Regenerative agriculture amplifies productivity and profitability while negating greenhouse gas emissions

The broad philosophy comprising regenerative agriculture can be deconstructed into several underpinning components, including adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMP), improved biodiversity, silvopasture, and minimal use of cultivation and synthetic fertilisers. Here, we use sheep farms positioned across a rainfall gradient to examine how pasture species diversity, antecedent SOC and AMP influence soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pasture production and enterprise profit. Compared with light grazing intensities for long durations, high-intensity short-duration cell grazing with long spelling periods (AMP) amplified pasture productivity, improving SOC accrual and GHG abatement, increasing profit per animal and hectare. Renovation of pastures with high-yielding, low-emissions ecotypes enhanced pasture production and carbon removals, albeit to a lesser extent than that realised from AMP. Adaptive grazing management, where animals were moved in response to pasture residual, evoked the greatest SOC accrual and GHG abatement, but also increased supplementary feed costs. Low stocking rates with longer spelling periods between grazing events were the most profitable, highlighting the need for agile, proactive grazing management adapted in line with seasonal conditions. We conclude that (1) whole farm stocking rate and seasonal rainfall quantum have greater influence on pasture production, SOC, GHG and profit compared with species diversity and grazing management, (2) individual pasture species – rather than species diversity – have greater bearing on sward production, (3) notwithstanding carbon removals via improved SOC, CH ₄ from enteric fermentation dominates farm GHG profiles, and (4), AMP can catalyse SOC accrual and sward production compared with lighter stocking conducted for longer durations, but only when whole farm stocking rate is harmonised with long-term sustainable carrying capacity, with the latter being a function of plant-available water capacity and drought frequency.