The Ecdysis Foundation is launching a study that aims to investigate regenerative agriculture across the United States. The 1000 Farms Initiative is one of the largest projects to date that will gather data on agricultural management practices, soil and water health, biodiversity, and profits on more than 1,000 farms and ranches.

“What this project is intended to do is show that no matter what you grow, or where you’re growing, regenerative works,” Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, Director of the Ecdysis Foundation, tells Food Tank.

The study aims to address the lack of scientifically backed data on the outcomes and benefits of regenerative agriculture. According to Lundgren, support for regenerative agriculture often stems from anecdotal studies and farmers experiences, but not formal institutions. He explains that funds and grants in agricultural sciences tend to focus on the currently accepted system, which happens to be industrialized farming.

The 1000 Farms Initiative hopes to develop a systems-level study. The research will include a variety of small-scale, large-scale, women-led, and Indigenous-led farms and ranches across the U.S. The project is calling on farmers already employing regenerative farming practices, farmers in transition phases, and conventional farmers to gather enough data to create a model that can effectively determine the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a farm.

Read the full article about regenerative agriculture by Morgane Batkai at Food Tank.