Regenerative Agriculture: A New Report Highlighting Promising Practices

With 70% of UK land dedicated to farming, regenerative agriculture offers hope for restoring soil health and biodiversity while addressing environmental challenges. The British Ecological Society's new report, Regenerative Agriculture in the UK: An Ecological Perspective, explores how integrating multiple practices can achieve meaningful change.

Jed Soleiman, a DPhil student with Oxford’s Ecosystems Programme and Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, contributed to this landmark study as part of a team of 40 experts. Jed emphasises the accessibility of regenerative farming, stating it’s a journey anyone can embark on:

"It’s fantastic to see ecologists, farmers, policymakers and others come together to think about a future countryside that is lively and flourishing for both people and nature. What I find particularly exciting is how we highlight how regenerative agriculture is not an exclusive club for those already established in the space, but a journey that can be started at any point, requiring only the ambition to keep doing better over time."

Jed Soleiman with fellow Ecosystems DPhil student, Bawa Sulemana, monitoring soil respiration at FarmED, a pioneering regenerative agriculture site in the Cotswolds, United Kingdom.

The British Ecological Society’s report highlights four key recommendations for advancing regenerative agriculture. First, technical expertise and innovative practices are essential, with ecologists providing research-backed guidance to support transitions. Second, policies should integrate regenerative agriculture principles and actively involve farmers in co-designing solutions for widespread adoption. Third, valuing farmers’ practical knowledge alongside scientific research fosters collaboration and bridges gaps between field and lab. Fourth, ensuring credibility and transparency in regenerative agriculture requires long-term experiments, consistent regulations, and active public and private sector engagement. Together, these efforts can drive sustainable transformation across agriculture for the benefit of both people and nature.

This comprehensive report highlights that success comes from adopting a whole-systems approach rather than isolated techniques. It represents a step forward in building a food system that works harmoniously for people and the planet.

Learn more about this important research and the potential for nature recovery in the online summary of and full report of Regenerative Agriculture in the UK: An Ecological Perspective.

We also cover this story on our Environmental Change Institute website.