2022 has brought more grim news about the climate crisis. February’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report finds that “the catastrophic impacts of climate breakdown are mounting quickly and may soon outpace humanity’s ability to adapt.” New research argued the world is getting “measurably closer” to the dangerous 1.5 degree threshold in temperature rise. The conflict in Ukraine has sparked a global “fossil fuel war,” with nations including the U.S seeking to increase production of oil.

Embedded in the bad news, however, is a clear and unequivocal solution from scientists: nature. The IPCC’s April followup was a report providing “the most conclusive endorsement yet of nature as a climate solution. It reveals that reducing the destruction of ecosystems, restoring them, and improving the management of working lands, like farms, are among the most effective options for mitigating carbon emissions.”

As food system change advocates, we know this intuitively—that nature-based solutions are a critical part of the answer. It’s urgent that we step forward in the climate debate and share what we know: that regenerative agriculture is a significant, “shovel-ready” solution to climate change that will be central to mitigating the worst effects of climate change.

Last month, our organization—Funders for Regenerative Agriculture (FORA)—released the first in a series of issue briefs evaluating the full benefits of regenerative agriculture across a variety of intersectional lenses, Regenerative Agriculture and Climate. We reviewed hundreds of studies, reports and research on agriculture and climate, surveying the most current data and thinking. The takeaway was clear: as we seek approaches to limit emissions and mitigate the climate emergency, regenerative agriculture is a robust and powerful driver of change.

Read the full article about regenerative agriculture by Jennifer O'Connor and Urvashi Rangan at Food Tank.