Transitioning to more sustainable forms of agriculture remains critical, as many current agriculture practices have serious consequences including deforestation and soil degradation. But despite agriculture’s enormous potential to hurt the environment, it also has enormous potential to heal it.
Realizing this, many organizations are promoting regenerative agriculture as a way to not just grow food but to progressively improve ecosystems. The rise of regenerative agriculture—then called “restorative agriculture”—was documented in Storm Cunningham‘s 2002 book, The Restoration Economy.
Drawing from decades of research, regenerative agriculture uses farming principles designed to mimic nature. To build healthy soils and fertile, thriving agro-ecosystems, this approach incorporates a range of practices like agroforestry and well-managed grazing. Benefits of these practices include richer soil, healthier water systems, increased biodiversity, climate change resilience, and stronger farming communities.
To celebrate the ongoing work of individuals and organizations dedicated to healing agro-ecosystems around the globe, Food Tank is highlighting these 17 organizations building a global grassroots movement for better agriculture:
- Aranya Agricultural Alternatives
- Grounded
- Kiss the Ground
- RegenAG
- Regeneration International
- Rodale Institute
- Savory Network
- Soil Capital
- Soils, Food, and Healthy Communities
- Soil Foodweb Institute
- Sustainable Harvest International
- Terra Genesis International
- The Carbon Underground
- The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm)
- The Land Institute
- The Timbaktu Collective
- The Traditional Native American Farmers Association
Photo via Adobe Stock.
See full Food Tank article with description of—and links to—each of these 17 organizations.