AquaSpy Reporting: Making Regenerative Agriculture Measurable
Regenerative agriculture is gaining traction as more and more growers explore methods of farming that go beyond simply being sustainable. This is a trend that’s supported by the growing interest of leading agribusiness in lowering the impact of food production. A recent study of 79 global agri-food companies found that 63% of them refer to the potential of regenerative agriculture as a solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. Agreeing that this is a move in the right direction, growers, crop consultants, and agribusinesses have been slowed in their progress by the realization that there are no globally recognized standards for regenerative agriculture as there are for organic farming. In part, this is because it’s not a one-size fits all proposition.
As a result, there are a number of different entities looking to establish agreed upon principles along with measurable goals that can tracked and used to guide progress.
The SAI Platform
SAI Platform is a nonprofit network of over 180 members worldwide who are working together to advance sustainable agriculture practices. One of their initiatives is the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). The FSA is built round a simple of set of questions to farmers, giving food and drink businesses a standardized way to assess, improve and validate on-farm sustainability in their supply chains.
Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture
In 2022, Syngenta launched the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture (SOA), standard, built upon the objectives of the FSA. The Syngenta SOA is enabled through their Cropwise™ Sustainability (CWS) app, aimed at connecting farmers with the supply chain and give them a way to identify opportunities for improvement.
Potato Sustainability Alliance
The Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) is an inclusive, pre-competitive collaboration of all players in the potato value chain including growers, processors and marketers, buyers, allied industries, non-profits and grower organizations. The PSA Program utilizes the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture (SOA) standard, enabled through the Cropwise™ Sustainability app, to measure, benchmark, and advance on-farm sustainability performance across PSA focus areas.
How AquaSpy make Sustainability Assessments quantifiable
To date, all regenerative ag assessments have largely been questionnaire driven, relying on post audits for validation. In order to be able to truly move the needle, growers need metrics to benchmark and monitor their process. Crop advisors and precision ag consultants need a measurable way to advise their growers on process control best management practices. Today, growers, advisors, and consultants can use AquaSpy reports to build the metrics they need to inform the FSA and SOA assessments.
Using AquaSpy reports, growers can:
- Improve infiltration (infiltration chart)
- Improve moisture retention capacity (infiltration over time)
- Appropriate timing and amount of irrigation in relation to crop requirements (summary graph green band)
- See added value of irrigation in relation to yield and quality of crops produced (YES! Score)
- Avoid build-up of soil toxicity or salinity (EC layer by layer)
- Soil Leaching Risk (EC layer by layer + soil moisture + root depth)
Understandably, regenerative ad needs to be a flexible framework to work across different soil types, regions, and crops. From the start, AquaSpy intelligent sensors and algorithms have been tuned to adapt to the unique growing needs of different crops and soil types.
Regenerative Agriculture FAQ:
What is organic farming vs. regenerative farming?
Both organic and regenerative farming focus on improving soil health and crop diversity but they are quite different. For one, organic farming is guided by a well-defined and tightly regulated practice, while regenerative farming focused on principles and is not well defined nor it is regulated. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 focuses on the avoidance of synthetic chemical on certified organic crops. The National Organic Program (NOP) is a federal regulatory program that develops and enforces standards for organic produce sold in the US. NOP also accredits third-parties that certify farms and businesses. To be organic, growers can’t use genetically modified seeds and they can’t use most synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. However, there are no requirements around tilling (or not), cover cropping, water conservation, or incorporating animals. These latter are principles of regenerative farming that are tailored to the crop and the growing region.
Is there a regenerative organic certification?
Currently there is no mandated standardized certification for regenerative agriculture. However, there are some efforts being made in that direction. The Rodale Institute which originally coined the term “regenerative ag” has partnered with Dr. Bronners and Patagonia to develop The Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). To meet become ROC certified, you must meet the USDA’s organic seal requirements before they can apply for ROC. To date, this is a voluntary certification and not legally mandated by any country.
Resources:
https://www.foodunfolded.com/article/the-push-to-standardise-regenerative-agriculture
https://kisstheground.com/education/resources/regenerative-agriculture
https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture
Want to learn more about how AquaSpy reporting can make your regenerative ag practices measurable? Contact sales today.