What is Regenerative Farming?
Regenerative farming is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems that focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. At its core, regenerative agriculture is the process of restoring degraded soils using management practices based on ecological principles. It is more than just being sustainable—it is about reversing degradation and building up the soil to make it healthier than its current state.
Regenerative agriculture is not a specific practice but combines a variety of sustainable agriculture techniques. The principles of regenerative agriculture include limiting soil disturbance with no-till or reduced till, keeping the ground covered all year round, rotating crops, reducing chemical inputs, and integrating livestock. Unlike certified organic farming, regenerative agriculture is outcome-focused rather than input-restricted, measuring success by demonstrable improvements to ecosystem function.
Origins & Lineage
Regenerative agriculture is an ancient concept that originated with Indigenous peoples around the world more than a thousand years ago. North American ecosystems were often managed using many of today’s regenerative principles prior to European settlement, with Native Americans utilizing management practices that focused on harnessing the power of nature, from intercropping to the use of prescribed fire.
The modern term “regenerative agriculture” emerged in the 1980s. The concept of regenerative agriculture was first articulated in the late 1970s and early 1980s, notably by Robert Rodale, who emphasized farming systems that not only sustain but actively regenerate soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions. The term was coined by Robert Rodale—the son of J.I. Rodale, one of the pioneers of organic farming in the United States in the 1930s—who went on to establish the Rodale Institute, dedicated to researching and promoting regenerative agriculture.
Bob Rodale began talking publicly about regenerative agriculture following discussions with Allan Savory at the Rodale Center (now the Rodale Institute) in the mid-1980s. Robert Rodale intentionally chose the word “regenerative” to describe a farming system that went beyond simple “sustainability,” arguing that sustainability implied maintaining the status quo, which was insufficient given the widespread degradation of farmland. In the early 1980s, the Rodale Institute began using the term ‘regenerative agriculture,’ though the institute stopped using the term in the late 1980s, and it only appeared sporadically until they released a white paper in 2014, titled “Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change.”
How It’s Practiced
Regenerative farming encompasses a flexible set of practices adapted to local conditions. This soil management technique uses a combination of methods such as no-till, cover cropping, crop rotation, multi and inter-cropping, mulching and farm-based manure application. Regenerative agriculture on small farms and gardens is based on permaculture, agroecology, agroforestry, restoration ecology, keyline design, and holistic management.
Common practices include adaptive grazing management for livestock, where animals are rotated through paddocks to mimic natural grazing patterns while allowing land to recover. Eliminating or decreasing tillage is one of the best regenerative practices for improving soil, as tilling simultaneously causes soil erosion and releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cover crops protect soil between growing seasons, while diverse crop rotations nourish soil microbes and break pest cycles. Composting transforms farm waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.
What distinguishes regenerative farming from other sustainable approaches is its emphasis on measurable ecological improvement over time. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution—instead, each unique context requires a different set of farming approaches to maximize productivity while restoring soils and biodiversity, with different regenerative practices suiting different regions or even individual farms depending on the conditions.
Regenerative Farming Today
Regenerative farming has experienced a resurgence in the 21st century as concerns about climate change, soil degradation, and food security have intensified. The Regenerative Organic Certified™ was launched in late 2017, though the idea of regenerative has been around much longer. The 2020 Netflix documentary “Kiss The Ground” significantly raised public awareness of regenerative principles.
Today, farmers, researchers, and organizations worldwide are implementing and studying regenerative practices. Organizations like the Rodale Institute, Savory Institute, and Regeneration International provide education, training, and advocacy for regenerative methods. Major food companies have begun adopting regenerative agriculture programs, though this has also raised concerns about greenwashing. The massive hype behind the farming practice, along with the absence of clear definitions or meaningful regulation, has led to greenwashing and deceptive marketing from some food companies and farms.
Regenerative farms exist across scales, from small market gardens practicing permaculture principles to large-scale operations implementing no-till systems and adaptive grazing. Farmers may encounter regenerative agriculture through workshops, farm tours, online courses, certification programs, or regional farming networks focused on soil health.
Common Misconceptions
Regenerative farming is not synonymous with organic farming, though they share common values. Unlike certified organic farming, there are no regulatory requirements or prohibitions for how regenerative agriculture is done, so a farmer practicing regenerative agriculture may—or may not—use organic methods at their discretion. Organic farming is input-based, guided by organic standards and certification rules, while regenerative agriculture is outcome-based, prioritizing measurable improvements in soil health, ecological balance, and environmental sustainability.
Regenerative agriculture’s varied forms are not clearly defined. This lack of standardization is both a strength and weakness—it allows for context-specific adaptation but also creates opportunity for vague claims. The uncertainty stems partly from the loose definition of regenerative agriculture, which allows farmers to adopt a spectrum of practices under the umbrella term, making it hard for those in other parts of the food system to be sure which farms are really ‘regenerative.’
Regenerative farming is not a guaranteed solution to all agricultural challenges. It requires significant knowledge, observation skills, and often an initial period of transition that may temporarily reduce yields or income. It is not simply a set of practices that can be mechanically applied—context, climate, and management decisions all affect outcomes.
How to Begin
Those interested in regenerative farming can start with educational resources from the Rodale Institute, which offers research reports, webinars, and farmer training programs. Books such as “The Carbon Farming Solution” by Eric Toensmeier and “Dirt to Soil” by Gabe Brown provide practical frameworks and case studies. The Savory Institute offers courses in Holistic Management, particularly relevant for livestock operations.
For hands-on learning, seek out regenerative farms in your region that offer workshops, internships, or farm tours. Online platforms like Regeneration International and the Soil Health Institute provide articles, videos, and connections to practitioners. Beginning farmers might start with a single practice—such as eliminating tillage, planting cover crops, or implementing rotational grazing—and observe results before expanding. Local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices can provide technical assistance and sometimes financial support for implementing soil health practices.