Regenerative Agriculture in Canada: Insights from Dr. Kate Congreves

In the quest for more sustainable agriculture, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a promising approach that places soil health and ecosystem resilience at its core. Kate Congreves (Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan) was appointed as the Jarislowsky and BMO Research Chair in Regenerative Agriculture to lead research in regenerative agriculture.

Congreves is a pioneer in this research space, with her focus on sustainable nitrogen management and the diversification of cropping systems – critical elements in the transition to regenerative practices. Her work explores how understanding nitrogen cycling, soil health, and crop diversification can contribute to a more resilient and environmentally sound agricultural model.

Understanding nitrogen flows and cropping systems
Nitrogen is essential for crop growth but can be challenging to manage. Congreves’ research seeks to address these challenges by investigating nitrogen supply, losses, transformation and uptake, in field, specialty, and horticultural crops. This work sheds light on how diversified cropping systems can control soil nitrogen cycling, improving nitrogen use efficiency and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions.

Varying the types of crops grown can lower the reliance on synthetic fertilizers and reduce the amount of reactive nitrogen in the environment, aligning with the broader goals of regenerative agriculture.

The foundation of regenerative agriculture
Soil health is the cornerstone of Congreves’ work in regenerative agriculture. Using a systems-thinking approach, she highlights the interconnectedness of soil with other elements of the ecosystem. Healthy soils support diverse microbial ecosystems, enhance organic matter, and promote efficient nutrient cycling, reducing the need for synthetic inputs.

Regenerative practices prioritize rebuilding soil organic matter and include things like integrating nitrogen-fixing cover crops (legumes and pulses), minimizing tillage, and incorporating organic amendments. The results: improved soil structure and fertility and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Congreves, adopting regenerative practices can enhance the resilience of agricultural systems, meeting both local food demands and export requirements, and can be adapted for any size of farm: “Regenerative agriculture applies to both large and small-scale production, whether it is for export or for local purposes. It’s broad enough that it encompasses food production and helps food security on different scales.”

The agri-value chain and food security
A challenge remains: the term “regenerative agriculture” lacks a universally accepted definition, which complicates the establishment of policies and standardized practices.

Congreves highlights the critical need for ongoing research, education, and consensus-building around the definition of regenerative agriculture. “I think as we start to develop those definitions and consensus is built around a reasonable definition, then you will see the field progress.”

The effort to define regenerative agriculture echoes earlier challenges in articulating concepts like sustainability and soil health, highlighting the importance of clarity for advancing research and practical implementation.

Congreves defines regenerative agriculture as “an ecosystem-based approach to raising food; one that embodies reciprocity with the land to support ecological health and minimize negative anthropogenic impacts.”

A new philosophy
Regenerative agriculture signifies a profound philosophical shift, acknowledging humanity’s integral role within natural ecosystems. Unlike conventional approaches that often separate agriculture from environmental considerations, regenerative agriculture seeks to harmonize these elements.
Congreves says that by presenting a value system centred around soil health, there is promise for progress towards lowering our carbon footprint in agricultural systems. “Thinking about regenerative agriculture as a philosophy may help us to navigate challenging problems, identify points of disagreements, pinpoint what is valued and why, and enable us to collectively make good decisions for designing agricultural systems.”

Diversification: a path to sustainable nitrogen management
Congreves is the principal investigator on the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) program for diverse crops, a project under the Diverse Field Crop Cluster (DFCC), which is managed by Ag-West Bio. She is studying how different Canadian crops, such as pulses and other specialty crops, can be integrated into rotations with cereals and oilseed crops to manage nitrogen supply and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. By tracking nitrogen flows and understanding how fertilizer and soil nitrogen contribute to plant growth and emissions, her research seeks to optimize nitrogen management to enhance soil health while reducing environmental impact.

The search for crops that suit diverse Canadian landscapes is ongoing. Congreves is exploring a variety of crops, including camelina, flax, mustard, sunflower, and cold-hardy vegetables which could perform well in diversified systems. This approach not only supports soil health but also helps farmers adapt to changing climate and market demands.

Congreves aims to inspire a new generation of agricultural systems that prioritize ecosystem health, food security, and a balance between productivity and environmental sustainability. She envisions a future where regenerative practices pave the way for sustainable food production while reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

“If we can better manage nitrogen in these systems, then we are one step towards developing more regenerative agro-ecosystems.”

Tobi Oyedele is a Saskatoon-based freelance writer.
Photos (USask) supplied by Kate Congreves.

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