Regenerative Agriculture
This project aims to understand and define regenerative agriculture (RA) practices in Alberta from production to policy. The Simpson Centre aims to address the following questions:
- How do producers and agri-food professionals mean by ‘regenerative farming’?
- What regenerative agriculture practices are currently being used?
- What business models are RA farmers using?
- What are the barriers and constraints to expansion of RA farming practices?
- Where are the gaps and opportunities for enabling policy design and implementation?
Where we are now
Agriculture in Canada tends to rely on inputs and production practices that degrade soil and wider ecosystems. Policies incentivize farmers to increase yield and revenue while unintentionally neglecting longer term risk mitigation.
However, interest is growing in regenerative agriculture, which seeks to improve soil quality, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, nurture on-farm relationships, reduce off-farm impacts, bolster climate resilience, and enhance crop quality.
At issue is a clear definition of regenerative farming, which is currently an unofficial and voluntary designation with little policy support from governments to promote uptake and viability.
Our process
Over 18 months, we will seek a detailed and actionable understanding of regenerative agriculture through an in-depth review of existing literature, through online surveys among diverse agricultural stakeholders, and through in-person events with producers, industry commodity groups, and policymakers.
Desired outcomes
Our findings will:
- Provide solid evidence of RA methods in use on farms across Alberta.
- Benefit farmers and farming organizations with valuable insights on business models and regenerative practices.
- Inform businesses on the products and services that producers require.
- Generate a policy-friendly definition of Regenerative Agriculture.
- Offer agri-food companies a more precise definition to help transitioning sourcing to producers adopting more sustainable production practices.
Your thoughts and opinions count
Are you a producer or agri-food professional involved in regenerative agriculture? We invite you to participate in a 15-minute survey. Your insights and perspectives will remain anonymous and confidential but are incredibly valuable to helping change agriculture as a whole.
Survey questions include:
– Describe your understanding of the concept of Regenerative Agriculture.
– Which RA practices do you view as important based on your work?
– What do you think is stopping more producers from adopting RA practices?
– How do you think government could help producers adopt RA practices?
There is also an option to take part in a 30-minute anonymous Zoom interview.
If you know anyone else who is interested in Regenerative Agriculture and helping to guide the future of agriculture, please share this page or the survey link with them.
CONTACTS
For more details on the Regenerative Agriculture Program:
Francine Nelson at [email protected]
Tatenda Mambo at [email protected]