Earth Watch: The Indigenous Roots of Regenerative Agriculture

Author: Charity Isely

Earth Watch: The Indigenous Roots of Regenerative Agriculture

“The future of our planet lies in indigenous ways of living on the Earth.”
— John Waterhouse, National Geographic¹

To increase biodiversity above and below ground—this is the principle upon which the positive outcomes of regenerative agriculture depend.² Yet the greatest guardians of our planet’s biodiversity have been preserving it for centuries, long before “regenerative agriculture” was a recognized term. Indigenous people account for just five percent of the world’s population, yet they cultivate roughly 25 percent of the earth’s land surface, and research shows that this land is where an estimate 80 percent of global biodiversity is preserved.^{3 4 5 6 7 8} From the Amazon Rainforest to the Sahara Desert, the Arctic to the North American prairies and Southwest, the cultures of Indigenous peoples are richly diverse, but the common thread they possess is centuries of ecological knowledge gained from their profound connection to the land and passed down from generation to generation.^{9 10 11} We can’t have a conversation about regenerative agriculture without recognizing that the ecological wisdom and environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples, both in the U.S. and worldwide, have existed for millennia before it.

Regenerative agricultural practices are holistic, built upon the interdependent functions of soil, plants, animals, and people, and are adapted to the unique context of the local ecosystem, which "indigenous knowledge systems" have long understood.^{12 13 14} A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa), of the First Nations Development Institute, emphasizes that "The indigenous universal connection is the idea that you absolutely need to be part of the natural cycles around you, whether they're negative or positive."^{15 16} So, while specific practices of regenerative agriculture, such as agroforestry, intercropping, crop rotation, and composting, echo traditional Indigenous farming methods, the essence of its influence is rooted in deep reverence for the natural world, centuries of observing its patterns, with the consistent outcome of creating resilient, food-producing systems with healthy carbon cycles.^{17 18 19}

In North America, before European colonization, Native American communities managed the land with “sophisticated agricultural systems,” using practices that promote biodiversity and soil health, including intercropping, cultivating living roots, enriching the soil with natural fertilizers like fish waste, and planting buffers to protect sensitive wetland areas.²⁰ The modern regenerative technique of managed grazing mirrors the Indigenous practice of intentionally moving bison herds in specific patterns to regenerate grasslands.^{21 22} Yet, by the mid-to-late 19th century, US government policies had dispossessed Native Americans of their lands, actively suppressing their traditional agricultural practices and eliminating their food sources, including the mass slaughter of bison.^{23 24} And though this isn’t the place for a discourse on the dark legacy of colonialism, we cannot speak to this topic without acknowledging its existence.

Indigenous Perspectives

When asked how Native voices should be "authentically included in the regenerative agriculture conversation," A-dae Romero-Briones told New Mexico-based non-profit Bioneers, simply, "Invite them to the table."^{25 26} Let them tell their stories. Romero-Briones's grandfather would take her to the field and tell her what he, and his grandparents before him, did the last time they saw "conditions like this." And those stories, she said, are as "important as the practices or the hoe I pick up.”^{27 28} Those who speak to regenerative agriculture's Indigenous influences emphasize that Indigenous peoples’ environmental stewardship is deeply rooted in diverse techniques preserved through “a collective ancestral voice and knowledge.”²⁹ They warn that simplifying the regenerative approach to a few practices and voices risks undermining the eco-diversity that Indigenous communities have cultivated over centuries.³⁰ Indigenous people have "mastered the art of living" on this planet, John Waterhouse, Indigenous Peoples Scholar at Oregon Health and Science University tells National Geographic.³¹ We must make space for their stories, for the wealth of ecological wisdom they contain. Is it not long past time for us to listen?

References

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