LAYER 2: LANDSCAPES & JURISDICTIONS
Regenerative Agriculture
Farming that restores – not just sustains. Building soil health, sequestering carbon, and enhancing biodiversity while producing food.
In 30 Seconds
Regenerative agriculture is a principles-based approach to farming and ranching that goes beyond sustainability to actively restore degraded land. Where sustainable agriculture aims to “do less harm,” regenerative agriculture aims to rebuild what's been lost:
- Soil health– Rebuilding soil organic matter, structure, and biology
- Carbon sequestration– Drawing down atmospheric carbon into soils and biomass
- Biodiversity– Restoring habitat, soil life, and ecosystem function
- Water cycles– Improving infiltration, retention, and water quality
Key insight: There is no single “regenerative” practice. It's a principles-based framework adapted to local context – climate, soil type, crops, and community. What works in Kent won't work in Kenya.
Four Related Approaches
Regenerative, conservation, organic, agroecology: these terms overlap and get used interchangeably, which muddies serious conversations. Here's how they actually relate.
Conservation agriculture
FAO definition (formalised 2001)
Three core principles: minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, crop rotation.
Tightly defined, measurable, more institutional. The conservative cousin.
Regenerative agriculture
No universal standard
Includes conservation principles, plus livestock integration, soil biology focus, holistic management.
Broader umbrella, less defined, more aspirational. The principles-based approach this page is built around.
Organic agriculture
Legally defined (EU, USDA, others)
Excludes synthetic inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, GMOs). Standards body certification required.
Strictly defined, often by what it excludes. Does not require regenerative practices.
Agroecology
Scientific approach plus social movement
Ecological and social principles: traditional knowledge, food sovereignty, biodiversity, social justice.
The systems-thinking parent. More political, more participatory. Less prescriptive on practice.
Our position
We treat regenerative as the umbrella, conservation agriculture as the measurable cousin within it, organic as orthogonal (overlap in some practices, different primary goal), and agroecology as the systems-thinking parent. The most useful framing in a meeting is rarely the label; it's the specific practices in evidence and the outcomes they produce.
Where This Fits
Regenerative agriculture sits in Layer 2: Landscapes & Jurisdictions – because it's fundamentally about how we manage land at the landscape scale.
Connection to L1: Soil
Regenerative agriculture directly addresses soil health – the cross-cutting foundation beneath all four life-related planetary boundaries. Soil is both the mechanism and the outcome.
Connection to L3: Ecosystem Services
Regenerative practices enhance multiple ecosystem services: carbon sequestration (regulating), soil formation (supporting), food production (provisioning), and landscape aesthetics (cultural).
The Six Core Principles
Multiple frameworks exist, but most converge on these principles. They work together – applying one without the others limits results.
Understand Context
Work with local climate, soil, ecology, and community. No universal prescriptions.
Examples: Soil testing, climate analysis, local knowledge integration
Minimise Soil Disturbance
Reduce tillage to preserve soil structure, fungal networks, and biology.
Examples: No-till, minimum-till, direct drilling, reduced passes
Keep Soil Covered
Protect soil from erosion, temperature extremes, and moisture loss.
Examples: Cover crops, mulch, crop residues, living mulches
Maintain Living Roots
Year-round root presence feeds soil biology with carbon exudates.
Examples: Cover crops, perennials, relay cropping, agroforestry
Maximise Diversity
Plant diversity above ground creates diversity below ground.
Examples: Crop rotations, polycultures, intercropping, diverse covers
Integrate Livestock
Grazing animals can accelerate nutrient cycling and soil building (when managed well).
Examples: Adaptive multi-paddock grazing, mob grazing, silvopasture
The Principle Behind the Principles
Work with nature, not against it. Conventional agriculture fights natural processes (weeds, pests, decomposition). Regenerative agriculture harnesses them. The soil food web, nutrient cycling, and ecological succession become allies rather than adversaries.
Key Practices
| Practice | What It Is | Soil Benefit | Climate Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-till / Min-till | Planting without ploughing | Preserves structure, fungi, aggregates | Reduces CO2 release from oxidation |
| Cover Crops | Non-cash crops grown between seasons | Adds organic matter, prevents erosion | Photosynthesis pumps carbon to soil |
| Diverse Rotations | Multiple crops in sequence | Breaks pest cycles, varied root types | Legumes fix nitrogen, reduce fertiliser |
| Adaptive Grazing | Planned, rotational livestock movement | Stimulates root growth, cycles nutrients | Can build grassland carbon stocks |
| Agroforestry | Trees integrated with crops/livestock | Deep roots, leaf litter, shade | Above and below-ground carbon storage |
| Compost / Organic Inputs | Adding organic matter to soil | Feeds biology, builds SOM | Stable carbon addition |
| Reduced Synthetic Inputs | Minimising pesticides and fertilisers | Protects soil biology | Avoids embodied energy, N2O emissions |
Important Nuance
Not all practices are suitable for all contexts. No-till may not work on heavy clay. Cover crops may not establish in arid climates. Livestock integration requires land and skills. Context determines practice – which is why Principle 1 (Understand Context) comes first.
