REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Core Methodologies:
There is a scientific art to planting climate and soil specific systems that advocate an “intentional, intensive, integrated, and interactive” design ethos. Regenerative agriculture offers a solution to the destructive erosion of intensive mono-cultivation with selected plants structurally and functionally combined and actively managed to optimize the positive biophysical interactions between them.
Evidence has shown that regenerative agriculture production can have substantial benefits in conserving biodiversity, increasing resilience and improving nutrition for farming households while increasing yields by an average of 79%. Dependant on site specifics, regenerative practices have also been scientifically proven to capture up to 100% of CO2 emissions of all farm activity over time with the concept of a "Zero Emission Farm" comprising a unique selling point for the SMS concept.
Our partners at L.E.A.F. Africa are launching ForestFoods; a novel premium produce brand based in East Africa that uses a form of regenerative agroforestry to grow it's food while addressing worldwide dilemmas like climate change, poor job security for farmers, and shortages of nutrient dense food. Using a scalable and profitable practice called syntropic agroforestry we combine the growing of numerous different crops, pasture, livestock, and trees into the same modular areas of land to maintain biodiversity, restore forest cover, and deliver a beyond organic quality of produce.
1. Syntropic Agroforestry
A dynamic natural resource management system that integrates all 7 layers of a forest layout in the agricultural landscape with increased social, economic, and environmental benefits for land users at all levels.
Through our many years working with farmers across Africa’s diverse agro-ecological landscapes, we have developed a unique model which brings syntropic agriculture to any size farm. Our modular approach creates repeatable segments of premium quality farmland that small and medium-size land owners can use to scale to a size that is right for them.
We believe all farmers, not just corporate industry, should be able to participate and profit in this agricultural revolution!
2. Integrated Forestry, Pasture (and/or Crops) and Livestock (I.F.C.L.) (I.F.P.L.)
The intensive design and management of compatible components within a single agro-ecosystem.
This symbiotic farming system encourages the beneficial relationship between healthy pasture and healthy animals, tree cover and diversified forestry products. This system works on any scale.
With the average farmer at 60 years old, and 50% of all agricultural assets due to change hands in the next decade, the continent is entering an unprecedented time of disruption in its farmscapes and food systems. Let us recognize then, that the objectives and mechanics of agriculture must change. It is time to seize this opportunity and ask ourselves “How can we create alternatives?” How can farming put carbon back into the soil; pay living wages; feed people healthy food and in so doing, cement itself as the engine that drives Africa’s economic, social and ecologically transformation.
At 200 million hectares, sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly half of the world’s uncultivated land that can be brought into production. Africa uses only 2% of its renewable water resources compared to 5% globally. Farming is the primary source of food and income for Africans and provides up to 60% of all jobs on the continent with a food and beverage market expected to top $1 trillion in value by 2030. But despite the potential, Africa is failing to nourish her people. 59 million children suffer from diet-related stunting whilst Africa’s annual food importation bill of $35 billion is estimated to rise to $110 billion by 2025, crippling the economy, decimating its agricultural potential and exporting jobs from the continent.
African agriculture needs a leadership story.
And our team at Tamalu Farm believes that regenerative agriculture is that story.