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Regenerate!

Incentivize regenerative agriculture; Everyone deserves a second chance

Incentivizing the adoption of the regenerative agriculture approach is necessary to contribute to Action track 3 of the food systems, boosting nature-positive production (Bopp et al., 2019; Zeng et al., 2020). The regenerative agriculture approach aims at rehabilitating and conserving food systems and farming which is in line with the action track 3 of the UN food system (LaCanne & Lundgren, 2018; Rhodes, 2017). This can be applied where farmers are paid for restoring and sequestering carbon hence mitigating possible environmental impacts due to climate change risks.

Action track 3 aims at reducing pollution, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation by maximizing the use of environmental resources in the food value chain, that is, from production, processing, distribution to consumption.

Organic farming is a component of regenerative agriculture, therefore, the use of chemicals such as pesticides and synthetic fertilizers is not prohibited but safe and limited use of the same is advocated for. Precision farming such as timely planting reduces fertilizer use.

To achieve planetary equilibrium, there’s a need to survive while still thriving sustainably within the system. The natural ecosystem should be protected against further conversion and the degraded ones restored. According to Novotny (1999), agriculture accounts for more than 50% of freshwater withdrawal leading to biodiversity loss. This is accelerated by deforestation, freshwater biodiversity loss, degraded agricultural land, and GHG emissions.

What is produced is not equivalent to what is consumed owing to food loss and waste through the food systems’ value chain. Food loss and food waste should be minimized to reduce incidences of hunger and malnutrition.

Incorporation of approaches such as circular economy where ‘waste’ is repurposed and permaculture will help reduces GHG emissions hence soil quality preservation. Recycling farm waste as organic fertilizers at the farm level leads to improved yields by strengthening soil health.

Private and public landowners should both be on board as these are shared responsibilities. The role of policymakers and consumers should be redefined to build back better. Small scale and large-scale farmers are the environmental stewards and are at the forefront especially since they work with nature. Soil health is key, consequently, carbon content should be increased in the soil and soil degradation halted. However, increment in livelihood options and opportunities should be encouraged.

For innovation and adoption of regenerative agriculture to be successful, scientific knowledge needs to be informed by traditional knowledge to devise a transition path. Restoration approaches need to be tailor-made to fit the different production systems and be inclusive based on gender roles in the society. Both women and men should be equally involved in decision-making. Governments’ interventions to ensure accountability, transparency, and traceability is also paramount.

Institutions can nurture positive production by the provision of credit, technological innovations, and assistance. Documentation and data on what has worked and what has not should be availed to measure the success of an implementation strategy.

In conclusion, the food systems’ action tracks are interconnected hence the need to integrate them by identifying synergies and trade-offs associated with sustainability and productivity between them.

References

Bopp, C., Engler, A., Poortvliet, P. M., & Jara-Rojas, R. (2019). The role of farmers’ intrinsic motivation in the effectiveness of policy incentives to promote sustainable agricultural practices. J Environ Manage, 244, 320-327. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.107

LaCanne, C. E., & Lundgren, J. G. (2018). Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably. PeerJ, 6, e4428. doi:10.7717/peerj.4428

Novotny, V. (1999). Diffuse pollution from agriculture—a worldwide outlook. Water science and technology, 39(3), 1-13.

Rhodes, C. J. (2017). The imperative for regenerative agriculture. Sci Prog, 100(1), 80-129. doi:10.3184/003685017×14876775256165

Zeng, Y., Tian, Y., He, K., & Zhang, J. (2020). Environmental conscience, external incentives and social norms in rice farmers’ adoption of pro-environmental agricultural practices in rural Hubei province, China. Environ Technol, 41(19), 2518-2532. doi:10.1080/09593330.2019.1574907

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So much po(tato)tential

Circularize potato; more meaning to it.

Climate change crisis is expected to increase if business as usual continues in the potato production industry. Soil degradation will fail to support the production of potatoes due to climate related risks. A circular economy approach allows for recycling and reusing ‘waste’ unlike the linear approach where we take, produce and late dispose resources. It reframes  by-products and wasted food as valuable and usable resources such as using them for animal feeds.

Transitioning into a circular food economy enables a transition into healthy diets by changing what we grow for example a well-adapted potato variety hence increasing value of nature by maximum utilization of soil nutrients in a given area.

Circular economy also facilitates the access of other markets where lower quality and excess produce can be utilized. For example, where potato is used as a by-product in a bakery sector.

Moreover, it promotes transparency in food supply chains by increasing access to information and utilization of data in regards to consumer patterns and behavioural change in consumption of a product.

Potato being the most popular staple food grown in most countries in the world, loss, and waste will continue to be exacerbated with the increasing population and demand.

It is therefore paramount to have a better understanding of where food loss and waste occurs in the potato production value chain and the costs of the waste and loss. This helps us establish a circular approach which as opposed to linear economy enhances sustainability. Food waste and loss reduction begin by creating awareness of the environmental impacts in terms of emission and reduction of resource wasted. A circular economy is the future if efficiency in the use of materials, lowering of GHG emissions, and sustainability is to be achieved in the food sector.

Domestic loss of potatoes in the household levels can be minimized by using leftovers to prepare different meals as opposed to disposing. Potato skin is highly nutritious in vitamins and fiber hence can be also be used as animal feeds especially at the farm levels where the harvest is lost or in excess. Potato waste can also be used as organic fertilizer as opposed to inorganic fertilizers hence put into better use instead of letting the waste accumulate in damp sites causing emission. Sustainable use of potato waste can also be enhanced by the production of ethanol as a renewable energy alternative to petroleum fuel as is the case in Pennsylvania. A circular approach will facilitate the innovation of friendly biodigesters at a household level in more households to promote ethanol production that can be used as alternative energy for house heating during the winter season.

However, behavioral change should be facilitated by setting up campaigns to discourage the wasting of potato food. Private-public partnerships would successfully drive rapid change across the whole supply chain by coordinating with other relevant stakeholders as well. Moreover, there’s a need to also facilitate resilient supply chains.

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About

My name is Eisimsidele J. Isnino, an enthusiast of environmental well being and a student pursuing a Master’s degree in Climate Change and food security.

Having had a background in Agriculture, I thought it was best to further my studies in MScCCAFS in the realization of food security where sustainable agriculture is concerned as well as environmental sustainability as far as climate change is concerned. I hope to understand the relationship between food production, food availability and the global changing climatic patterns.