What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is an effective way to restore biodiversity and stabilize the climate, but what exactly is it? This video explores three different regenerative practices that have great potential both in food production and in healing the land.
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Spanish Version: • Video
To engage more with these ideas, visit charleseisenstein.org/climate
Visit Charles' KZbin channel: / charleseisenstein
Music: Dubious Doings by Thomas Howe (used with permission)
Sources:
Organic Agriculture does more harm than good
Searchinger et al., Assessing the efficiency of changes in land use for mitigating climate change, 2018.
www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
Bacteria Converts Ammonium into Nitrite and Nitrate:
Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis, Teaming with Microbes, 2006, 48.
Myceilium brings water to plants:
Ibid, 57.
Worms increase water absorption and allow plant roots to penetrate deeper:
Ibid, 89.
Fertilizer leeches into water:
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2005.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/e...
Regenerative grazing can sequester carbon:
Sanderman et al., Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia, 2015.
journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
Regenerative grazing can build soil and reverse desertification:
Allan Savory, Holistic Management, 1999, 244.
The growth of grass:
Global Rangelands, Basics of Grass Growth
globalrangelands.org/topics/r...
Julius Ruechel, The Daily Pasture Rotation, 2009.
www.grass-fed-solutions.com/p...
Overgrazing leads to erosion, drought, and desertification:
Ibanez et al., Desertification due to overgrazing in a dynamic commercial livestock-grass-soil system, 2007.
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Food forests consist of 7 layers:
Toby Hemenway, Gaia's Garden, 2001, 172.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:21 What does it actually involve?
0:41 No-Till Farming
1:25 Regenerative Grazing
2:35 Agro-Forestry
3:21 Conclusion

[@wafiqessop4034]

As an Agricultural Scientist, this was very well made. I will use this to explain to others what Regenerative(or as we call is, Sustainable Agriculture) is.

[@RealGoldRealWealth]

The term, "Sustainable" agriculture, is certainly better than the status quo and implies a totally balanced system. But in light of the damage that has already been done to the ecosystem, isn't it better for everyone's understanding, to emphasis a regenerative bias, or rejuvenation goal to the vast degradation that has occurred, at least until we are back to positive carbon levels?

[@wafiqessop4034]

@@RealGoldRealWealth Sustainable agriculture includes regenerative agricultural principles (well that is the aim). As for "everyone's understanding" as you make mention, I don't think it is necessary. Not everyone need to know the intricacies of farming expect people who work in the industry. Much like I don't know much of Dentistry, other outside of the Agriculture realm need not worry. That is our responsibility as agriculturalists.

[@yansfor5306]

How much would you charge me to help me out with my garden? I've been trying to do this with my garden, but I have been finding conflicting information. I'm overwhelmed in information and have no idea if I'm doing this correctly. I'm learning as I go and I honestly have no idea if what I'm doing is more harm than good. I ditched the chemicals and have not used them at all this year. I tried the companion gardening and only planting natives. If not do you know where I can go to ask for help in getting a more of a regenerative garden?

[@wafiqessop4034]

@@yansfor5306 You can ask me and I'll help as far as i can.

[@yansfor5306]

@@wafiqessop4034 thank you so much! 🙏 when I was reading about the different options of gardening. I stumbled upon companion gardening and one of the things it does talk about is the roots how some need to be deep roots while others need to be shorter. I think to keep them from competing with each other. So wouldn't companion gardening be part of the whole regenerative gardening I've been seeing about? In another video I had seen that in order to have a regenerative garden I need to keep the soil covered. Doesn't matter what plant as long as it's covered, but it's sort of conflicting with other things I have read about and how I need to plant only natives. Is it possible to make my garden more drought resilient/ tolerant. If so how would I do that? Also how do I decide what I'm suppose to be planting together? I'm not sure what's ok to plant. Or what plants would go well with food I'm trying to grow. Also for compost would the soil still be healthy if I just throw my food scraps out in the garden? Wouldn't it do the whole thing nature does when food drops on it's own? I never knew how all of this would be difficult. I thought I just had to buy seeds and hope it grows. Now I know that I have to keep the soil healthy and everything else that comes along with it. I'm from Arkansas and the area in from I think it's a 7a. I know these are dumb questions, but I don't get it 😅. I really wish someone can give me suggestions on what to plant as well.

