Why we Support Regenerative Agriculture
Photo by Gabriel Jimenezon Unsplash.
At Esperance Honey, we strongly believe in contributing to a better world, for the people who we share the world with now, for our children, our children’s children and all living things As a part of our vision of the future, we’re excited about changes that are taking place in the agriculture space through regenerative agriculture.
Agriculture is, without a doubt, a pillar of our society, particularly here, in our little pocket of the world, where we and so many of our friends and family are directly involved in the industry. And farmers play an important role as natural resource managers and environmental stewards, owning or managing around 58% of Australia’s land-based assets. Australia’s total land asset base is valued at around $5.85 trillion. All property values being equal, that would make farmers responsible for around $3.4 trillion dollars worth of our land assets, which are inherently linked to the wellbeing of both rural and urban communities in various ways
Over the last few years, there has been a growing realisation that many of the ways in which we farm is unsustainable. If we want to be able to continue to produce food and fibre for generations to come, we need to look at the way that we manage those assets more holistically, and understand how we can not only produce from them but also invest back into them so that they continue to flourish – and us along with them. Regenerative agriculture is starting to gain recognition as a strategy that allows for that, and has financial benefits at the same time.
According to a report published by wine and cattle producer Richard Leask as a result of research undertaken through a Nuffield scholarship awarded by Wine Australia, there are six key principles to regenerative agriculture, as follows;
Photo by Hector Ramon Perezon Unsplash.
1. Balanced soil nutrition without synthetic fertilisers
2. Keep the soil covered
3. Minimise soil disturbance
4. Increase (bio)diversity
5. Living roots all year round
6. Livestock integration and management
The introduction of any or all of these principles can result in positive impacts. Unlike other alternative farming approaches, regenerative agriculture isn’t certified and is more about looking at what is right for a certain place at a certain time – and the people who manage it. Rather than emphasising process and a prescriptive approach to farming, regenerative agriculture is about taking a more reflexive, tailored approach based on ecological principles to solve problems specific to time and place so that farmers can operate more profitability whilst optimising environmental health, thus becoming more sustainable long-term.
And evidence is showing that applying these principles can, indeed, result in improved outcomes for farmers. Regenerative agriculture has been used in Africa to re-vegetate desertified landscapes, changing water and nutrient cycling and creating dynamic, self-regulating ecosystems. By changing soil structure, more water is retained in soils in regenerative vineyards, making them more resilient to climate change. When native bush is planted around crops, more insect pollinators are present, boosting crop yields. By focusing on regenerating rangelands (which account for around 60% of the world’s land area) through holistic grazing, soil carbon, nutrient cycling and biodiversity are enhanced. And in his book, Call of the Reed Warbler, several of the regenerative agriculture case studies presented by Charles Massy demonstrate higher profitability than prior to conversion, and compared to neighbouring farms. All of these things contribute to agricultural systems that are more sustainable long-term, and can play an important role in alleviating land degradation issues, biodiversity loss, climate change and urban migration.
We’re excited about the future of regenerative agriculture here in WA. And we hope that you are too.
Photo by Jeremy Stewarton Unsplash. Manjimup.