Regenerative Farming: The Way Forward?

There are currently over 95,000 acres of UK farmland being farmed regeneratively, according to Regenerative Farmers of UK.

Studies have shown that regenerative farming is 78% more profitable than conventional farming, albeit that it often takes longer due to the need to separate crops grown together after harvesting.

One field can produce more hay per acre if farmed regeneratively than conventionally - a conventional method can produce 10 bales of sileage, whereas a regenerative method can produce 12.

Research by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission has shown that a shift to regenerative agriculture will lead to the UK producing 66-77% less greenhouse gas emissions, helping the UK to achieve it's aim to be net zero by 2050.

There are five recognised "pillars" to the regenerative farming farming process. These are:

Minimise Soil Disturbance - not disturbing the soil by cultivating it (through ploughing, for example) and not using heavy chemicals to fertilise it means that the balanced ecosystem already in the soil will not be upset.

Keep The Soil Covered - not leaving the soil bare and unprotected when not growing crops, through planting "cover crops" or by keeping residue from previously harvested crops in the soil (like straw stems) both protects it from heavy raindrops and from intense sunlight, both of which can antagonise the soil.

Maintain Living Roots In The Soil - through photosynthesis, plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into sugars. These are then fed into the soil in nutrient exchanges with the bacteria that live around the plants' roots and keep the soil alive.

Maximise Plant Diversity - having a diverse population of plants or crops in one area can lead to healthier soil and reduced weeds and risk of disease. Using companion crops (where two different crops grow in the same area simultaneously) helps with this.

Reintroduce Livestock - Having livestock grazing can increase the diversity of living creatures and plants in the soil, further boosting soil fertility and the health of those animals both in the soil and grazing it. Having a diverse group of livestock (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens) will make this even more effective.

^{Conventional Farming...}

- Prioritises crop yield and volume when harvesting, using chemicals and fertilisers to increase that figure.
- Tends to see farmers working alone and focusing on industrial-scale production.
- Leaves the soil bare once harvesting has been completed, and left that way until the next crops go in.
- Leaves the topsoil at risk of being blown away in strong winds or harmed by heavy raindrops or direct sunlight.
- Gives livestock free rein to graze in an entire field for a period of time to graze, before they are taken out and the field is left unoccupied.

^{Regenerative Farming...}

- Prioritises soil health to produce

nutrient-rich crops that don’t rely on

chemical fertiliser.

- Tends to see farmers sharing ideas and best practices, increasing knowledge of

regenerative methods.

- Uses cover crops to ensure that the soil is never left exposed. These are crops that are planted not to be harvested but merely to keep the soil and living processes within it alive.

- Leaves the topsoil protected from raindrops, sunlight and strong wind by cover crops or stems from previously-harvested crops. The plants absorb the water and light and it enters the soil more gently.

- Livestock are penned into one area of a single field and moved around in intervals,

grazing from different areas before being moved into the next patch. Each patch is then allowed to grow back before the livestock next visit it.

Clarkson's Farm and Regenerative Farming

In the third series of Prime Video's popular series Clarkson's Farm, viewers witnessed Jeremy Clarkson being introduced to regenerative farming by Wildfarmed co-founder Andy Cato.

Wildfarmed was founded in 2018 and produces flour and bread from regenerative wheat. They currently work with over 100 growers and their bread can be found on the shelves of Waitrose and M&S, amongst other supermarkets and retailers.

Cato explained that he tends to grow two different crops alongside each other in the same field, with him putting wheat and beans into one of Clarkson's fields.

The beans would draw the sunlight into the soil, which would then feed the wheat and help it to grow. This would prevent the need for any chemical fertilisers to be used.

It was this that brought regenerative farming to a wider audience, with a 2024 Taste Tomorrow survey finding that 68% of people are interested in food products coming from sustainable farming methods.

" I think Clarkson’s Farm’s been really good, from a general point of view, of helping people to understand better the realities of food production.

"What Andy is trying to do there is he’s trying to reduce our use of those tools, reduce Clarkson’s use of those tools."
Joe Stanley

Arable Farming

Regenerative arable farming is centred around working with the soil to grow crops.

The farmer will have a rotation of crops for the soil instead of just planting the same thing each time, increasing the biodiversity and overall health of the soil.

The soil is not cultivated to avoid disrupting ecosystems within it. The soil gets its nutrients from plant waste, which comes when cover crops or remnants of previous crops are pushed into the ground as the new crop is planted.

Natural substances such as animal faecal matter are used to fertilise the crops instead of external chemicals.

The theory is that a healthier soil will produce healthier crops, which will in turn produce healthier food.

