THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Realities of regenerative agriculture

First paragraphs: Regenerative agriculture is the latest phrase in the sustainable agriculture movement (Mer­field, 2019). Many early advocates have become disenchanted with the concept of sustainable agri­culture. Some claim it has been co-opted, misused, and essentially made useless by the defenders of industrial agriculture. However, regenerative agri­culture faces the same risks if it is not defined in terms that ensure agricultural sustainability. Others claim that sustainability is “not enough”—that we need better farming systems than we have today. They fail to recognize that farm systems that are not “good enough” are not sustainable. Authentic sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without diminishing opportunities for the future (Ikerd, 2011). An agri­culture that does not meet the needs of the present is not good enough—for present or future generations. . . .