Unlocking the Potential of Regenerative Agriculture

Our present agricultural system is failing. Through greenhouse gas emissions, chemical pollution, inefficient land and water use, corrupt programs and policies, decreasing crop prices, and neglected rural infrastructure, it is not serving our best interests.

So, what if we used climate policy to re-envision the American agricultural system? 

We could simultaneously eliminate a significant portion of our nation’s carbon footprint, champion small family farms, restore the ecological health of half of our land mass, and provide fresh, healthy, affordable, and local food to communities all across America simply by returning to our roots!

A regenerative method of agricultural production proposes actively beneficial solutions to restoring our depleted natural system through land management practices. Farms have the unique capacity to become carbon-negative by transitioning to production methods like no-tillage farming, cover crops, and rotational grazing that can bolster the rate at which carbon is sequestered in the soil. 

Envision a world where small farms sustainably produce a diverse range of fresh products for local markets, as well as clean our land, water, and air. Transitioning to this system would require a cultural shift to stop prioritizing productivity and profit over the health of our communities. It would also require political and economic reform to adequately equip and incentivize farmers for the shift. 

It’s time we realize that the key to unlocking our nation’s potential and moving towards a greener future lies just beneath our feet -- we simply have to be willing to get a little dirt beneath our nails and dig for it.

Author

Hope is a third year undergraduate student at Rice University studying Civil Engineering with an environmental focus. Hailing from Austin, Texas, she dreams of combining her love of eating with her passion for the environment to work towards a world of food sovereignty. She is so grateful to have spent her summer interning with the Texas Coastal Exchange team!