Conventional Vs. Regenerative Farming: Five Key Differences
From 1900 to 2000, the human population grew by an astounding 277%; today, it stands at 8.1 billion. Conventional agriculture began in the 1920s to address the world's increasing food demand. But by its very design, these agricultural practices are unsustainable in the long run, degrading our soil, health, and ecosystems. In fact, almost a quarter of our total land area has already been degraded, and 90% of our soil could be degraded by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
To undo this widespread damage and heal our food systems, we are taking part in the revival and shift toward regenerative farming practices. In this blog, we analyze both approaches and reveal how regenerative agriculture is crucial to healing our soil and food systems.
How Conventional Agriculture Harms the Environment
The World Bank estimates that modern agriculture has contributed 70 to 90% of the increase in food production in recent years. But in order to achieve this substantial boost in crop yield, conventional farming has had devastating consequences on both human health and the environment.
It Relies on Monocultures
A key characteristic of modern agriculture is monoculture, which is the cultivation of a single crop across vast areas of land year after year. This practice of not rotating crops has contributed to severe soil degradation, evident in declining fertility, topsoil erosion, and increased salinity. Monocropping is also behind the destruction of natural habitats, causing widespread desertification and deforestation.
Conventional Agriculture Uses A lot of Toxic Chemicals
Extensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides is another defining factor of today’s prevalent agricultural methods. Today, the US uses over one billion pounds of pesticides annually on its agricultural and non-crop land. These chemicals are known to persist in nature and build up in our bodies over time, causing chronic diseases, disrupting nervous and endocrine function, and posing potential carcinogenic risks.
It’s the Leading Cause of Biodiversity Loss
The negative consequences of our current food systems extend beyond soil and human health - they cause biodiversity loss. In fact, a 2021 report by Chatham House reveals that today's global food systems are the primary factor driving biodiversity loss. The heavy reliance on genetically modified crops (GMO), monoculture, and intense pesticide use has drastically reduced the diversity of our flora and fauna, along with the pollinators crucial for our ecosystem’s health and resilience.
Conventional Agriculture Leads to Freshwater Pollution & Depletion
Intensive groundwater pumping required for modern agriculture is depleting our groundwater. At the same time, runoff from fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock effluents is contaminating waterways and groundwater with harmful toxins. In addition to making human and animal health vulnerable to diseases, this is aggravating the already growing freshwater crisis around the world.
The Difference Between Regenerative and Conventional Agriculture
Regenerative farming is disrupting the approach to food and agriculture as we've known it for the last 100 years, but it's far from being a new approach. Indigenous cultures worldwide have actively practiced restorative farming that emphasizes a strong connection with the land. Regenerative agriculture takes us back to the age-old approach of farming in harmony with nature.
While conventional farming has prioritized crop yield at the expense of human and soil health, regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health to holistically grow nutrient-rich crops. Instead of relying on chemical use and monocropping, which harm ecosystems and diminish biodiversity, regenerative agriculture takes a holistic approach by using crop rotation, cover cropping, and organic fertilizers to preserve the local ecosystem and biodiversity.
Restorative farming not only prioritizes the yield and health of crops but also the well-being of the microbiome in our soil. It honors the interconnected dynamics between soil, food, and the people and livestock consuming the produce.
5 Ways Regenerative Farming Heals
The damage wreaked by modern farming will continue unless we radically change how we grow our food. This is why there's an urgent need to revive regenerative farming within communities around the world. Regenerative agriculture focuses on working with natural systems instead of against them, which heals our soil and ecosystems and builds climate resilience in our communities.
Regenerative Farming Dismantles Corporate Agriculture and Stops Food Inequity
By focusing on practices like community-centered farming, local participation, and seed-saving, regenerative agriculture shifts the power dynamics away from modern industrial agriculture, undermining its dominance and gatekeeping of resources. This approach addresses food inequity by empowering communities with the knowledge and tools to build thriving, self-sufficient food systems.
It Restores Soil Health and Biodiversity
Regenerative agriculture preserves and restores soil health with cover-cropping, composting, crop rotation and diversification, and low or no-till farming. This holistic approach preserves biodiversity above and below the soil. It also emphasizes the responsible use of water and natural resources, allowing us to stay in balance with nature.
Regenerative Agriculture Builds Healthy, Tight-knit Local Communities
While conventional food systems have led to isolated, industrial-scale farming, regenerative practices actively build healthy and strong local communities through knowledge-sharing and group participation. By absorbing a connection with our land and local environment in our culture, regenerative farming grows community members who respect the interconnected web of life and make sustainable lifestyle choices.
It Preserves Time-Honored Practices
Regenerative farming utilizes age-old methods to grow food holistically and preserve the fertility of our land. These practices include intercropping to reduce pests and weeds, growing cover crops for nutrient cycling, and integrating livestock and crops to improve soil fertility. These approaches have been demonstrated to use nutrients and water more efficiently than monoculture.
It Safeguards Our Ecosystem for Future Generations
Regenerative farming doesn't merely plan for the next 10, 20, or 50 years. It creates a virtuous cycle that continuously replenishes the richness of our soil, water, and local natural resources that benefit both the present and future generations to come.
See Regenerative Farming in Action at Our Ranch
At Deeply Rooted Ranch, we believe regenerative agriculture isn't just a change in farming technique. It’s a fundamental mindset shift from extraction to giving back to the land that sustains us. A change the world needs now more than ever.
If you'd like to see the world of regenerative farming up close, join us at any of our exciting community events! Check out our event calendar to sign up for our upcoming farm tours, supper clubs, and creative events. Community involvement is key to building thriving communities, and we'd love for you to join us!
Citations & Resources:
Land Degradation | Global Environment Facility
Conventional Agriculture – Environmental Biology
Plant biodiversity and the regeneration of soil fertility | PNAS
Pesticides in Groundwater | U.S. Geological Survey
Human Health Issues Related to Pesticides | US EPA
Our global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss
Food system impacts on biodiversity loss | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank
