Recent advances in regenerative sustainable agricultural strategies for managing soil carbon and mitigating climate change consequences

Summary

This review, published in the soil science journal CATENA, synthesises current evidence on regenerative and sustainable agricultural strategies as tools for enhancing soil carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. The authors — affiliated with Italian research institutions — likely evaluate a range of land management practices including conservation tillage, cover cropping, agroforestry, and organic amendments, assessing their documented effectiveness in building soil organic matter and reducing net agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The paper contributes to a growing body of literature positioning regenerative agriculture as a practical complement to broader climate mitigation policy frameworks.

UK applicability

Whilst the review appears to draw on international evidence rather than UK-specific field data, its findings are broadly applicable to UK agricultural policy contexts, particularly given current UK Government interest in sustainable farming incentives under the Environmental Land Management schemes and net-zero commitments. UK farmers and advisers could draw on the reviewed practices, though local pedoclimatic conditions would need to be considered when translating recommendations.

Key measures

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks (Mg C ha⁻¹); greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, N₂O, CH₄); carbon sequestration rates; soil health indicators

Outcomes reported

The paper reviews recent advances in regenerative and sustainable agricultural strategies and their capacity to manage soil organic carbon stocks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It likely synthesises evidence on practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, agroforestry, and compost application in terms of their climate mitigation potential.

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