[@hamstersniffer]

Interestingly, my grandfather who was a subsistence farmer (now viewed as a derogatory term) understood the age old value of building soil, grazing animals that fertilize, regenerative cover crops, rotating crop fields, and using pest repellent plants adjacent to food crops. Yes, he did plow the fields but they were allowed to recover and enrich between plantings. His soil was BLACK and loose and rich. He's been dead for many decades but understood the need to care for the land that feeds you.

[@vivalaleta]

This video should be taught in schools. You've really presented this in an entertaining but memorable way.

[@etiennelouw9244]

I started my veggie garden in August 2021 and also planted 6 trees (Guava, Fig, Mulberry, 2 Avo together and Moringa). I dug up the tough Kikuya grass in the veggie patch and made a barrier using cement slabs I had. When I started I did not find even one earth worm in the soil I dug up. Being a pensioner, therefore a lack of capital, I covered the soil in the veggie patch with cardboard and cut holes in the cardboard and inserted "grow tubes" (tubes cut from soda bottles) in the holes. I planted the veggies inside the tubes and only watered inside the tubes using a 5 liter water bottle with a hole in the lid. Water smart veggie garden as I live in Cape Town, South Africa where we almost ran out of water 3 years ago. As I expanded the veggie patch I had 1 piece that was also covered with cardboard that I would lift and dig in my kitchen scraps so no planting there yet. Good news is I have found lots of earth worm in the veggie patch now so the soil is getting better, I have had a good harvest.

[@gravesdmr]

Excellent explanation - let's share this everywhere - it needs hundreds of millions of views!!!

[@CoolHand032]

I toured a coffee plantation in Costa Rica that was exercising the agro-forest concept, though they didn't call it as such. They just found what worked best for them and executed it. It was inspiring!

[@PepeDeezNutz]

Where in CR?

[@msheart2]

Regenerative agri is a Rockefeller term and it has replaced the real term for this sort of farming which was not part of the climate change [which is really global weather mod and climate engineering ] propaganda, and not pushing UN's sustainable lies.

[@RancidToadTim]

The grazing technique is standard practice in New Zealand

[@hughmarcus1]

There’s a difference between rotational grazing & regenerative agriculture. Rotational grazing seeks to maximise grass use. While it’s better, it’s still intensive agriculture, there’s often still fertiliser inputs etc.

[@evanho4538]

Hugh Marcus did you miss 2:23? Regenerating the top soil.

[@prajwalshetty9809]

New Zealand ❤️

[@CasinoMoney2000]

Why does Australia hate you

[@jamesbrennan9709]

Same here in Ireland

[@robinthomas933]

