The Great Regeneration: Ecological Agriculture, Open-Source Technology, and a Radical Vision of Hope

This rigorous debut from Cox, research director for the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment in Maine, touts the benefits of regenerative agriculture, which he calls “a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services.” The concept anchors Cox’s suggestions on how to develop a more ecologically responsible agricultural system based in collaboration and shared knowledge. Key to this program, the author contends, will be the development of open-source software that enables sharing peer-reviewed data on optimal growing conditions for crops. Cox advocates boosting cooperation in food production and delivery as well, and finds a success story in three New Hampshire farms that pooled resources to create an online store through which customers could receive products from all three farms in the same shipment. Many of the recommendations take inspiration from Indigenous practices, such as the “agroecology” food production system that plants multiple crops in one plot in an effort to “mimic nature.” Though Cox’s efforts to distinguish “regenerative agriculture” from other approaches to farming sometimes confuse (he criticizes “sustainability” and “soil health” rhetoric despite appearing to share its goals), his upbeat attitude complements the well-thought-out recommendations. The provocative proposals merit serious attention. (Mar.)