Regenerative agriculture, a system of agricultural principles that restores soil health, improves biodiversity and kidnaps carbon, is gaining in silence in the agricultural landscape of India. Unlike conventional agriculture, which exhausts soil nutrients and increases greenhouse gas emissions, regenerative practices focus on building organic matter of the soil, minimization tillage, crop diversification and livestock integration, among others.
As recently stood out by the Minister of Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, almost 30 percent of the land of India is relegated, which affects agricultural productivity and rural income. Organic carbon levels have been reduced to ~ 0.3 percent of ~ 1 percent.
Potential gains of the adoption of regenerative agriculture are significant. Global studies have shown that organic carbon of the soil could increase to 0.6 percent per year, improving water retention and drought resilience. Studies show that regenerative farms have 15-20 percent higher water retention.
There is also room for the kidnapping of CO₂ to 0.5 to 3.6 tons per hectare per year. This could obtain farmers an incremental income of ~ ₹ 5,000 per hectare, annually. The large-scale natural agricultural agriculture experiment of Andhra Pradesh has shown 20-30 percent higher income for farmers, driven by lower supplies costs and pricing premiums for organic products. Then, financial, it makes sense that farmers resort to regenerative agriculture.
However, adoption varies widely. States such as Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim, where organic and natural cultivation initiatives have been stronger, show faster absorption. Meanwhile, regions strongly laugh and intensive in contributions such as Punjab and Haryana face greater barriers due to entrenched practices and short -term economic incentives. The states of dry lands such as Rajasthan and Odisha are exploring regenerative practices to address water scarcity and drought, while mountainous States such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand focus on preserving traditional mountain agriculture. These regional differences highlight the need for locally adapted solutions.
Corporate Action: First steps and emerging models
Companies are beginning to recognize the strategic importance of regenerative agriculture, not only for ESG’s objectives, but for the resilience of the supply chain and long -term profitability.
The global agribusiness giant Bayer recently announced his entrance to the carbon credit ecosystem in India. Through his initiative of “Best Life of Life Culture”, Bayer is working with small farmers to adopt regenerative practices and measure improvements in the carbon of the soil, with the aim of generating verifiable credits by 2026.
Similarly, Diageo, an important beverage company, is integrating regenerative agriculture principles into the extended grain supply chain. His 2024 program focuses on rice farmers in Telangana. They have previously worked with rice and wheat farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Its initiatives include coverage cut, minimal tillage and water management measures.
Pepsico and McCain are supporting regenerative agricultural practices in the potato value chain. There are enough similar examples.
These first movements are critical but fragmented. To move from pilots to real transformation, corporate India must act on multiple fronts:
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Embed regenerative agriculture through supply chains, beyond the isolated
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Coinvert in farmers training, land tests and transition financing, collecting that small farmers cannot withstand costs in advance
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Standardize the metrics and results, using credible frames such as those developed by the science targets initiative (SBTI) Forest, Land and Agriculture (Flag)
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Access to facilitation to carbon markets: helps farmers to monetize through certified carbon credits.
Policy routes: the missing frame and the way ahead
As of April 2025, the Indian government has not officially defined regenerative agriculture in any important national policy document. While programs such as the National Mission on Natural Agriculture (NMNF) and Parammaragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) touch the related principles, there is still a clear framework of clear regenerative agriculture and based on science.
For really conventional regenerative practices, the government should consider the following actions:
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Formally define regenerative agriculture, distinguishing it from organic and natural agriculture, and aligning it with the measurable results of soil and carbon health.
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Encourage results, not practices: subsidies and support should reward farmers for results as an improvement in organic matter of the soil, biodiversity and kidnapping gains, not only to opt for specific techniques.
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Promote carbon markets: accelerate the development of credible and friendly carbon markets with small producers, ensuring that farmers can monetize soil carbon gains.
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Invest in measurement infrastructure: Build the national capacity for precise soil measurement and carbon measurement, satellite data and AI lever.
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Increase the financial needs of farmers interested in making a transition
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Invested in R&D and Extension: Financial long -term studies and demonstration farms, and strengthen extension services for knowledge transfer.
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Promote CSR funds towards regenerative agriculture: separate from large multinationals with a global impulse around sustainability, there are almost no businesses that invest in regenerative agricultural practices of their suppliers and farmers. Policies guidelines that promote all food and agriculture processing companies, including SMEs, to direct their CSR budgets towards regenerative agriculture could be a great boost towards regenerative agriculture of the promotion.
Conclusion
The case of regenerative agriculture in India is convincing, not only environmentally, but economic and social. But the realization of its potential will require a synchronized action: companies must move from the pilots to the associations, and the government must move from intention to the institution. In a country where soil health, fate, the future of agriculture, and the farmers who support it can be in it.
The author is leader-climate and agriculture in Primus Partners.
Posted on May 11, 2025