Grassland 2.0—agroecosystems that care for us today while building capacity for future generations to do the same

The environmental and social problems that industrial agriculture creates and relies upon, but also suffers from and responds to, are massive compared to, for instance, conservation interventions on the margins of fields. We need to transform food production that create opportunities for current and future farmers to evolve and grow into farming that is genuinely regenerative, that is, that build soil and foster diversity of crops, landscapes, and people. Metrics of success for agriculture should indicate soil accretion, clean water, habitat for biodiversity, and an abundance and diversity of thriving and vital farmers and rural communities. Farming that is profitable to the farmer, regenerates their ability to produce for society, and adds value to society’s overall ecosystem, community, and individual health and wellbeing portfolio. Agrifood system transformation is not possible within the productivist paradigm that incentivizes farmers to produce as much as they possibly can from the land and livestock. We must reward farmers for providing diverse portfolios of outcomes that are profitable to the farm, while providing for us all today, and building capacity for future generations to do the same.