Regenerative Agriculture Practices

There are many regenerative agriculture practices that farmers and land managers engage for ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits and outcomes. Practices are closely related to the dynamic landscape and context within which farmers make decisions. What is a regenerative practice for farmers in one bioregion, may not be suitable for farmers in another region. This brief guide has been adapted from the Framework for Regenerative Organic Certified and also reflects the practices that build ecological function, as summarised in Open Food Network’s compendium of agro-ecological and regenerative science.

Five key practice areas:

• Regenerative planning
• Management of vegetation, soil and water assets
• Other management to improve habitat for biodiversity
• Management to reduce reliance on and/or improve efficiency of inputs
• Other

Regenerative planning

Farm plan

Farm plan describing goals and ecological assets/benchmarks (soil, water, biodiversity etc).

Monitoring and reporting systems

Monitoring to measure the health of ecological assets and record changes in soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity and cultural assets.

Management of vegetation, soil and water assets

Protect or enhance natural bodies of water, wetland, riparian areas, and associated habitats.

Includes having grassed waterways and protecting/establishing riparian vegetation. Includes fencing off or otherwise managing livestock access.

Promotion, planting or use of perennials

Perennials are plants that persist for several years and include all plant forms (groundcovers; shrubs; trees).

Strategies to increase plant diversity

Strategies to increase plant diversity in either space (multi-species cropping) or time (crop rotations).  In pasture systems it can include multi-species plantings, silvopasture and/or regenerative grazing techniques.

Strategies in place to minimise soil disturbance and maintain soil cover

Includes maintaining soil cover. In pasture systems this would include regenerative grazing techniques to ensure vegetative cover.  In cropping systems this would include practices such as cover cropping, mulching. 

Regenerative grazing techniques

Livestock are systematically moved from paddock to paddock based on the stage of forage growth and grazing system objectives. While one paddock is being grazed, the rest of the pasture rests. This rest and recovery time is managed to maintain/increase diversity of forage plants; maximises photosynthetic capacity and building soil organic matter.

Integrated crops and animals

Use of animals in nutrient cycles of cropping systems.

Agroforestry

Includes silvopasture; shelterbelts; forage/biomass plantings etc. Integration of trees and shrubs into cropping and animal production systems – trees contribute directly to production outcomes of the farm (timber or food trees; trees used to protect or feed stock etc). Forage/biomass plantings are used as perennial plantings for fodder e.g. to replace imported feed, or biomass production e.g. for mulch

Indigenous land management and farming practices

Land management and farming practices that have been developed over millennia by First Nations peoples in Australia including cultural burning, diving, native grain farming and more. Non-First Nations enterprises must be working directly with First Nations people, or have the cultural permissions to undertake these practices in order to display these on their Discover Regenerative portal. Find out more about the approach to Indigenous Data Sovereignty in the Discover Regenerative Terms of Service.

Other management to improve habitat for biodiversity

Monitoring and management of invasive species

An invasive species is a species occurring, as a result of human activities, beyond its accepted normal distribution and which threatens valued environmental, agricultural or other social resources by the damage it causes. A regenerative approach will consider management of invasive species in context.

Habitat management plans or strategies in place for any listed species on farm

Listed species under the EPBC Act

Forest stand improvement

Thinning or other management of existing tree stands to improve habitat or ecological function.

Habitat plantings

Plantings to improve habitat to increase species diversity and abundance.  Includes trees, shrubs, groundcovers. Includes habitat improvements for all animals including insects and invertebrates (eg pollinator habitats and insectary strips).

Management to reduce reliance on and/or improve efficiency of inputs

Avoid or minimise use of synthetic inputs and synthetic biocides

Synthetic chemical fertilisers and biocides are avoided or minimised where possible. Use of synthetic inputs or biocides are replaced using biological inputs.

Avoid use of genetically modified material

Genetically modified material is avoided.

Feed inputs from locally/regionally generated waste or regenerative sources

Regenerative grazing works to manage carrying capacity to avoid use of supplementary feed.  Where supplementary feed is used, it is from either a farm that employs regenerative cropping techniques OR from waste sources.  Regenerative monogastric or dairy systems that import feed ensure that it is from farms that employ regenerative cropping techniques OR from waste sources.

Minimise chemical treatments for livestock

Where possible, minimise use of veterinary pharmaceuticals for the treatment of livestock.

Minimise waste including consumer packaging

Where possible, minimising the waste generated on farm and for products leaving farm. Implementing circular / closed loop systems where possible, including uptake of bulk, biodegradable, recyclable consumer packaging.

Management of efficient irrigation systems

Incorporating moisture-sensing technologies and other management techniques to improve water use efficiency for irrigation

Other

Fair treatment of and payment for workers and suppliers

Business operates according to the relevant award as outlined by the Fair Work Ombudsman regulatory body.