AMPed-Up Agriculture
Regenerative farming and ranching takes its cue from the past, and it could help save our future
A small but growing number of farmers and ranchers are turning away from modern, conventional farming, which is heavily reliant on heavy machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides. They’re leaning into regenerative agriculture practices that can help heal the environment and boost their bottom lines. Not everyone is convinced.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last year was hot, like really hot, and the first three months of this year were even hotter. This week, a heatwave with record-setting temperatures stretches from Chicago to New York.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), 2023 was the hottest year on record since records began in 1850. The 10 warmest years in the last 174 have all occurred during the last decade. Last month, a study in Nature that measured tree rings in the Northern Hemisphere went even further, reporting that it was the hottest in 2,000 years.
Our planet's warming is nothing new, but it is speeding up, and its effects are becoming more severe and destructive. "When you look at the long sweep of history, you can see just how dramatic recent global warming is," said co-author of the study, Ulf Büntgen, a professor of environmental systems analysis at the University of Cambridge in the UK, in a statement.
There are plenty of potential solutions to our climate woes, yet most focus on curbing carbon emissions from fossil fuels, like those from transportation or industry, which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), account for 29% and 30% of all greenhouse gases, respectively. Despite some progress in reducing these emissions in Europe and the United States, NASA says global carbon emissions continue to rise.
A small but growing number of innovators are turning to regenerative agriculture to address some of our carbon challenges. This approach emphasizes soil health, biodiversity, water management, carbon sequestration, and animal integration. They believe that regenerative agriculture can eliminate agriculture's carbon footprint and capture carbon from other sources, all while boosting yields, quality and profitability.
It almost sounds too good to be true, but here’s why it’s not and why it’s needed now more than ever.
Here’s what we know about climate events in the U.S. this year
This week, residents in the New Mexico village of Ruidoso were told to evacuate immediately due to the rapidly moving South Fork wildfire. Across the nation, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, “more than two million acres have burned in 17,865 wildfires.” So far, this year is above average for acres burned compared to the 10-year average.
Last week, severe flooding occurred across South Florida, caused by sea-level rise and unrelenting storms that dumped three months’ worth of rain in three days. This was the second major flooding event in South Florida in less than a year.
As of June 10, there have been 964 confirmed tornadoes, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) database. According to the Storm Prediction Center, 2024 has been the second-most active year on record for tornadoes.
NOAA predicts that this hurricane season, which began on June 1 and runs to November 30, has an 85% chance of being above normal.
Here’s what we know about regenerative agriculture
The EPA estimates that agriculture—farming and ranching—contributes approximately 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This estimate does not include emissions from onsite fossil energy use, such as tractors and heavy equipment.
The Rodale Institute—a non-profit organization supporting organic farming research—reported in a 2020 white paper that the “enormous amount” of recent data on soil carbon sequestration shows that regenerative agriculture “could drawdown more than 100% of annual carbon emissions.”
A May 2024 McKinsey &Company survey found that the vast majority (90%) of farmers know about sustainable farming practices, but holistic adoption remains low.
It’s the Beef
Cows are perhaps the most demonized animals in our food system, and for good reason.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, they are major contributors to climate change and are considered one of the least climate-friendly food sources, accounting for over 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In the U.S., cows and other livestock account for just 4% of all greenhouse gases produced, and beef cattle account for just 2% of direct emissions, according to UC Davis.
But what if there was a way to turn these cattle into carbon capture tools? Some ranchers are through a method called adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing. This method uses high livestock densities for short durations between long periods of forage rest to catalyze accelerated grass growth, mimicking the way in which herds of buffalo once roamed the Great Plains before American and European settlers arrived.
“Utilizing the natural interactions between cattle, plants, and soil, we can revolutionize the agriculture industry,” says Peter Byck, documentary filmmaker and professor of practice at Arizona State University. “This revolution can provide more nutritious food and provide a comfortable income for farming and ranching families while offering one significant solution to climate change, storing carbon in the soil.”
Early results from Byck's studies show that AMP grazing pulls up to four times more carbon from the atmosphere than conventional grazing, and their cows emit up to 10% less methane. AMP-managed land also holds 25% more microbes, has three times the bird life, and captures as much as two times the rain than conventionally farmed land.
For farmers, the regenerative techniques they utilize can vary depending on each farm's unique needs, but generally, these growers minimize mechanical soil disturbance. They focus on nourishing and maintaining the biological structures created by bacteria, fungi, and other soil microbes. They also make every effort to reduce their reliance on synthetic inputs, such as herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers.
Barriers to Transformation
In a 2023 report, Boston Consulting Group found that regenerative agriculture has the potential to reduce emissions, increase biodiversity, and boost farmers’ profits—if financing and other obstacles can be overcome. “There’s a potential 15%–25% return on investment for farmers once they have shifted from conventional agriculture to incorporating more regenerative practices at scale.”
The report highlights that economic challenges top the list of concerns, with the high initial costs of transitioning to regenerative practices deterring many farmers. This shift often necessitates substantial investments in new equipment, seeds, and other inputs. Additionally, the financial risk during the transition period, when returns may be uncertain, further complicates farmers' or ranchers’ decisions. Access to markets that pay premiums for sustainably produced products remains limited, reducing the financial incentives for making the switch.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated an estimated $7 billion for conservation efforts as part of its mandatory budget to ease this transition for farmers and ranchers. This commitment is set to expand significantly with an additional $17 billion in conservation funding mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act, to be distributed through 2031. Meanwhile, numerous agriculture stakeholders and consumer goods corporations, including the fast-food behemoth McDonald’s, have pledged to adopt or support regenerative farming practices and deforestation-free supply chains.
Knowledge and education gaps also pose a significant barrier. Many farmers and ranchers lack familiarity with regenerative practices or the technical expertise required to implement them effectively. Insufficient training programs and support networks can exacerbate this issue. Moreover, existing agricultural policies and subsidies tend to favor conventional farming methods, creating an additional regulatory hurdle.
Despite all of these challenges, MarketsandMarkets—a revenue impact and advisory firm—reported in May that the global regenerative agriculture market is anticipated to nearly double from $8.7 billion in 2022 to $16.8 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14%.
In his four-part documentary Roots So Deep, Byck asks, “How do we get farmers to open up to the idea of change?” Because in order for regenerative agriculture to grow even more, culture needs to change, too. This includes rethinking longstanding traditions and social norms in farming communities. And, as it turns out, there’s a lot we can learn from the past and the original stewards of the land.
“We look at all of our decisions through the lens of life and not just human life,” said Missty Slater, Chief of Staff for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, in a 2023 interview with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. “We recognize the life and the livelihood of water, of soil, of plants and animals … when life is at the core of your decisions, sustainability comes naturally.”
Now, that’s food for thought and our future.