The Rise of Regenerative Agriculture

A growing movement has been taking root in modern agriculture. Following decades of prioritising short-term efficiency, yield, and output, farmers and ranchers are increasingly choosing to balance productivity with environmental resilience and the long-term health of their land.

Regenerative agriculture (‘regen’) is the term most often used to describe this shift; and adoption is accelerating. Depending on who you ask, ‘regen’ can mean working more closely with natural cycles, focusing on soil and water health, or improving biodiversity and resilience. For some, it’s a mindset; for others, a measurable outcome.

Across continents, from New Zealand hill country to the expansive plains of the United States, producers are exploring how real-time profitability and long-term regeneration can coexist. What unites these farmers and ranchers is a shared commitment to stewardship: the belief that good management supports both the farm business and the land it depends on

Yet for all its promise, regenerative agriculture remains a concept with many definitions and a few misconceptions. So, what does it really mean? Why is it growing so rapidly? And what does it look like in practice around the world?

Let’s dig in.

 

What is “Regenerative Agriculture”?

Defining ‘regen’ is one of the first challenges, and as with many topics in the ag community, it depends on who you ask. For some, it’s a return to time-tested wisdom: working with natural cycles, resting the land through rotational grazing, and building resilience through plant and animal diversity. For others, it’s about measurable outcomes such as reduced fertiliser use, improved water quality and retention, and diverse soil microbiology.

Unlike prior shifts such as organic or carbon farming, regenerative agriculture takes a less hard-line approach, considering the holistic farming system of inputs and outputs.

“While regenerative agriculture could be perceived as a step back to historical farming methods, today practitioners combine traditional approaches with smart farming for maximum insight and efficiency.” – Jordan Le Roux, Senior Director of Sustainability, Kynetec

In practice, regenerative agriculture is less a fixed program and more a mindset guiding decisions toward ecological renewal alongside business viability. It involves deliberate changes and encourages farmers to observe and adapt based on their land’s response. This flexibility aligns with how rural communities operate, responding to weather, markets, and local knowledge rather than following rigid templates.

Common guiding ideas include keeping soil covered, maintaining living roots year-round, supporting biological diversity, minimising disturbance, and managing animals in ways that recycle nutrients and improve ground cover (rotational/managed grazing). The mix depends on region, climate, and production goals.

 

Seeds of Doubt

For every farmer adopting regenerative methods, others are watching carefully from across the fence. Some question whether regen is simply a new label for existing good practice; others worry about vague definitions or greenwashing. Practical barriers such as cost, labour, infrastructure, and uncertain returns are real considerations.

Such caution is healthy. It keeps the discussion grounded in measurable outcomes, shared learning, and economic reality. Constructive debate helps the concept mature and stay connected to what delivers results on the ground.

“Farms are first and foremost a business and must remain profitable. Farmers are endlessly practical, but the complexity of measuring progress is not for the faint-hearted.” – Jordan Le Roux

Because regen isn’t tightly defined, interpretations vary widely. Some advocate zero synthetic inputs; others allow limited use. Some focus on grazing; others apply regenerative thinking to crops. That diversity can be productive, but if everything is “regenerative,” the term risks losing clarity.

Flexibility also complicates verification. Outcome-based systems like Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) are promising but require solid baseline data and trusted, cost-effective measurement, something many markets are still working to achieve.

 

Why is Regen on the Rise?

A mix of environmental, economic, and social pressures is driving renewed interest in land-care approaches. Degraded soils, extreme weather, and shifting rainfall patterns are prompting farmers to look for ways to build resilience. Improving soil health has become a practical defence against volatility.

Markets are evolving too. Consumers and buyers are asking tougher questions about how food is produced, and global brands are responding. Nestlé has shifted focus from broad methane-reduction targets to regenerative partnerships with the World Farmers’ Organisation, rewarding producers who improve soil and ecosystem outcomes. McDonald’s and Heinz are taking a similar path, supporting growers to trial regenerative methods that strengthen supply chains against climate and market shocks.

Social learning is another powerful driver. Farmers are sharing experiences directly through local field days and online networks, accelerating the spread of ideas and on-farm experimentation. Change is moving peer to peer and across digital channels.

Governments and financial institutions are also testing new ways to reward environmental outcomes. In the United States, the USDA’s multi-billion-dollar Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program funds projects that pay farmers for measurable improvements in soil, carbon, and water quality. In Australia, the On Farm Connectivity Program is boosting agritech adoption to enable smarter, data-driven land and animal management. Private lenders such as Farm Credit in the United States Westpac NZ are also experimenting with financing mechanisms that recognise on-farm regeneration.

 

Soil Health: The Foundational Metric

If there is one keystone on which regenerative success depends, it is soil health.

Most regenerative approaches, regardless of system or scale, share the goal of improving soil structure, microbial diversity, and porosity to build a more resilient base. Measuring soil health, however, remains a challenge. Establishing baseline is data essential yet difficult given natural variability. Traditional indicators such as soil respiration, aggregate stability, and organic carbon are valuable but need to be interpreted within each farm’s context.

New technologies are adding precision. In New Zealand, environmental DNA (eDNA) testing is being used to identify soil organisms, from microbes to earthworms, offering a clearer picture of biological activity below ground alongside more traditional organic matter and labile carbon testing. In the United States, the Haney Soil Health Test, developed through the USDA, combines biological, chemical, and physical indicators into a single assessment to evaluate overall soil function.

As data tools, remote sensing, and laboratory methods continue to evolve, they are giving producers greater confidence in linking management changes to measurable improvement.

 

Still Growing

As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, the questions now shift from why to how. How can producers adjust their approach on farm to better safeguard the longevity of their operations? Which technologies can help them see results faster and turn data into better decisions? How will adoption vary across markets, climates, and production systems?

As the movement matures, measures of success are also expanding—to include water resilience, ecosystem recovery, and community wellbeing alongside productivity and profit. Agritech is playing a growing role in this evolution, helping farmers connect insight with action to build systems that are both environmentally and economically resilient.