Prospects for the Development of Organic Agriculture: Regenerative

Animal Husbandry and Agriculture

Kheda

Murtazova

, Milana Gazieva

and Tamilla Magomadova

Chechen State University, Grozny named after A.A. Kadyrova, Grozny, Russian Federation

Grozny State Oil Technical University named after Academician M. D. Millionshchikov, Grozny, Russian Federation

Keywords: Global changes, agricultural, fundamental changes, regenerative cultural adaptation, developing countries,

sustainable development environment, technical progress, national economy, climate change.

Abstract: For farm animals to be productive (milk, eggs, meat, etc.), it is important that they receive suitable food in

sufficient quantities. If farm feed production is limited (as is usually the case), it may be economically feasible

to keep fewer animals but provide them with enough food. The appropriate amount and composition of feed

will, of course, depend on the type of animal as well as its primary use (eg chicken for meat or eggs, cattle

for milk, meat or draft power, etc.). For example, in milk production, milk producing cows should be given

fresh grass and possibly other feeds with adequate protein content. On the same diet, draft animals were

rapidly depleted. A balanced diet will allow the animal to remain healthy and productive. Whether a farm

animal is receiving the proper amount and type of food can usually be seen by the sheen of its coat or feathers.

For ruminants, most of the feed should be roughage (grass, leaves, etc.). If concentrates or additives are used

(eg agricultural by-products and waste), they must not contain growth promoters or other synthetic substances.

Instead of buying expensive concentrates, there are plenty of protein-rich legumes that can be grown on the

farm as cover crops, hedges, or trees. If the mineral content of the available feed is insufficient to meet the

needs of the animal, mineral salt bricks or similar feed additives may be used, as long as they do not contain

synthetic additives.

1 INTRODUCTION

Claims that the global food system is “in crisis” or

“not working” are becoming more common

(Aksyutik, 2020; Surowiecki, 2021). Such statements

point to a wide range of illnesses, from hunger,

poverty and obesity; through industrial agriculture,

over-reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides,

substandard (if not unsafe) food, environmental

degradation, biodiversity loss, exploitative labor

relations and animal welfare; to corporate dominance

and lack of sustainability. It is in this context, when

every aspect of agriculture and food production,

distribution and consumption is questioned, that the

current interest in "Regenerative Agriculture" and

"Regenerative Agriculture"3 has taken root. While

the use of the adjective "regenerative" is on the rise

among activists, civil society groups and corporations

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9615-7368

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5462-1919

as they call for the renewal, transformation and

revitalization of the global food system, in this article

we examine the calls for regenerative agriculture

from an agronomic perspective. By this we mean a

perspective based on the use of plant, soil, ecological

and systems sciences to support the production of

food, feed and fiber in a sustainable manner. In

particular, we address two questions (Souter, 2019):

1) What is the analysis of agronomic issues that

motivates the movement for regenerative

agriculture, and what is the evidence base for

this analysis?

2) What agronomic solutions are being proposed

and how well are they supported by the facts?

Our frankly agronomic approach to

regenerative agriculture means that some

important aspects of describing a "food system

in crisis" are beyond the scope of this article,

Murtazova, K., Gazieva, M. and Magomadova, T.

Prospects for the Development of Organic Agriculture: Regenerative Animal Husbandry and Agriculture.

DOI: 10.5220/0011554700003524

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages

62-67

ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

such as nutritional inequalities and labor

relations. However, apart from agronomic

science, our analysis is based on historical and

political economy perspectives. This suggests

that the food system is best seen as an integral

part of a much wider network of economic,

social and political relationships. It follows that

many of the deficiencies attributed to the food

system, including hunger, food poverty, poor

labor relations, corporate dominance, will not

be successfully addressed by action within the

food system, but only through political and

economic change at a higher level. The article

continues as follows. The following section

explores the origins of regenerative agriculture

and the different ways in which it can be

defined. It then explores two crises that are

central to the rationale for regenerative

agriculture – soils and biodiversity. The next

section looks at the practices most commonly

associated with regenerative agriculture and

assesses their potential to address the

aforementioned crises. The final section of the

discussion presents a number of questions that

may be useful to research agronomists involved

in regenerative agriculture (Braverman, 2019).

