Regenerative agriculture: ecosystem recovery through agriculture

By Ingrid Graziano, “leader” of Sustainability Products for Cargill South America

09.05.2024 | 14:38 (UTC -3)

Agricultural systems in South America have advanced in recent decades and have become protagonists not only in the production of food and bioenergy for the world, but also an important tool for the regeneration of ecosystems. 

In the process of understanding their responsibilities in the face of challenges that go beyond preserving areas of native vegetation, some sector representatives are already investing in technologies and innovations that can promote more efficient agricultural production systems and work to regenerate the environment, especially the soil, bringing resilience and sustainability to rural producers and the entire production chain. 

It is in this context that what we call regenerative agriculture emerges, an agricultural production model based on regenerating soil biodiversity and the environment, bringing more life and complexity to these production systems. This is possible with the use of soil conservation practices, bio-inputs, increasing organic matter in the soil, water conservation and retention. These practices, in addition to promoting more efficient systems, also have the potential to sequester carbon, being a powerful tool in mitigating and facing the challenges of climate change.

Brazil is a protagonist when we talk about regenerative agriculture! What we seek with it is to go beyond the vision of simplifying processes: we need to align our practices with the way nature acts, with more diversity and more heterogeneous systems. In practice, we want to create interaction networks and promote greater soil fertility, resistance to climate challenges and, therefore, greater efficiency. Everyone wins!

Regenerative agriculture is already part of Cargill's global strategies, as we understand that it is through this model that we will guarantee food security and face the challenges of climate change. In the United States, for example, we have maintained the RegenConnect program since 2021, which promotes regenerative agricultural practices by financially rewarding rural producers for carbon sequestration.

The objective is to facilitate and encourage the adoption of regenerative practices, which range from not disturbing the soil to the implementation of cover crops, through the technical support of a team of conservation agronomists who assist farmers in planning the agronomic management of their properties. In addition, we measure and report the impacts of the management adopted on carbon sequestration.

A highlight of how we are moving forward with this agenda in Brazil is ReSolu, a program launched to promote the construction of this new generation of agricultural systems, more resilient and efficient, based on livelier soils and more diverse ecosystems. ReSolu brings rural producers a complete platform of solutions to accelerate and scale regenerative agriculture in the country. Based on four pillars – specialized technical assistance, input portfolio, green finance and carbon measurement – ​​the program is organized on two fronts : conversion of degraded areas to agriculture, with more sustainable agronomic practices, and adoption of regenerative practices in already established agricultural areas, to improve soil health.

With this platform of solutions, we hope not only to stimulate the prosperity of rural producers but also to encourage the use of agriculture as a tool for generating a positive impact on the ecosystem, through an initiative that brings benefits to the environment, such as the reduction of gases greenhouse effect, conserving water resources and increasing soil health and biodiversity.

These programs, both in Brazil and abroad, are part of the commitment that Cargill has always made to producers and sustainability. Agriculture is the way we make this commitment a reality and, in the case of Brazil, it is key to achieving increasingly higher levels of excellence and good management of natural resources.

*By Ingrid Graziano, "leader" of Sustainability Products for South America

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