The storyline of regenerative agriculture 

Regenerative agriculture is in part a storyline. This story carries strong ethical connotations around the importance of restoring the health and diversity of ecosystems and communities. It is clear enough that many farmers feel connected to it. However, it is also vague enough that these same farmers can have extremely different approaches to ‘regenerative agriculture.’

In my research I articulated nine different ways of interpreting, talking about, and practicing regenerative agriculture. These interpretations of regenerative agriculture are diverse, and have diverse agricultural lineages that inform them (e.g., organics, holistic management, permaculture). This makes sense because the shared intention behind regenerative agriculture is to regenerate. What is being regenerated can differ, as can the process of regeneration (there is no single way to regenerate agriculture). If there is no single way for regeneration to occur in agriculture, why would there be a single type of regenerative agriculture?

Current demands to quantify, define and scale-up a singular model of regenerative agriculture risk over-shadowing the pre-existing diversity of sustainable, agricultural practice. Consequently, diversity in regenerative agriculture is important to transformation so that it does not perpetuate colonial relations by ignoring unique knowledges and practices in specific places. Instead regenerative agriculture must start learning from, integrating with, and enhancing those existing approaches that are already transformative. The following types of regenerative agriculture demonstrate how this is occurring to different degrees.