TRANSCRIPT: Regenerative agriculture is a set of farming practices that increase biodiversity in soil organic matter. Currently most agricultural practices are devastating to biodiversity. Even organic agriculture, while not as bad, still does more harm than good. Regenerative agriculture is a way to reverse this trend, to actually make a positive impact on the land. So what does regenerative agriculture actually involve? Answering this question is actually pretty tricky, because the practices that work best largely depend on the land that's being worked with, so the variety of different practices border on infinity, a bit more than this video can cover. However, let's look at three common forms that regenerative agriculture can take: *** No-Till Farming *** The soil is full of organisms which are helpful for plants. Some convert soil nitrogen into a plant-usable form. Some bring water to the plants that would otherwise be out of reach. Others loosen and aerate the soil, increasing water absorption and allowing plant roots to penetrate deeper. When soil is turned over by a machine, most of these organisms are killed, so the crops must rely on chemical fertilizer which ends up leaching into the water. Central to no-till farming is to NOT DO THAT. Instead of tilling, plant cover crops whose roots break up the soil. Let the worms aerate the soil and bring down nutrients. Keep the soil covered with an organic mulch which will break down over time, adding more organic matter to the soil. *** Regenerative Grazing *** From the release of methane, to clearing forests for pasture land, cattle raising is known for being very environmentally destructive. But this is not inherent to grazing animals! If the right practices are put into place, enormous amounts of carbon can be sequestered into the ground, soil can be built, and even desertification can be reversed in a matter of years. Here's how it works: The growth of grass tends to start slow, accelarate, and slow down again. This middle area is where it accrues the most biomass the most efficiently. If it's eaten before it gets to this point, its growth will never speed up. This is what happens with traditional pastured animals: They eat all the grass, which doesn't have the chance to grow back fast enough before getting eaten again, and we have overgrazing. This leads to soil erosion, drough, and desertification. But if the animals are kept in a tightly packed herd, like they used to be in nature, the grass has time to grow before being eaten. All that biomass in the grass is carbon that comes from the air. Not all the grass gets eaten, however. Some of it gets pooped on and trampled, which ends up creating the perfect conditions for new topsoil to be built. This ends up happening incredibly quickly. *** Agro-Forestry *** This is one of the most complex and location-dependent practices there are. I will therefore be over-generalizing. It always starts with observing a local forest and the relationships between everything in it--the plants, the animals, the fungi, the landscape, the soil, the water--and then re-creating these relationships in a way that's just as ecologically resilient, but produces more food. Food forests are often thought of as comprising seven layers: The root layer, the ground cover layer, the herb layer, the shrub layer, the low tree layer, the high tree layer, and the vine layer. Every one of these layers either produces some sort of food or medicine, or is in some way helpful to the system as a whole. The plants are mostly perennials, and include as many native species as possible. These three examples of regenerative agriculture, plus all the rest of them, all have something in common: whereas in conventional agriculture you seek to create as many of one thing as possible, in regenerative agriculture you seek to create as many relationships between things as possible. You are one of those things! What sort of relationship with the land do YOU want to foster?

[@bartjonker7401]

Thank you!

[@Raine123loveschannel]

thank you!

[@learnkrishiofficial]

Thanks a lot for explained it very well ❤❤

[@mytreasurechess]

This is a real gem. Sending this to my County for reforestation program on some pasture I've spent 3 years converting its biology to permaculture, for their choice of trees. Very exciting find!

[@RealGoldRealWealth]

This presentation is so informative, so succinct, so well paced and soooo... good to share with anyone who is interested in restoring our soils to fertility. Thank you. Very well done.

[@cwong5643]

The KZbin algorithm brought me to your channel and I instantly subscribed after watching this animated explanation about regenerative farming. It is very well explained and well produced. Thank you!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😄

[@gardenlikeaviking]

I deeply appreciate the concise delivery and easy to follow visuals... I will definitely be recommending people watch this video... thank you and please make more!!!!

[@GayestWinston]

This is the most understandable video i have ever seen, about this subject. Very well made😀

[@hakkakdeniz4820]

As an Agricultural Scientist in Türkiye, your vodeos are very benefical for us and others concerning wlth those things. Please keep goning like this and thanks a lot for helping.

[@Fjuron]

1:47 brilliant! Makes so much sense! The entirety of the video, actually. Very nice explanations and animations. Organic is a too small step in the right direction. Regenerative and permaculture all the way.

[@dalehendricks5140]

Bless you 2 for this!! Lovely!!

[@ziyuchan7468]

This is simple and explained in a manner that allow the viewers to understand soil health and the importance of biodiversity. Well done.!

[@emdiesus]

Fantastic video. Thanks for this! It would be awesome to have it translated different languages.

