In recent years there is significant rise in the use of the term ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ around the world and recently also in Israel.
Regenerative agriculture is defined as an agricultural approach to holistically restoring food production systems. This approach includes elements taken from more familiar practices, such as agro-ecology, sustainable agriculture, shift agriculture, permaculture and biodynamic agriculture. Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health and especially on the regeneration of its upper layer, increasing above- and below-ground biological diversity, improving the quality and availability of water, improving ecosystem services, increasing soil carbon sequestration, and increasing the system’s resilience to climate change.
Dr. Gil Eshel (Soil Erosion Research Station), Dr. Yael Laor, (Newe Ya’ar), and a large list of partners from Newe Ya’ar, Volcani Institute, Ben Gurion University and the Extension Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, were awarded their first research grant in the field of Regenerative Agriculture, funded by the chief scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The main goal of this multidisciplinary research is to define, characterize and develop a reliable data collection system of the emerging innovative agricultural activity in Israel, based on the model farm and satellite farm network. The specific goals are: 1) to define and characterize the spectrum of regenerative agriculture in Israel in plantations, vineyards, field crops, and pastures; 2) to build a cooperative network of satellite farms that promote regenerative agriculture interfaces; 3) to compose protocols, to define a set of criteria and to establish an array for sampling, measurement, and data sharing; 4) to promote exchange knowledge with the satellite farms through workshops and mutual tours; 5) weigh all the variables in order to assess the relative contribution of the various agronomic operations on the goals of regenerative agriculture.We wish them success in the great challenge they have undertaken.