In many areas of the tropics, favorable periods

with abundant food alternate with less favorable

periods when the animals have little to feed.

However, keeping animals means providing food

throughout the year. Forage can be produced on the

farm in the form of pastures or in the form of grass or

woody crops used for cutting.

Although grazing requires less labor than barn

feeding, more land is required and appropriate

measures must be taken to keep animals away from

other crops (Korchagina, 2019). Grazing can reduce

productivity (dairy, beef, etc.) but is usually a better

option in terms of animal health and welfare.

However, barn storage has the advantage that manure

can be easily collected, stored or composted and

applied to crops. The choice of pasture or surface

feeding will mainly depend on agro-climatic

conditions, cropping system and land availability. A

combination of hanging feeding and grazing in a

fenced area can be the perfect combination of high

productivity and animal welfare. However, in large

pastures in semi-arid areas, grazing may be the only

viable option.

2 RESEARCH METHODS

The adjective “regenerative” has been associated with

the nouns “agriculture” and “farming” since the late

1970s (Gakaev, 2020), but the terms “regenerative

agriculture” and “regenerative agriculture” became

more common in the early 1980s when they were

picked up American Institute of Rodale. Through its

research and publications (including the journal

Organic Horticulture and Agriculture), the Rodale

Institute has been at the forefront of the organic

farming movement for decades. Robert Rodale

defined regenerative agriculture as “one that, while

increasing levels of productivity, increases our

biological production base of land and soil. It has a

high level of inherent economic and biological

stability. The environmental impact outside the farm

or field is minimal or non-existent. It produces

biocide-free food products. It provides for the

productive contribution of an increasing number of

people in the transition to minimal dependence on

non-renewable resources.” Richard Harwood, an

agronomist who made his name in the international

farming systems research movement, was the director

of the Rodale Research Center when he published the

"international review" of regenerative agriculture.

The review goes to great lengths to contextualize

regenerative agriculture in relation to the historical

evolution of the various schools of organic and

biodynamic farming, but it also highlights Rodale's

suggestion that regenerative agriculture goes beyond

organic as it involves changes in "macrostructure"

and "social value". ', and seeks to increase rather than

decrease productive resources. Harwood summarizes

the "Philosophy of Regenerative Agriculture" in 10

points. He further states that this philosophy

emphasizes (Vladimirov, 2019):

1) the relationship of all parts of the farming

system, including the farmer and his family; 2) the

importance of countless biological balances in the

system; and 3) the need to maximize the desired

biological relationships in the system and minimize

the use of materials and methods that violate these

relationships” (Vladimirov, 2019; Molchanova,

2019).

The points summarizing the philosophy of

regenerative agriculture are presented in the

following form (Molchanova, 2019):

1. Agriculture must produce highly nutritious,

biocide-free food with high yields.

2. Agriculture should increase, not decrease, soil

productivity by increasing the depth, fertility,

and physical characteristics of the topsoil.

Prospects for the Development of Organic Agriculture: Regenerative Animal Husbandry and Agriculture

3. Nutrient flow systems that fully integrate soil

flora and fauna into the structure, are more

efficient and less damaging to the environment,

and provide better crop nutrition. Such systems

introduce a new upward flow of nutrients into

the soil profile, reducing or eliminating adverse

environmental impacts. Such a process is, by

definition, a process of soil formation.

4. Crop production should be based on biological

interactions to ensure stability, eliminating the

need for synthetic biocides.

5. Substances that disrupt the biological structure

of the farming system (eg modern synthetic

fertilizers) should not be used.

6. Regenerative agriculture requires in its

biological structure a close relationship

between the manager/participants of the system

and the system itself.

7. Integrated systems should be used that are

largely self-sufficient in nitrogen through

biological nitrogen fixation.

8. Animals in agriculture should be fed and

managed in such a way as to avoid the use of

hormones and the prophylactic use of

antibiotics, which are then present in human

food.

9. Agricultural production should contribute to

increasing the level of employment.