The key principle of regenerative arable farming is keeping the soil alive, as not doing so risks the ground underneath the topsoil becoming hard clay. This is done by not cultivating it and instead allowing ecosystems to develop on and beneath the surface.

Nitrogen from the soil is fed into crops once they have been planted, allowing them to grow and reducing the need for fertilisers to be used.

If any fertiliser is required, animal waste is used, with that having what the soil and the crops need. As time goes on, there may be no need for any fertiliser and the natural cycle could be left to operate without intervention.

Once the crops have been harvested, farmers may keep the stems in the soil or could plant "cover crops", which are not there to be harvested but merely to keep the soil working.

The stems or cover crops also help to guard the soil from the elements, with heavy rainfall and intense sunlight likely to damage it. Cover crops absorb heat and water and release it slowly into the soil.

This continues until the time comes to grow crops again, at which point those cover crops are pushed into the ground as waste and the cycle begins again.

Thomas Gent - arable farmer from the Lincolnshire/ Cambridgeshire border

Thomas Gent is a third-generation farmer, following in the footsteps of father Edward and grandfather Tony.

16 years ago, their farm was one of the first in the UK to become fully regenerative.

Thomas' desire to share his ideas about farming regeneratively led to the establishment of his Gentle Farming brand, allowing him to directly sell more of the farm's produce.

The farm currently sells rapeseed oil, wheat flour, oats, cereal and legume crops, all grown using 100% regenerative methods.

This not only produces food using only organic fertilisers but also lowers their production costs per tonne. They currently spend around 25% less than those using more conventional farming methods, but with the same income.

Thomas' work has attracted plenty of notice, with him a finalist in the 2023 Carbon Farmer of the Year Award and the farm itself featured twice on BBC Countryfile.

Regenerative farming on the arable side of things does not come without it's fair share of challenges, risks and drawbacks though:

"Patience is the trickiest thing."

Thomas Gent

Livestock Farming

Regenerative livestock farming revolves around using farmyard animals to control how plants grow and to prevent some species from dominating patches of land, leading to that same diversity.

This is done through animals grazing and being moved between different areas of a farm periodically. In each one, they eat what is there whilst other patches recover and regenerate in time for the animals' return.

With them not being too fussy over what they eat, cattle are the best animals to use for this. Sheep tend to be more picky with where and what they graze on.

The regenerative process on a livestock farm begins when cattle move to a new patch of land, which can be in a new field or in a different section of the one they were in beforehand.

The cow will graze on the grass and plants in that area of the field for a certain period of time, helping to keep the population of dominant plants under control and encouraging stronger diversity.

Wherever the cows go, they leave their manure. This is broken down by insects and worms and taken underground, where it provides the soil and plants with the nutrients they need to regrow.

After a set period of time, the cows will be moved onto a new patch of land, where they will graze it in the same way.

At that point, the land that they have just vacated begins it's regenerative process, using the manure left behind to absorb nutrients and grow back to where it was beforehand, and the cycle continues.

Angus Clarke - livestock farmer from south Leicestershire

Angus Clarke and his wife Kirsty have run Waterloo Cottage Farm and Farm Shop since 2010. They started with 5 acres and now own 125 acres of land, spread across different farming estates.

Angus always had a dream to rear well-cared-for animals and to produce healthy meat, all whilst working in harmony with the natural environment.

His regenerative methods have proven key in allowing nature to operate as it was intended to around his farm.

The livestock reared on Waterloo Cottage Farm is sold once slaughtered in the on-site Farm Shop, with Angus' regenerative methods ensuring the meat they sell has the right fat balance and is therefore healthier to eat.

"People find us because they want what we've got."
Angus Clarke

Alongside the meat are dairy products, alcoholic beverages, beauty products and more.

Angus stresses that, where possible, they will use every part of a slaughtered animal, or will sell it to someone who will.

As with arable farming, there are still plenty of challenges and risks that livestock farmers have to face, especially those that opt for regenerative methods.

In Angus' case, it is not only the farm that they have to think about either - the farm shop incurs many costs, such as electricity bills, which provides an expense that many businesses have been crippled by.

Food Producers and Manufacturers

More and more brands are lending their support to regenerative processes, recognising the fact that the food produced by farmers embracing them tends to be healthier as a result of the lack of chemicals used to grow them.

Beef and dairy companies in particular have put a great emphasis on regenerative farming, with it leading to lower emissions and therefore aiding the fight against climate change.

However, there has been criticism over the lack of ambition that some have shown:

"Something like ¾ of global food companies talk about regenerative and something like 5 or 10% do anything to help, because uptake on regenerative practices on the ground doesn’t tend to put any money into it."
Joe Stanley