Reuben Ngari, a 65-year-old farmer in Embu County, Kenya, had been experiencing reduction in yield year after year due to depleted soils and high input costs. But that changed when he received training in Regenerative Agriculture through a Farm Africa project. By applying practices like minimum tillage, mulching, organic fertilization, intercropping, crop rotation and cover cropping, Reuben saw a dramatic turnaround. Despite the dry season, Reuben harvested four 90kg bags of maize and two 90kg bags of beans from his acre compared to the two 90kg bags of maize and 40kgs of beans than previous seasons. He also cut his production costs by 61%, saving on tractor use and weeding. Reuben now plans to expand regenerative practices across his farm to improve future harvests.
Reuben’s story reflects a broader reality. Farmers across the world are facing growing challenges, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and degraded soil. These climate-driven shocks are disrupting production and threatening livelihoods. Despite these pressures, many farmers are turning to regenerative and climate-smart practices to restore ecosystems, improve resilience, and ensure the long-term viability of their land and livelihoods.
Scaling regenerative and climate-smart practices is one of Agraya’s focus areas. By 2035, we aim to support 500 million farmers in transitioning to regenerative and climate-smart approaches. Agraya believes these practices are essential to the future of agriculture. Our focus is on helping them scale, not through one-size-fits-all models, but by strengthening the systems that make farmer-led innovation possible.
Why regenerative and climate-smart practices matter
The European Commission estimates the average annual loss (AAL) to crops and livestock in the EU to reach EUR 40 billion by 2050. According to the report, drought, frost, hail and excess precipitation cause approximately 80% of climate-related agricultural losses across the EU alone.
Regenerative agriculture responds to these threats by improving soil health, boosting water retention, and restoring biodiversity through practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, composting, and reduced tillage. Climate-smart agriculture strengthens this approach by helping producers increase their yield while lowering carbon emissions. Together, these practices offer a practical path toward long-term resilience across all agricultural sectors.
The benefits are measurable:
- According to the World Economic Forum, regenerative agriculture could sequester up to 23 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050. This represents a significant contribution toward limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Studies show that regenerative practices yield crops with higher levels of key phytochemicals, vitamins, and/or minerals beneficial to human health.
- A Farmer-led study on Europe’s Regenerating Full Productivity found that regenerating farms achieved stronger ecosystem performance, with over 25% more photosynthesis, 24% more soil cover, and 16% greater plant diversity.
Why scaling remains dificult
Despite proven benefits, widespread adoption is limited. Several systemic barriers persist:
- Financial risk: The transition may involve upfront investment, with delayed or uncertain returns
- Knowledge gaps: Many farmers lack access to reliable, local guidance tailored to their crops and regions
- Market structures: Current supply chains often reward short-term output over long-term resilience or sustainability
- Limited inclusion: Farmers, especially smallholders and women, are frequently excluded from program and policy design
Scaling regenerative practices isn’t simply a matter of teaching new methods. It requires rethinking how decisions are made, who is supported, and what is valued.
Agraya’s approach: Supporting the conditions for growth
Agraya works to strengthen the systems that make farmer-led transformation possible. Instead of delivering fixed packages of practices, we support flexible, adaptive approaches rooted in local realities.
Our strategy is focused on three actions:
- Listening to farmers: Building on the knowledge already present in farming communities
- Strengthening connections: Linking grassroots innovation with policy, science, and knowledge-sharing networks
- Fostering collaboration: Encouraging collective problem-solving across sectors and regions
We focus on enabling progress, not prescribing it.
Agraya’s commitment
We are committed to supporting regenerative and climate-smart approaches across the full spectrum of agriculture. We work alongside farmers, not ahead of them, and we prioritize locally grounded strategies that adapt to diverse contexts.
We believe regeneration is not just about land—it is about relationships, responsibility, and resilience. By working alongside farmers and partners, Agraya aims to strengthen the systems that make regenerative and climate-smart agriculture possible at scale.
Related links:
- Learn more about Agraya and what drives us
- For more information on the events we are participating in, visit our events page
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