{"id":38342,"date":"2025-04-30T00:01:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T04:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=38342"},"modified":"2025-04-30T12:03:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:03:16","slug":"literature-review-compares-increased-soil-benefits-of-regenerative-organic-agriculture-to-chemical-intensive-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2025\/04\/literature-review-compares-increased-soil-benefits-of-regenerative-organic-agriculture-to-chemical-intensive-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Literature Review Compares Increased Soil Benefits of Regenerative Organic to Chemical-Intensive Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, April 30, 2025)<\/em> A literature review published in Ecosystem Services<\/em><\/a> by researchers at Sant\u2019Anna 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<\/strong>, soil total nitrogen by 28 percent<\/strong>, and soil microbial biomass carbon by 133 percent<\/strong>, according to the research.<\/p>\n

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 \u201chas significant positive impacts on soil health and ecosystem service delivery.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Background and Methodology<\/h3>\n

The authors identify two main objectives for this study:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201c[A]ssess how multiple regenerative organic practices might influence several soil ecosystem services [and]<\/li>\n
  2. [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.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The authors screened 271 records, with just 24 studies meeting all of the inclusion criteria. The literature review followed four stages; First<\/strong>, identifying keywords and working definitions for regenerative organic agriculture; Second<\/strong>, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting relevant studies; Third<\/strong>, extracting the data from quantitative and non-quantitative datasets; and Fourth<\/strong>, 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: \u201cMeasurements\u201d in the non-quantitative database are the same as observations.)<\/p>\n

    As a part of the preliminary review of the literature, the study identifies six key ROAg principles:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u201ccrop rotations,<\/li>\n
    2. use of organic fertilizers<\/li>\n
    3. use of cover crops<\/li>\n
    4. minimum soil disturbance<\/li>\n
    5. avoidance of chemicals (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers), [and]<\/li>\n
    6. promotion of biodiverse cropping systems[.]\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

      The authors pinpoint four guiding principles to incorporate into their framework for identifying relevant studies, including:<\/p>\n