Short name
RegenRegion
Why regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a new concept in Norway and internationally, and means growing food in a way that builds soil by increasing its microbiological components as well as the biological diversity both above and in the soil.
International research shows that regenerative agriculture can contribute to
- increased soil health
- increased carbon sequestration in soil
- reduced nutrient runoff and pollution
- improved economy for the farmers
A challenge with regenerative agriculture is that there is little established research on this agronomic practice. Farmers who begin with regenerative agriculture are innovative pioneers who dare to take risks in order to develop new agricultural practices and new knowledge for the benefit of society at large.
About the project
In order to scale up regenerative agriculture, we need to understand the barriers and knowledge gaps that farmers and other relevant actors in agriculture face when they begin shifting their practices. We also need more knowledge about how to increase the general interest in regenerative agriculture.
"RegenRegion: Rejuvenating Soils and Societies" is a project that aims to scale up regenerative practices amongst farmers in South-East Norway and other European regions. Together we will co-create knowledge exposing barriers and motivations to scale up regenerative agriculture, and improve understanding and implications for both soils and societies.
Objectives
Our overarching goal is to develop RegenRegion into an interdisciplinary, inter-sectorial and international research-community that contributes to scale up regenerative agriculture. We aim to become a "Living Lab" and apply for funding from the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe."
RegenRegion springs out of the pilot project "Regenerativ Region: Scaling up Regenerative Practices in Viken," which aims to
- uncover barriers and knowledge gaps practitioners experience when beginning with regenerative agriculture
- build an interdisciplinary network and a hub for research on regenerative agriculture
- generate future research projects
The two research projects overlap, but Regenerativ Region (the pilot project) is a local project in Viken Municipality in Norway. RegenRegion is our international research project.
Financing
The pilot project "Regenerative Region: Scaling up Regenerative Practices in Viken" is funded in part by Viken Municipality through their grant "Jordløftet".
Cooperation
Our current partners include:
- Farmers in Viken municipality
- Centre for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo
- The Norwegian University of Life Sciences
- Norges Vel
- VitalAnalyse
- Sunn Jord
Duration
The pilot project Regenerativ Region is financed from 2023 to 2024.
