Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Regenerative agriculture and soil carbon sequestration: Mechanisms, evidence, and future prospects

Dheeraj Panghaal; Priti Malik; Saroj Devi; Surender Mittal; Ravi .

International Journal of Agriculture and Nutrition · 2026

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Summary

This review paper examines the mechanisms underpinning soil carbon sequestration under regenerative agricultural systems, drawing on existing literature to assess the strength of evidence for carbon accrual under practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping, and integrated livestock management. It contextualises regenerative agriculture within broader soil health and climate mitigation frameworks, evaluating both the potential and limitations of current evidence. The authors, affiliated with Indian agricultural research institutions, offer an internationally oriented synthesis with implications for research prioritisation and farming practice guidance.

UK applicability

As an internationally scoped review, the mechanistic and evidence-based findings are broadly applicable to UK regenerative farming debates, particularly given growing policy interest in soil carbon under the UK's Environmental Land Management schemes and net-zero commitments. Specific sequestration rates and practice outcomes may require calibration against UK soil types, climate, and baseline conditions.

Key measures

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks (%), carbon sequestration rates (t C/ha/year), management practice categories, evidence quality assessments

Outcomes reported

The paper examines the biological, chemical, and physical mechanisms by which regenerative agriculture practices influence soil organic carbon accumulation and sequestration. It likely synthesises published evidence on carbon stock changes under regenerative management and considers future research and practice priorities.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Soil carbon & organic matter dynamics
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Mixed arable and pastoral / regenerative systems
DOI
10.33545/26646064.2026.v8.i3a.352
Catalogue ID
NRmo3f02hq-06j

Topic tags

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