[@willieclark2256]

Wow!! Just about a perfect video. Nice work, and thank you

[@diannesciacca7271]

A simple and succinct short presentation to explain a very complex process. Well Done. Will use it as a resource for students who visit our ecoganic farm.

[@jonathangrass1559]

Very well done. Great simple way of presenting the information to the general public.

[@prophecyrat2965]

Wow, I have never seen such a well designed presentation on sustain level farming and soil health. I live in El Paso, they are still monocroping, but there is initiative for protecting the land, like establishing national parks and nature reserves. Most people are to ignorant and can’t comprehend that we NEEED WEEDS. They usually come form the “civilized farming” background, they know nothing else. How would you suggest one could start making a difference in the community? And what challenges have you faced with people who even after watching this presentation, still cannot comprehend the gravity of soil health? It’s frustrating, because everyone think that having weeds in their yard is lazy, and they also believe that if they have weeds or “unkempt property”, it will deface the value of their land. Coming from me, I don’t even have a degree yet, and even if I did, I feel like these people couldn’t comprehend a single word about soil health. Pleas message me, I’m trying desperately to keep this community from tilling this earth into dust.

[@dustinthewind3925]

In my case, it was a desperate attempt to save money on soils and fertilizer for my gardens. If I had seen this video years ago I might not have taken it very seriously. But if I had seen it put into practice and seen the results, I might have a small forest by now.... Trial and error is a PITA. And the weeds? I came to the conclusion that a weed is what I call plants that seems useless until I take the time to learn about them. Turns out I have a lot more food than I thought. Or, worst case, mulch/ground cover.... And its all free. Bare soil is enemy #1; the sun hits it, it gets dry, and the radiant heat coming off it is unbearable. Let the local "wasteland" weeds help cool things down while the plot sits unused...Its greenery to me, to hell with how it looks to anyone else. Some weeds turned out to be a preferred food for pests that might otherwise demolish my tomatoes. Oy, if only I knew then.... The last few years I've only spent money on seeds, alfalfa (baled/pelleted) for the worms, and a little fish emulsion to kickstart things... Now my soil is black and smells beautiful. I even spotted some bioluminescent fungi or something glowing in the dirt I stepped in on a moonless night. Life can be a trip when you just let things happen.

[@prophecyrat2965]

@@dustinthewind3925 like your user bane haha, your awsome dude. Takes alot to see “weed”, as just plants, really they are saviors of our garden, when all elses fails, they never will. Biw you can try putting some goats out there withe some chikens, becuase weeds are “food for my food”!

[@tuncalikutukcuoglu8800]

A very brief and very good introduction to regenerative agriculture.

[@ramonjoserodriguez9719]

Good and suitable information for general public, we need to support our farmers who applied sustainable methods, a little pricey but we need to be sincere with ourselves

[@tokyons7578]

I don't know where are you now but I hope you all have good times. Thanks for information. You maybe not a rich athlete or a well known scientists but you are inspiring us to be one.

[@ronward3949]

We need more of We to be more of who We are, being willing to evolve Ecologically!

[@SoilSage]

Awesome simplified breakdown of regeneratie farming. Thanks a lot, Jimi. I'm hoping to get others on board to start a regenerative community. This serves as a great introductory video to inspire others that it is possible.

[@AzimuthAviation]

Nicely done and focused brief of good soil stewardship.

[@ronward3949]

Well done and stated, Let us all participate!

[@yellowgerbie]

Brilliant video! Summarises it nicely.

[@marencruickshank]

Wow, this presentation communicates big ideas so well. Love it.

[@originofenergy]

awesome work simple teaching animation that explains what all of humanity needs to learn in less that 4 mins. Well done:)

[@goatvision6908]

You are a TUP. Totally Urbanised Person.

