ecosystems. Any regenerative effort must consider the ecological role of each landscape and seek to enrich, not diminish, its diversity.

Economic resilience refers to the ability of farms and agri-food systems to adapt to shocks and disruptions—such as market fluctuations, extreme weather, input shortages, and rising costs—while continuing to support farmers and ranchers’ income, local economies and food production.

Regenerative agriculture fosters resilience by establishing diversified, thriving food systems, generating multiple income streams, reducing reliance on external inputs, strengthening local markets, and offering opportunities for direct-to-consumer sales.

Regenerative agriculture seeks to promote social justice, food sovereignty, and the well-being of farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers. 

It recognizes and values the rights, dignity, knowledge, and contributions of all people involved in food production, especially those from Indigenous and marginalized communities. 

It supports the right of communities to shape their own food systems, rooted in their culture, territory, and respect for the ecological balance. 

It also acknowledges that mental health, quality of life, and a sense of balance are essential to the long-term well-being of farmers and ranchers.