An Adaptive Framework for Regenerative Agriculture based on Environmental Management

Abstract

Introduction The scope of implementing innovative research findings aimed at sustainable development goals seems to be inherently limited by economic and social acceptance, despite their technical efficacy. There exists a huge demand for coordinated efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the so-called ‘development’ activities that are tampering with the very existence of humanity, natural resources, and the environment. Agriculture, though historically the first and foremost occupation of humans, has always been intrigued by nature at the cost of natural calamities and uncertainties in ensuring the availability and timely distribution of essential resources. In the modern context of water-energy-food paradigms, the agriculture sector can play a pivotal role in bolstering the state economy in multifaceted ways by assuming the adaptability of recent scientific advancements to the core functional attributes of sustainability. In this scenario, the concept of regenerative agriculture can be better understood as a holistic, self-adaptive, and integrated approach towards not only bringing about a revolutionary breakthrough in agricultural productivity but also providing a retroactive and reconstructive strategy for minimizing the inevitable consequences of destructive developments. An organized, synthesized approach in this direction would certainly culminate in fabricating close-connected, supportive interlinking pathways for related fields of science and technology to make them more beneficial towards the responsible productivity expected from the agriculture sector [1]. The prospects of environmental research have established a close interlink with the agriculture sector, mainly through the attributes of material, energy, and living species. It is envisaged that the environment is a bigger space with multiple spheres of activity, while agriculture comprises a smaller sect with limited but well-defined interactions with the environment [2]. Even though it is generally accepted that most of these interactions (such as soil quality and crop growth, water requirement and crop selection, raining pattern and cropping seasons, etc.) are mutually directed, one could perceive them as if initially driven by agricultural activities. However, there are some other interactions where environmental attributes are driving agricultural activities and outputs [3-5]. Most of these interactions are, nonetheless, subtle and complex, and little is known about their individual lead roles. Hence, it is important to identify the specific attributes of some of the well-known interactions and look for the key drivers towards addressing the original problem of agriculture and sustainability. A dynamic interaction between agriculture and environment is observed to be well-reinstated through the simultaneous existence and exchanges of the energy, materials and activities (Figure 1). It is, however, expected that a compensating step is essential to redirect (or push forward) such exchanges without creating adverse environmental impacts as well as agricultural losses. List of About the Conference, Conference Model, Publication of the Proceedings, Proceedings Editors, Technical Advisory Committee are available in this Pdf.