Climate change is accelerating at an alarming rate, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions. While industrial activities and deforestation are major contributors, agriculture also plays a significant role in both exacerbating and mitigating this crisis. Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a beacon of hope—offering a way to restore soil health, improve biodiversity, and, critically, sequester carbon from the atmosphere. At Ambokili Farm, regenerative practices are at the heart of our mission to combat climate change while supporting resilient communities.Â
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming approach designed to rebuild soil organic matter, restore biodiversity, and create ecosystems that mimic nature. Unlike conventional methods, which often degrade soil and release stored carbon, regenerative farming focuses on drawing carbon from the atmosphere and locking it into the soil, a process known as carbon sequestration. This not only mitigates climate change but also enhances soil fertility, water retention, and crop yields.Â
Key regenerative practices include:Â
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs into farmland.Â
- Cover Cropping: Planting crops that protect and enrich soil.Â
- No-Till Farming: Minimising soil disturbance to maintain organic matter.Â
- Rotational Grazing: Strategically moving livestock to prevent overgrazing and allow pastures to regenerate.Â
The Carbon Sequestration Potential
Regenerative agriculture has significant potential to combat climate change by capturing and storing atmospheric carbon.Â
- Global Impact: According to a study by the Rodale Institute, widespread adoption of regenerative practices could sequester more than 100% of current annual COâ‚‚ emissions, proving that agriculture could be a net carbon sink rather than a source.Â
- Soil as a Carbon Bank: Healthy soil can store three times more carbon than the atmosphere. On average, regenerative practices can increase soil organic carbon by 0.5-1.5 metric tons per hectare annually, depending on local conditions.Â
- Agroforestry: Research shows that agroforestry systems can store 2-5 metric tons of carbon per hectare annually, while simultaneously improving biodiversity and providing economic benefits to farmers.Â
In Kenya, where agricultural land accounts for 48% of total land area, adopting regenerative practices could transform degraded landscapes into carbon sinks. For example, restoring soil organic matter on just 25% of arable land could sequester over 25 million metric tons of COâ‚‚ annually.Â
Regenerative Agriculture at Ambokili Farm
At Ambokili Farm, we’ve embraced regenerative practices to address both environmental and social challenges in Kimana, Kajiado County.Â
- Agroforestry Initiatives: We’ve planted over 5000+ trees on our farm, which not only sequester carbon but also improve microclimates, enhance soil fertility, and provide habitats for wildlife. Farmers in the community are being trained in agroforestry, integrating trees into their grazing lands and fields to diversify income and improve soil health.Â
- Cover Cropping and No-Till Practices: Cover crops like legumes and grasses are planted to protect soil from erosion during dry seasons, enrich it with nitrogen, and suppress weeds. By adopting no-till farming, we minimise soil disturbance, retain organic matter, and protect soil microbes critical for carbon storage.Â
- Livestock Management through Rotational Grazing: Rotational grazing practices ensure that livestock grazing is balanced with pasture regeneration, preventing overgrazing and encouraging carbon capture in root systems. Maasai herders in the area are incorporating these techniques, which align with their traditional herding practices while enhancing land productivity.Â
How Can We Scale Impact?
Community Training: Through workshops and field demonstrations, we empower local farmers with knowledge and tools to implement regenerative techniques.Â
Youth Engagement: Programs targeting young farmers focus on the long-term benefits of sustainable agriculture, ensuring generational adoption.Â
Policy Advocacy: Collaborating with NGOs and local governments to promote subsidies for regenerative practices, such as seed distribution for cover crops or incentives for agroforestry.Â
By engaging communities in Kimana, we’ve seen a ripple effect—neighboring farmers are adopting these methods, reducing overgrazing and regenerating depleted lands.Â
The principles of regenerative agriculture are universal, making this approach adaptable to various climates and ecosystems. Lessons from Kimana and Ambokili Farm can be scaled to other arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) across Kenya and beyond.Â
- In ASALs of Kenya: Training pastoralist communities on rotational grazing and agroforestry could revitalise millions of hectares of degraded rangelands.Â
- Globally: Partnerships between governments, NGOs, and local farmers could establish demonstration farms in climate-vulnerable areas, showcasing the tangible benefits of regenerative agriculture.Â
Regenerative agriculture is not just a farming method; it’s a movement toward healing our planet. By focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, we can combat climate change while improving livelihoods and food security. Ambokili Farm is proud to lead this movement, demonstrating that local solutions can have global impact.Â
Together, we can create a future where agriculture nourishes both people and the planet.Â