[@Magiaimelissa]

​@@goatvision6908 didn't know this either. My father had a brief rant once about how destructive cow farmers are. Except for the co2 emission we learn in primary, i was in shock at everything else... they never let the earth soil heal and they have so much manure piling up in their farms so theyre having to force it back into the soil fresh.. for wheat and all over again. And their tilling is flattening a lot hills... Now in my country the government gives a subsidy to encourage less tilling and to plant food for the birds and the animals before they saw wheat on top of it -no tilling

[@goatvision6908]

@@Magiaimelissa I think perhaps you should visit a farm.

[@Magiaimelissa]

@@goatvision6908 lol

[@WTFisMYname24]

There is much more to this that the video has not included, that includes the research on the negatives. So unfortunately while the video is simple and quick and easy to understand it doesn't do justice to the complexity of the topic. I recommend further reading up on these practices.

[@jasminsepahzad501]

Well done, mate! Amazing didactic material on one of the (if not THE) most important topic these days! Shine on!

[@GustavoMartinez-dc2cp]

Muchas felicidades, está HERMOSO el vídeo. Súper bien explicado, ilustrado y sobre todo, resumido para que cualquiera que no conozco, o este incursionando en estos temas pueda entenderlo.

[@chazlovinghawk]

Dude - LOVE this, and your channel! I was very surprised that this was from Charles Eisenstein, for me one of the most prominent thought leaders of our time....

[@danielfixborn5860]

Nice! It's very compreensive and have a lot of good information in a few minutes!

[@bobdobalina838]

Wonderful, thanks for the information. I did not of the other two areas. I am currently practising no-till farming on a small level and it is wonderful.

[@jaicymelisse5532]

I shared this video 10 seconds in! Wonderfully made, short and sweet!

[@JimiSol]

Awesome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sharing my videos is very helpful for my channel so I much appreciate it.

[@apteryx01]

Wow. Nice job. I had never heard of regenerative agriculture before watching this video. Now I'm interested. Also, I know how hard it is to keep this kind of presentation simple enough for the lay public without sacrificing truth. Most animated KZbin videos like this are caricatures. But this is a genuine introduction. Thanks again.

[@WTFisMYname24]

Unfortunately it has sacrificed some truth, or perhaps if not sacrificed then omitted as regenerative grazing is not a net positive as the video seems to claim :(. Good video but it definitely needs to be longer so it can include all the needed information.

[@learnkrishiofficial]

its very informative video and very easy to understand about regenerative agriculture and its importance ❤ Thank you for your effort to make this beautiful animated video... Keep posted other related videos through your channel, that will be very helpful for many peoples ..

[@TheGrowingDutchman]

Great resource! Thank you for creating and sharing!

[@stephentorkildson878]

Thank you so much, that was very informative. I had no idea about the different relationships between the different parts of our earth. The seven food layers in trees 🤯

[@calebyoung8805]

Awesome video, restored my ambition to start my farming

[@yummyforadam7485]

This video's are soooooo good, and these lessons are so Important, you deserve 2 mil subs. KEEP IT UP!

[@smeargut1809]

Beautiful explanation, my property is covered in flowers and the bees buzzing every day is euphoric I hope this gain more popularity.

[@raversmead]

Beautifully explained!

[@ProffsideFootball]

Brilliant video!! Self explanatory! Great job!!

[@redvelvetxo]

This is such an amazing video and makes everything so easy to understand! Thank you

[@ricardasist]

Interesting approach

[@DiAgri]

Wow..nice content keep up your videos.

[@duckfarmergaming]

excellent video !!! Thank you! I try to include these concepts and ideas in my videos as much as possible :)

[@breal1460]

Outstanding videos. I have just subscribed! Keep up the great work.

[@downbntout]

Great treatment of huge topic

[@deepakdedhia2232]

Very nicely explained. Thank you.

[@appetizing8377]

The animation is great. put a smile on my face. 😊

[@DiscoverAgriculture]

Hi. Can we use this video?

[@JimiSol]

Yes! It is under a creative commons copyright.

[@jopetroni]

Beautiful presentation!

