As global demand for sustainably-farmed produce rises, regenerative farming is shifting from a niche practice to an increasingly important consideration for South African farmers, especially for those who export their produce.
The World Economic Forum reports that regenerative agriculture is the way forward to decarbonise the food system and make farming resilient to climate shocks: regenerative farming on 40 % of the world’ s cropland would save around 600 million tons of emissions. This is around 2 % of the total, equivalent to the footprint of a small country.
Regenerative farming practices, which focus on working with nature’ s processes and prioritise soil health, biodiversity and reduced chemical use, are taking off in South Africa. While the shift is slower locally than in some other parts of the world, South African farmers will increasingly need to consider it to remain globally competitive, believes Arno Abeln, Managing Director of Agrimark.
“ South African farmers don’ t benefit from the government subsidies common in other countries. They’ ve had to find innovative and efficient ways to farm to stay viable. Regenerative practices, together with precision agriculture, are playing a bigger role, especially as export markets adopt stricter sustainability standards,” says Abeln.