30
Apr
Literature Review Compares Increased Soil Benefits of Regenerative Organic Agriculture to Chemical-Intensive Practices
(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2025) A literature review published in Ecosystem Services by researchers at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and Rodale Institute European Regenerative Organic Center identifies the ecological and soil health benefits of regenerative organic agriculture (ROAg). In comparison to chemical-intensive farming, ROAg increases soil organic content by 22 percent, soil total nitrogen by 28 percent, and soil microbial biomass carbon by 133 percent, according to the research.
While further long-term comparative research is needed to compare regenerative organic with conventional, chemical-intensive systems, as well as more precisely quantifiable benefits of regenerative organic farming on soil health, researchers were able to determine that regenerative organic agriculture “has significant positive impacts on soil health and ecosystem service delivery.â€Â
As U.S. farmers contend with the future of unpredictable supply chains, there is an increasing interest in the organic agricultural sector to minimize superficial costs while maximizing the utility of existing resources. The density and diversity of microbial life in the soil is one such resource that requires regenerative organic principles, including the commonly held belief that soil microbial life must be fed to break down organic matter for plant nutrition, rather than bypassing the soil with synthetic petrochemical nutrients. Â
Background and Methodology
The authors identify two main objectives for this study:
- “[A]ssess how multiple regenerative organic practices might influence several soil ecosystem services [and]
- [I]dentify and discuss knowledge gaps associated with our ability to assess and quantify the role of different regenerative practices in influencing the delivery of multiple soil ecosystem services.â€
The authors screened 271 records, with just 24 studies meeting all of the inclusion criteria. The literature review followed four stages; First, identifying keywords and working definitions for regenerative organic agriculture; Second, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting relevant studies; Third, extracting the data from quantitative and non-quantitative datasets; and Fourth, evaluating the impact of regenerative organic practices by calculating impact scores for soil health and ecosystems services metrics. For each observation, the authors recorded the measured soil parameters, ecosystem services associated with healthy soils, and positive/negative direction of the impact on each parameter and service. (Note: “Measurements†in the non-quantitative database are the same as observations.)
As a part of the preliminary review of the literature, the study identifies six key ROAg principles:
- “crop rotations,
- use of organic fertilizers
- use of cover crops
- minimum soil disturbance
- avoidance of chemicals (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers), [and]
- promotion of biodiverse cropping systems[.]â€
Since there is no consistent definition of ROAg, authors lean on guidelines set by organizations, including Regenerative Organic Alliance and Rodale Institute who establish organic principles and standards as a baseline.
The authors pinpoint four guiding principles to incorporate into their framework for identifying relevant studies, including:
- “avoidance of synthetic inputs (i.e., promotion of organic farming);
- the simultaneous adoption of minimum tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation practices;
- the use of organic fertilizers or the retention of crop residues for increasing soil fertility; [and]
- crop rotation and minimum tillage could be avoided only in the case a perennial crop is being cultivated.â€
The researchers “did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.†Davines Group and Regenerative Society Foundation are acknowledged for building capacity to engage in this research. The literature review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol.
Results
The non-quantitative database, a blend of qualitative and quantitative information aimed at addressing relationships between regenerative organic practices, soil health characteristics, and ecosystem services, is analyzed through 45 observations. Meanwhile, the quantitative database more specifically measures soil health and plant nutrient density parameters, as well as yields from experimental trials, all incorporated into the impact score assessment.Â
“Our evidence from 24 published studies shows how 64 [percent] of experimental observations report positive impacts of ROAg on soil ecosystem service delivery, particularly supporting soil ecosystem services, which have a key role in maintaining soil ecosystem functioning,†the authors report in the conclusion of the study regarding the relationship between soil health, ecosystem services, and regenerative organic principles. The study contains impact matrices of soil ecosystem services and soil health parameters, respectively, from the impact score assessment. (See page 9 of the study for more details.)
It is notable that ROAg has significant beneficial soil health and ecosystem impacts across the board, however there is a need for further research to corroborate existing findings since there is limited existing research linking ecosystem services (a term first coined by academics in 1997, according to the authors) to soil health properties and regenerative organic agriculture. With the exception of organic under clear USDA certification rules, regenerative is poorly defined and the subject of intense scrutiny by some farmers invested in holistic solutions and land management systems that move beyond fossil fuel and toxic input dependency.
Organic Principles Must be the Foundation for Regenerative Food Systems
Despite the existence of an organic community with governing stakeholders (farmers, consumers, conservationists, retailers, processors, inspectors, and scientists) that has evolved over at least seven decades and is codified in Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, the petrochemical pesticide industry is advancing “regenerative†as a loosely defined alternative to the organic standard and label, which is transparent, defined, certified, enforced, and subject to public input. See previous Daily News, “Regenerative†Agriculture Still Misses the Mark in Defining a Path to a Livable Future, for some additional history on greenwashing in the regenerative space in recent years.
A pesticide lobbyist-funded study published in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability in 2024 dissects the development of national organic standards and opportunities that can be applied in expanding the use of “regenerative†agriculture. The study authors offer support for integrated pest management (IPM) and advocate for the utility of pesticide products as a means of ensuring soil health and more sustainable forms of agriculture. There is concern about journal articles like this, which represent an industry position, being cloaked in an academic journal with the effect of obstructing the widespread adoption and improvement of organic principles and practices. See previous Daily News, Industry Funded Study Diminishes Organic, Pushes Pesticides in Integrated Pest Management and Regenerative Ag, for an in-depth analysis on deciphering false solutions.
Beyond Pesticides has been outspoken as various efforts to define regenerative agriculture in state funding programs or legislation move forward without engaging the organic sector. See previous Daily News here and here, and an Action on the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) effort to define regenerative agriculture without organic. CDFA points to the definition, saying, “This recommendation is to inform State Agencies, Boards and Commissions on CDFA’s definition of regenerative agriculture as it relates to state policies and programs. This is not a definition for certification.â€
Organic agriculture marks a clear pathway forward for sustainable agriculture in the United States, with a meta-analysis of over 100 different life cycle assessments of organic and chemically-intensive grown food products from cradle-to-gate confirming that organic has less of an environmental impact than business as usual. (See Daily News here.) With the surge of interest from private capital investments in regenerative organic and organic agriculture in recent years from groups like Mad Agriculture and Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT (See Daily News here), there is a lot of interest in simultaneously supporting healthy soil with organic practices and boosting capacity for transitioning and beginning, young, and historically underrepresented farmers.
Call to Action
The Spring 2025 National Organic Standards Board meeting takes place this month, with various members of Beyond Pesticides delivering spoken comments. (See here.) As organic advocates, see the Keeping Organic Strong webpage to stay abreast of key issues that affect health, biodiversity, and climate.
What pesticides are registered for use on common fruits and vegetables? See Eating with a Conscience to learn about the potential impacts on the ecosystems and farmworkers where various types of produce are grown with petrochemical pesticides.
For more information on the pesticides to which we are daily exposed, see Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management and Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database.
See also Why Organic and Agricultural Justice to learn more about the biodiversity, environmental justice, and public health implications of choosing certified organic products.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source: Ecosystem Services
