South African farmers are in a challenging position. On the one hand, they must chase profitability to ensure their future, but on the other, they act as custodians of their environment, needing to balance out the harm that industry does, all while producing enough food to feed the continent. Enter: Regenerative agriculture.
More than a buzzword, regenerative agriculture places soil health, biodiversity and responsible farming at the centre of production. It’s a holistic farming practice that’s been developed to work with nature in renewing its resources. Elements thereof include crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced tillage, carbon sequestration and the integration of livestock.
All these sound honourable reasons to practice regenerative farming, but is the juice worth the squeeze?
Economic Benefits of Regenerative Practices
South African farmers can profit from regenerative agriculture in the following ways.
Lower Input Costs
Following the various prescribed practices, farmers are able to lower the cost of their inputs because the overall amount of inputs is reduced. Combining precision technology with the practices means that the correct amount of seed, fertiliser or even water is placed precisely, ultimately preventing wastage. Whether you call it frugal or thrifty, the results don’t lie.
Improved Yield
Because regenerative farming is focused on the health and biodiversity of soil, there is a direct impact on the health of crops. From stronger roots that penetrate deeper to grow stronger, withstand the elements better and draw up more nutrients, to healthier, more nutrient-dense produce. The yield per hectare might also increase.
Increased Productivity
With practices that have precise application and the use of precision technology to enhance agriculture, farmers have also increased productivity. This is because it requires less effort to achieve the same result.
Potential Access to Premium Markets
An increased shift towards produce that is farmed sustainably provides South African farmers with the potential to tap into local and international markets that support these practices.
It’s important to note that regenerative agriculture is a long-term strategy, not an instant remedy. In fact, experts have noted that it might take up to three years for farmers to start seeing results.
What are Regenerative Agriculture Practices
Here are some of the farming practices that repair soil and form part of regenerative agriculture:
- Cover crops: When cover crops cover the field when it is off-season, then the soil is protected against erosion, weeds are suppressed, and organic matter is added to the soil.
- No-till: No-till agriculture means that the moisture in the soil remains locked in because the soil isn’t disturbed. This also promotes microbial activity that keeps the soil healthy.
- Diversity of Crops: When practising crop rotation, it’s also important to create a cycle that includes a diverse number of crop types. It helps break pest cycles and improves soil structure.
- Organic matter: Adding organic matter to the soil helps stimulate the microbiome. This can be done through composting.
- Integrate livestock into crop rotation: By adding cattle or other livestock that graze the field between crop rotations, animals deposit manure that helps enrich the soil while reducing crop residue that would normally have been burnt or tilled back into the soil.
Does it Help Small-scale Business Owners?
Whenever a new or progressive concept is introduced, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of positivity. In such a case, it’s important to ask if these ideas truly advance the group of people it claims to help.
For small-scale farmers and regenerative agriculture, the question is: Does the impact it has on nature and operations make a difference to farmers?
The answer is yes.
For the over two million smallholder farmers across South Africa, there can be tangible change as seen by the WWF-SA. Through their support and teaching farmers how to use regenerative practices, they are helping agripreneurs become more resilient when faced with drought, floods, heatwaves or excessive winds.
Furthermore, farmers are also able to help combat climate change, in particular the degradation and erosion of soils and landscapes. Livestock farmers are able to better manage the carrying capacity of their fields for grazing livestock.
With these benefits well recorded and researched, there is no reason not to turn to them and ultimately increase profitability.
