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A buzzword, a “win-win”, or a signal towards the future of agriculture? A critical analysis of regenerative agriculture

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Listed:
  • Kelly R. Wilson

    (University of Missouri)

  • Mary K. Hendrickson

    (University of Missouri)

  • Robert L. Myers

    (University of Missouri)

Abstract

As the term regenerative agriculture caught fire in public discourse around 2019, it was promptly labelled a buzzword. While the buzzword accusation tends to be regarded as negative, these widely used terms also reflect an important area of growing public interest. Exploring a buzzword can thus help us understand our current moment and offer insights to paths forward. In this study, we explored how and why different individuals and groups adopt certain key terms or buzzwords, in this case the term “regenerative agriculture”. We used an interpretivist approach to understand how “regenerative agriculture” is being constructed, interpreted, understood, and employed, drawing from 19 semi-structured interviews conducted with farmers, researchers, private companies, and NGO/nonprofits. Several interviewees felt that regenerative agriculture is making an important societal shift in thinking towards addressing major issues like climate change and parity in our food and agricultural systems. However, farmers in particular felt that the term is being greenwashed, coopting the work they do, and even diluting the meaning. We also found that regenerative agriculture is being advanced as mobilizing “win-wins”—for farmers, for consumers, for society—but that this discourse may be veiling the political and economic agendas of the big companies using the term. Our findings further illustrated the debates over standardizing the term regenerative agriculture, with some contending that there should be room for “continuous improvement” but others felt it is meaningless without a definition.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelly R. Wilson & Mary K. Hendrickson & Robert L. Myers, 2025. "A buzzword, a “win-win”, or a signal towards the future of agriculture? A critical analysis of regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 42(1), pages 257-269, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:42:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-024-10603-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-024-10603-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ethan Gordon & Federico Davila & Chris Riedy, 2022. "Transforming landscapes and mindscapes through regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 809-826, June.
    2. Anja Bless & Federico Davila & Roel Plant, 2023. "A genealogy of sustainable agriculture narratives: implications for the transformative potential of regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(4), pages 1379-1397, December.
    3. Bryony Sands & Mario Reinaldo Machado & Alissa White & Egleé Zent & Rachelle Gould, 2023. "Moving towards an anti-colonial definition for regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(4), pages 1697-1716, December.
    4. Janssen, Willem & Goldsworthy, Peter, 1996. "Multidisciplinary research for natural resource management: Conceptual and practical implications," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 259-279, July.
    5. Philip A. Loring, 2022. "Regenerative food systems and the conservation of change," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 701-713, June.
    6. Tom O’Donoghue & Budiman Minasny & Alex McBratney, 2022. "Regenerative Agriculture and Its Potential to Improve Farmscape Function," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-25, May.
    7. Cairns, Rose & Krzywoszynska, Anna, 2016. "Anatomy of a buzzword: The emergence of ‘the water-energy-food nexus’ in UK natural resource debates," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 164-170.
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