Soil: The Central Mechanism
Regenerative agriculture is fundamentally about soil. Every principle and practice ultimately serves soil health. For the science behind this, see our dedicated Soil page.
What Healthy Soil Provides
- • Carbon storage: 2-3x more carbon than atmosphere and vegetation combined
- • Water retention: Holds 20x its weight in water (SOM)
- • Nutrient cycling: Soil biology makes nutrients plant-available
- • Disease suppression: Diverse biology outcompetes pathogens
- • Structural stability: Resists erosion and compaction
The Soil Food Web
- • Bacteria & fungi: Decomposers and nutrient cyclers
- • Mycorrhizal networks: Connect plants, share resources
- • Protozoa & nematodes: Predators that release nutrients
- • Earthworms: Engineers that create structure and aeration
- • Roots: Feed the whole system with carbon exudates
The virtuous cycle: Healthy soil grows healthier plants. Healthier plants photosynthesise more and pump more carbon to roots. More root carbon feeds more soil biology. More biology builds more soil structure and nutrient availability. The system feeds itself – if you let it.
Carbon Sequestration & Climate
Regenerative agriculture is increasingly positioned as a climate solution. The mechanism is simple: plants photosynthesise, capture CO2, and pump carbon to roots. Roots feed soil biology. Biology stores carbon in stable forms. But the reality is nuanced:
The Potential
- • Global soils could sequester 1.2-3.0 GtC/year (IPCC)
- • Agricultural soils have lost 50-70% of original carbon
- • Regenerative practices can rebuild this over decades
- • Co-benefits (water, biodiversity, yield resilience) are well-documented
The Caveats
- • Sequestration rates vary enormously by context
- • Soil carbon can be re-released if practices stop
- • Measurement (MRV) is challenging and expensive
- • Won't offset continued fossil fuel emissions alone
The Honest Position
Regenerative agriculture is part of the climate solution, not THE solution. Its greatest value may be co-benefits: resilience to climate impacts, reduced input costs, improved water cycles, biodiversity gains. Carbon is real but shouldn't be oversold. See our MRV Systems page for measurement challenges.
Adjacent Sectors and Practices
Regenerative agriculture doesn't sit in isolation. Several sectors share principles, tools, and outcomes, and often appear on the same farm.
Sustainable Forestry
Silvopasture and agroforestry sit at the regen/forestry boundary. Trees integrated with livestock or crops produce timber, fruit, fodder, and shade while building deep soil carbon.
Viticulture
Vineyards are increasingly applying regen principles: cover cropping, sheep grazing between rows, reduced sprays, soil microbiology focus. Biodynamic viticulture overlaps significantly.
Agritourism
Farm-stays, education, restaurant-on-farm models. Often the revenue diversification that makes regen viable on smaller farms. Mature in Italy, growing in the UK, latent in many regions.
Conservation Enterprise
Habitat creation as a productive land use, with revenue from BNG, biodiversity credits, ecotourism, hunting, or charitable funding. Knepp Estate is the leading UK example.
Restoration Agriculture
Long-rotation, perennial-led systems: nut and fruit trees, perennial vegetables, integrated livestock. Mark Shepard’s framework. A long-term wealth-building approach to degraded land.
Regenerative Aquaculture
Coastal and freshwater systems following regen principles: integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, kelp and shellfish farming, mangrove integration. Relevant in coastal landscapes.
Many of these will earn their own knowledge hub pages over time. For now, they show up in regenerative agriculture conversations because the boundaries are genuinely fuzzy.
Certification & Standards
The regenerative space has multiple certification schemes – some more rigorous than others. Key players include:
Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC)
Patagonia, Dr. Bronner's, Rodale
Focus: Soil health + organic + social fairness
Strength: High bar, includes animal welfare and worker rights
Regenagri
Control Union
Focus: Outcome-based soil improvement
Strength: Measurable soil health metrics, widely adopted
Land to Market
Savory Institute
Focus: Holistic planned grazing
Strength: Ecological outcome verification
A Greener World
AGW
Focus: Certified Regenerative
Strength: Practical, farm-focused, accessible
SAI Platform
Industry consortium
Focus: Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA)
Strength: Supply chain integration, corporate adoption
Cool Farm Tool
Cool Farm Alliance
Focus: GHG calculator for farms
Strength: Free, widely used, science-based
The Standards Landscape
Unlike organic (which has legal definition), “regenerative” has no universal standard. This creates opportunity for greenwashing. When evaluating claims, look for: outcome measurement(not just practice adoption), third-party verification, and transparency on methodology.
Why Business Is Paying Attention
Scope 3 & FLAG Emissions
The SBTi FLAG guidance requires companies with land-intensive supply chains to set targets for land-based emissions. Regenerative practices can reduce and remove emissions – making them relevant to net-zero commitments.