[@kkon5ti]

Ty, will use this for teaching

[@rolanddey6025]

Excellent educational material prepared. Thank u.

[@omkarbiradar3383]

World needs this type information 🙏🙏😷

[@trollimusprime8521]

Really fantastic work!

[@riccardomalorni9773]

Very nice video, keep it up Jimi.

[@mahlet3570]

Thank you ! I have been looking for this 💚💛❤️

[@MrEkly]

Good video Jimi, good question!!!

[@mateocarne9644]

Excelent video!!! Love to see people speaking true

[@approofarm]

Thanks for your video! I have been raising cows in the wrong way, so at this time of the year in Cambodia, I start to lose all the grass for my cattle to eat. After watching this video, I have learned something, so I am going to change the way to raise my cows.

[@moonbladem]

Very informative. Please post more, and more often.

[@DeepakSharma-qw7gt]

Very well presented

[@abedineamah1]

Excellent demonstration

[@tommyRfrancis]

Great video and explantation 👍🏼

[@cupofkoa]

Well well explained!

[@Divinii]

*Thanks for this informative video!* 😯

[@justinhyunjaechung5929]

I love this video. Very well made!

[@margaretmayerart]

Thank you. I will share.

[@PeepalBaba-Givemetrees]

Very informative

[@solutionsforclimatechangen8036]

Good insight on regenerative agriculture

[@joyglocker8318]

Very good video, thanks

[@susanmeredith5456]

Super excellent video!!!

[@roguesport4082]

AMAIZING VIDEO!! The best EVER!!

[@phonymontana4254]

Perfect succinct informative. Well done sir

[@awangsanjaya]

Great explanations! I like it

[@sergilopezhortet5513]

Love it! Thank you for sharing that 🙏

[@1NE_BIGMAN.]

It's way teachable and easy to understand... Rate5⭐

[@shaneycollins5713]

Excellent video!

[@vivalaleta]

We're just small shop owners and have nothing to do with this movement but learning about this movement has given us hope.

[@mellymonty02]

Thank you would love a sequel!!

[@JimiSol]

Thanks for the support. There are a few more animated videos on similar topics on my channel if you are interested :)

[@jonrev5630]

Great video thanks for this

[@richards5110]

Great video. Short and informative. These aren't principles to be relegated to the large scale, regenerative methods can work on any scale. From a postage stamp back yard to 10,000+ acre farms, we can incorporate methods like these to steward the environment for future generations!

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

Agroforestry in the way presented in the video won't vê used

[@user-ti2hr8iy6i]

No, we can't. That is what differs people who find that videos good, and who find it just stupid

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

@@user-ti2hr8iy6i It is not entirely stupid

[@annegabrielle3753]

Nicely done!!!!!!!!!

[@farmerjones3637]

Well done excellent video very succinct

[@hhwippedcream]

Will send as a great explainer!

[@hhwippedcream]

Thank you!

[@kirakira1212]

I love your work. Very easy to understand and fun to watch. You were also very funny, though I'm. Not sure if its just me 😅

[@agedclassroom209]

Great video just shared with my students

[@tothetop2498]

This is awesome! I want to do this.

[@bartjonker7401]

Thank you!

[@StayPrimal]

Please come back with more

[@smaknokia5838]

Аллах исинизге береке берсин

[@jasonteddy5302]

Some of my agriculture projects use water plants harvesting to add into the larger deep soil till in and root depth and airations nessesary for good total water and biomass stages of decay at depth, along with soil microbes and nematodes and other entomologies infusions and much much more. In short, when we plant a tree, the tree's root mass has all the little critters it needs, ants and worms and mites and molds and fungus that it needs so they to can spread, also, they come with birds and bees to live in and around them . As far as planting a forrest , not just the tree... Seeing that a Forrest is comprised of more than just the tree itself.

[@jendrumm]

great content TY!

[@brettbryant7861]

Great stuff