Farmers and ranchers manage nearly one billion acres of the land in the United States – working lands that can serve as a natural carbon sink by drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing it in plants and soils. However, these working lands face threats from land degradation because of historical and common farming practices. Over time, we have lost almost half of the original organic matter in our soils leading to soil erosion, nutrient losses, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and reduced yields. For farmers to combat the climate crisis, we must improve the health of our soils.

Rebuilding soil health is the keystone of enhancing agricultural climate resilience and combating climate change. Soil health is defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as “the continued capacity of a soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.” Healthy soils can absorb more water during heavy rains and retain more water during periods of drought. They also improve yields, yield stability, and long-term farm productivity.

Source: Roesch-McNally, G.E., Moore-Kucera, J., Owens, C. (2019)

The adoption of regenerative agricultural practices is a low-cost, ready-to-deploy approach to combat the climate crisis on a meaningful scale. But numerous challenges remain that hinder widespread adoption.