Regenerative agriculture promotes sustainable farming systems by optimizing resources and enhancing agricultural productivity.
Climate change poses critical challenges to food security and the environment, reducing agricultural productivity and increasing production risks. To overcome these challenges, regenerative agriculture emerges as an essential strategy to enhance soil health and boost crop productivity. Moreover, it promotes the sequestration of organic carbon in the soil (SOC) and strengthens agriculture’s resilience and mitigation capacity in the face of climate change.
In response to this, researchers from CCARBON/USP, in partnership with other institutions, have developed a plan to promote regenerative agriculture on a large scale in Brazil. The project conducts research through a multidisciplinary collaborative scientific network focused on regenerative agriculture.
This public-private partnership program, known as Carbon Farming, aims to assess the benefits of improved agricultural land management. This approach involves strategies of crop diversification with cover crops, and evaluation of carbon sequestration, greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, soil health and crop yield.
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The Carbon Farming Program and Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture has gained prominence as a sustainable approach to tackling the challenges of climate change and soil degradation. It promotes practices that restore soil health, increase agricultural productivity, and capture carbon from the atmosphere. In this context, a program led by Bayer SA, in partnership with CCARBON/USP and other institutions, serves as a successful example of promoting these practices in tropical agriculture. The program, known as Carbon Farming, integrates science and innovation to transform the agricultural sector in Brazil.
A total of 11 partner institutions, including universities, research centers, and farmer organizations, form a multidisciplinary network aimed at advancing sustainable agricultural practices. The program involves 1,906 farmers and covers an area of 232,000 hectares across diverse soil and climate conditions. Positive impacts are being assessed for practices such as soil management, no-till systems, crop rotation and diversification, and the use of cover crops.
And How Is This Achieved?
Working on multiple levels, the program combines scientific research, on-farm experiments, and large-scale implementation, delivering solid and replicable results. One of the initiative’s highlights is the development of an innovative mathematical model designed to predict SOC dynamics in tropical agroecosystems.
Numerous trials are conducted, ranging from short to medium and long-term experiments lasting from less than 5 to over 20 years. These trials are located in key grain-producing regions of Brazil, each with distinct soil, climate, and management conditions. The researchers, who are carbon specialists, come from public universities, research foundations, and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). By testing different options and models of regenerative agriculture, the practices used include crop rotation, cover crop mixtures, and integrated farming systems, among others.
The program evaluates impacts on carbon balance—specifically soil carbon sequestration and GHG emissions—as well as crop yields and economic returns.
This tool supports more precise decision-making and strengthens Brazilian agriculture in the global carbon market, linking sustainable practices with greater economic competitiveness. The efforts focus on critical benefits such as SOC, improved soil health, and, consequently, higher crop yields.
Regenerative Agriculture Expands Across the Globe
Low-carbon regenerative agriculture programs are being designed and implemented worldwide. For example, the National Corn Growers Association (NCA), based in the United States, supports the Soil Health Partnership. Through this program, over 200 farmers conducted trials in 9 states over a span of 5 years to compare conservation agriculture practices. Similarly, the European Commission, through its “Sustainable Carbon Cycles” initiative, has promoted actions to encourage the agricultural and forestry sectors to adopt climate-friendly practices.
The adoption of these practices brings numerous benefits. These include increased biodiversity, fostering the growth of natural predators and weed control; enhanced nutrient cycling; improved water availability in the soil; and greater carbon sequestration in the soil. These factors form the foundation for improving soil health and making agricultural systems more efficient and less dependent on external inputs. In addition, regenerative agriculture can lead to higher economic returns, making it a viable strategy to reduce GHG emissions.
Regenerative Agriculture and Its Role in Sustainable Development
The regenerative agriculture practices of the Carbon Farming program align with at least seven of the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include: SDG 1, no poverty; SDG 2, zero hunger and sustainable agriculture; SDG 3, good health and well-being; SDG 7, affordable and clean energy; SDG 12, responsible consumption and production; SDG 13, climate action; and SDG 15, life on land.
These connections highlight how regenerative agriculture extends beyond food production, serving as an integrated strategy to promote sustainable development. By regenerating soils, conserving natural resources, and mitigating climate change, this approach contributes directly to improving the quality of life on Earth. Furthermore, the Carbon Farming program adopts a holistic perspective, integrating environmental management practices within cultural, political, and socio-economic contexts.
Primary reference:
Cherubin MR, Pinheiro Junior CR, Alves LA, et al. Carbon farming initiative: a national-scale public-private partnership to promote regenerative agriculture in Brazil. Experimental Agriculture. 2024;60:e28. doi:10.1017/S0014479724000255
