From Doing Less Harm to Healing the Earth: Why Regenerative Agriculture Is the Next Evolution Beyond Organic
Redefining the Future of Regenerative Agriculture
It’s time to stop doing “less harm” and start doing real good.
Organic Helped. But Now It’s Holding Us Back.
Let’s give credit where it’s due. The organic movement helped millions of farmers move away from chemical-heavy practices. It drew our attention to soil health, biodiversity, and pesticide overuse.
But here’s the hard truth:
Organic isn’t enough anymore.
Not for the soil. Not for the climate. And not for the future.The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports that more than one-third of the world’s soils are degraded. In India, 33% of our land is already damaged.
And it’s not just about food. Agriculture, forestry, and land use together contribute up to 21% of all human-driven greenhouse gas emissions. Add processing, packaging, transport, and food waste, and this figure rises to 37%.
The “do no harm” principle was a necessary first step. But in 2025, it’s no longer enough.
Enter: Regenerative Agriculture. Not a Method—A Mindset.
This isn’t about replacing one input with another. This is about restoring ecosystems from the ground up.
Regenerative agriculture asks different questions. It doesn’t just reduce harm; it creates conditions for nature to thrive again.
Here’s what it means:
- Healthy Soil: No tilling. Keep roots in the ground. Mulch. Feed the microbes.
- Biodiversity: Trees, birds, insects, fungi—above and below the ground.
- Water Cycles That Work: Hold the rain. Recharge aquifers. Prevent droughts.
- Carbon Sequestration: Turn farms into climate solutions.
- Nutrient Cycling: Let nature feed itself with closed-loop systems.
- Animal Integration: Use rotational grazing to mimic wild herds and nourish soil.It’s not about inputs. It’s about intelligence—understanding how nature works and partnering with it
It’s not about inputs. It’s about intelligence—understanding how nature works and partnering with it.
The Difference Is Simple, but Profound.
- Organic says: “Don’t use synthetic nitrogen.”
- Regenerative asks: “How can plants get nitrogen naturally through soil biology?”
This shift—from restriction to regeneration, from compliance to creativity—is what makes all the difference. And it’s not just theory. Studies show that regenerative farms build soil carbon, grow more nutrient-dense food, and withstand drought better.
This Isn’t Just Farming. It’s Climate Action.
In 2023, regenerative agriculture was an $8.7 billion market. By 2032, it’s projected to be nearly $30 billion.The momentum is real. But the future demands more than market signals.
We need to go from:
- Farm-level fixes → to landscape-level restorationLabels and checklists → to co-owned ecosystems
- Yield per acre → to value per ecosystem
This is where collectively managed landscapes come in. This is where regenerative communities and perennial models emerge. This is where hope begins to grow roots.
The Bottom Line?
The future of food isn’t just organic.
- It’s regenerative.
- It’s collective.
- And it’s urgent.
It starts with one simple shift:
Stop asking, “How do we farm more cleanly?”
Start asking, “How do we live in a way that lets the land come alive again?”
AUTHOR
Sunith Reddy, CEO, Beforest