Organic, climate-smart, regenerative – these are terms now regularly heard in the agriculture industry, but do farmers actually know what they mean, how they work, and the importance they have on an agricultural system? More importantly, how can farmers be expected to implement these practices in their operations without fully knowing what each entail, economically and agronomically?
Though often grouped together, Dr. Amelie Gaudin, associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, says that organic, climate-smart, and regenerative systems can be all very different.
“These three concepts are not similar but there’s a lot of common ground,” she says.
The common ground mentioned by Gaudin is that they each support the almond industry’s initiative to be more sustainable, with the intent to look beyond yield numbers and focus more on a systems-based approach.
While the end goal is similar “Organic, climate-smart, and regenerative concepts fall along a continuum of practices we can implement to transition into a more sustainable system,” she adds.
The three concepts differ in the framework used to reach sustainability goals and in the degree of system redesign and consideration of ecological and social outcomes. Common examples familiar to almond growers include water use efficiency, and nitrogen and fertilizer management, which often rely on input substitution and precision agriculture.
There’s no doubt almond growers have an economic incentive to improve efficiencies and become more sustainable, but often it’s challenging for farmers to fully commit to more ecologically intensive organic, climate-smart, or regenerative practices when they aren’t sure how to quantify their return on investment. Below are key definitions and characteristics outlined by Gaudin to help understand the scope and goals of each approach.
Organic
Out of the three concepts, organic is considered the most widely understood because a certification process has been in place for decades. Originating from a farmer-led movement in the 70s, organic farming focuses on ecological farming practices and techniques such as natural fertilizers and eco-friendly pest control.
An operation seeking organic status must implement these approved practices over the course of three years before being certified by the United States Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).
Being the oldest of the three terms, today’s organic farming community has built many successful system designs with established market channels, and growers often receive a premium for their organic goods.
Climate-Smart
Climate-smart on the other hand, is a newer term developed primarily by policymakers to more explicitly improve climate change adaptation and mitigation potential. The intent of climate-smart agriculture is to prioritize gains in efficiency while also substituting inputs and diversifying both conventional and organic systems.
When using this term, the goal of policymakers is to emphasize practices which provide solution for climate issues, especially as it relates to greenhouse gas reductions.
Regenerative
Regenerative encompasses a redesign of the farming system and stacks multiple sustainability practices together. To be truly regenerative, systems must implement a wide array of ecological practices, use no synthetic input and re-integrate livestock. Unlike the other two terms, it has an equity and social justice element.
While an entry level regenerative system is designed to primarily build soil health, cycle, and sequester carbon, a deeper regenerative system also optimizes for biodiversity and conservation. The deepest level of regenerative supports individuals and communities, strives for equity, and reverses decades of extractions.
While regenerative is the newest buzzword these days, Gaudin says it’s also the most prone to being falsely promoted as a marketing tactic.
“Regenerative Agriculture is emerging globally right now, but we need to be careful about greenwashing and missing an opportunity to build on this momentum to truly transform the way we are producing Almonds while targeting drivers of ecosystem decline” she says.
Stay tuned for part two of this article where Gaudin explains some of the potential value of these systems for growers and what practices many growers are implementing successfully already.