Supply Chain Resilience
Healthy soils = more resilient farms. Better water retention, reduced erosion, natural pest control. As climate impacts intensify, regenerative suppliers become more reliable than degraded land.
Insetting Opportunities
Rather than buying offsets elsewhere, companies can support regenerative transitions within their own supply chains. This builds relationships, reduces risk, and generates verifiable removals.
Consumer & Investor Pressure
“Regenerative” is becoming a marketing differentiator. Investors are asking about nature risk and soil health. TNFD disclosure includes land and soil indicators. Proactive companies are getting ahead of this.
Major Corporate Commitments
Nestlé, Danone, PepsiCo, General Mills, Unilever, Walmart, and others have made significant regenerative agriculture commitments. These create demand throughout supply chains – and pressure on suppliers to demonstrate regenerative practices with credible evidence.
The Pandion View
Regenerative agriculture is one of the most promising landscape-scale interventions available. But it's not magic, and it's not simple.
The value is real: healthier soils, more resilient farms, multiple environmental co-benefits. But context matters enormously. What works depends on climate, soil type, crops, livestock, economics, and farmer capacity. Generic “regenerative” claims should be met with questions: Which practices? Measured how? Verified by whom?
For corporates, regenerative agriculture offers genuine opportunity to address Scope 3 emissions, build supply chain resilience, and demonstrate nature-positive action. But it requires investment – in farmer support, in measurement systems, in long-term relationships. Quick wins are rare.
We help organisations navigate this space honestly: understanding what's achievable, what's measurable, and what's meaningful. Not greenwashing, not scepticism – clear-eyed assessment of where regenerative approaches can genuinely contribute to sustainability goals.
In Our Landscapes
How regenerative agriculture shows up across the four landscapes we read carefully. Same principles, very different shapes.
UNITED KINGDOM
Surrey Hills
A National Landscape (AONB) with diverse regen activity: established and biodynamic vineyards (Albury, Greyfriars), BNG-active land managers, equine and livestock integration on some farms, a hop-production legacy. Mature sector mix, sophisticated stewards.
Open Surrey Hills profile →SERBIA
Krupanj-Planina
Smallholder mixed farming, livestock (sheep, dairy, traditional breeds), and a forest-farm interface in the Rađevina hill country. Depopulation pressure makes regen a viability route. Agritourism is latent, not yet a meaningful revenue layer.
Open Krupanj-Planina profile →KENYA
Watamu
Coastal landscape where regen principles apply most directly to Kilifi County smallholder farming: coconut, cashew, fruit, vegetable. Marine and mangrove systems use a separate regenerative-aquaculture lens. Coastal forest restoration is a major adjacent practice.
Open Watamu profile →Providenciales is omitted here: a small limestone island in the Turks & Caicos with minimal agricultural land use. Restoration-led practice fits the place; production-led regen agriculture does not.
References and Deep Dives
Where to go to think about regenerative agriculture seriously. A hand-picked set, not a comprehensive survey.
Books
- Gabe Brown, Dirt to Soil. A North Dakota farmer's account of converting depleted land using regen principles. Plain English, practical.
- David Montgomery, Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. A geologist's tour of regen farms across continents. Strong on soil science.
- Isabella Tree, Wilding. The Knepp Estate rewilding story. Sits adjacent to regen ag, principles overlap heavily.
- Mark Shepard, Restoration Agriculture. The case for perennial-led farming systems. Influential on agroforestry thinking.
Podcasts and audio
- John Kempf, Regenerative Agriculture Podcast. Long-form conversations with practitioners. Strong on soil biology, plant nutrition, and vineyard applications.
- Koen van Seijen, Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food. Deep-dive interviews with farmers, financiers, and brand operators.
- Farmerama. UK-focused stories from regen farmers. Slower, more reflective.
- Dave Chapman, Real Organic Project. US-focused, sharper edge on certification politics.
UK practice and research
- Knepp Estate. Rewilding-meets-agriculture reference in West Sussex.
- Allerton Project. Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust research farm in Leicestershire.
- Groundswell. Annual June conference in Hertfordshire. The largest UK regen ag event.
- Pasture for Life. UK certification for 100% pasture-fed livestock.
- Soil Association. UK's main organic certifier; increasingly active on regen frameworks.
Methodologies and frameworks
- FAO Conservation Agriculture. The reference definition; institutional starting point.
- Savory Institute and Holistic Management. Framework for planned grazing on grasslands.
- Rodale Institute. Long-running US research base; the Farming Systems Trial is a key longitudinal study.
- Project Drawdown. Quantified climate solutions including regen ag practices. Useful for sizing impact.
Where To Go Next
Soil: The Foundation
Deep-dive into soil science, soil health indicators, and why soil connects all planetary boundaries.
MRV Systems
How to measure and verify regenerative outcomes – soil carbon, biodiversity, water.
Carbon Markets
How soil carbon fits into voluntary and compliance carbon markets.
Landscapes Overview
Back to L2: where planetary systems meet human activity.