Win-win-win: Climate, Health, Profit
How often do we come across a win-win-win situation? Let’s celebrate it whenever it happens! Here’s a big one: Regenerative Agriculture.
Too often, doing something good means, SACRIFICE (frowny face). “No, you can’t eat that, it’s bad for you.” “Finish your homework.” “Take the bus instead of driving.” “Buy vegetables that don’t look very good and cost more, but are better for the environment.”
But here’s one that seems to be an exception to that pattern. As our knowledge about what happens below the surface of our soils grows (pun intended!) at an exponential pace, Regenerative Agriculture holds the prospect of: 1) growing as much or more food, 2) using less water, 3) needing far less fuel like diesel for tractors, 4) demanding less chemical input like herbicides, pesticides and non-renewable fertilizers, 5) being healthier for the farmer, the consumer and the environment, 6) sequestering carbon in meaningful amounts that some say could even REVERSE climate change, and 7) MOST IMPORTANT, can be MORE PROFITABLE for the farmers and no more expensive for the consumer. Not only that, but when done well, it can even include animals, like livestock and poultry, making meat no longer the bad guy, but a key contributor to the complete cycle!
What is Regenerative Agriculture? Basically, it means shifting our thinking about agriculture from what’s happening above ground, to what’s happening below. The fundamental shift is to stop seeing soil as simply an inert medium that holds certain chemicals for plants... (More)