10. Regenerative agriculture requires planning at

the national level, but a high degree of self-

sufficiency at the local and regional levels to

close nutrient flow loops.

In most small farms, forage growing will compete

for space with crop growing. Whether growing feed

(and hence livestock) is more economical than crop

production needs to be assessed on a case-by-case

basis. However, there are several options for

integrating forage crops into farms without damaging

the land. Below are some examples (Molchanova,

2019):

• grass or legume cover crops on plantation trees;

• hedges of suitable shrubs;

• shade or support trees;

• grass on embankments against soil erosion;

• grass fallow or green manure in crop rotation;

and

• crops with by-products such as paddy straw

leaves or peas.

Pasture management is critical to good herd

management. It is also important to practice

appropriate management throughout the year. There

are many different types of grasses, and in each

climatic region there are grasses specially adapted to

the conditions (Vladimirov, 2019).

In some cases, it may be worth considering tilling

the pasture and planting grass that is more suited to

the needs of the animal. Overgrazing is perhaps the

most serious threat to pastures. After the destruction

of the protective grass cover, the topsoil is subject to

erosion. Degraded pastures or lands with little

vegetation cover are difficult to reclaim. Therefore, it

is important that the use and intensity of grazing on a

particular piece of land correspond to its productivity.

The pasture should be allowed enough time to recover

from heavy grazing (Reynard, 2020).

Pathogenic microbes and parasites are present

almost everywhere. Just like humans, animals have

immune systems that are usually able to deal with

these microbes. As with humans, the effectiveness of

the immune system will be compromised if the

animals are not properly nourished, unable to practice

their natural behaviors, or are under social stress.

Health is a balance between the pressure of disease

(i.e., the presence of germs and parasites) and the

resistance (i.e., the immune system and self-healing

powers) of the animal. The farmer can influence both

sides of this balance by reducing germs, maintaining

good hygiene, and increasing the ability of animals to

cope with germs. Organic animal husbandry aims to

improve the living conditions of animals and

strengthen their immune systems. Of course: if the

animal is sick, it must be treated. However, the farmer

should also consider why the animal's immune

system was unable to fight off a disease or parasite

attack. Also, the farmer should think about how to

improve animal welfare and hygiene in order to

strengthen it (

Mauritzen, 2016).

As with crop health, organic farming focuses on

preventive measures to keep animals healthy, rather

than curative methods. This starts with the

preservation of robust, rather than high performing,

but highly susceptible breeds. Further, the conditions

for keeping animals should be optimal, providing

sufficient space, light and air, dry and clean bedding,

frequent walks, i.e. grazing and proper hygiene. The

quality and quantity of feed are crucial for animal

health (Gakaev, 2020). Instead of feeding on

commercial concentrates that make animals grow

faster and produce more, a natural diet that meets the

needs of the animal should be achieved. With all these

preventive measures, animals rarely get sick. Thus,

veterinary treatment should play only a minor role in

organic farming (Vladimirov, 2019). If treatment is

needed, alternative medicine based on herbs and folk

remedies should be used. Only when these therapies

are ineffective or insufficient should synthetic drugs

be used (eg antibiotics, parasiticides, anesthetics,

etc.); in these cases, the treated animals must be

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

separated from the untreated organic stock and

excluded for a certain period of time, eg. at least 3

weeks from the date of organic certification. The

main reason for veterinary treatment in organic

animal husbandry is to study the causes (or

contributing factors) of diseases in order to enhance

the animal's natural defense mechanisms (and prevent

their occurrence in the future). Unlike crop

production, synthetics are allowed to treat sick

animals if alternative treatments are not enough.

Here, reducing the suffering of the animal is

prioritized over the elimination of chemicals.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Soil health is a particular focus of narratives related

to regenerative agriculture. Indeed, the idea that soil

and soil life in particular is under threat is at the heart

of most, if not all, calls for regenerative agriculture.

However, the term "soil health" is inherently

problematic. Just like soil quality, soil health is a

container concept that needs to be disaggregated to

make sense. While this can be seen as something

positive to strive for, the basic soil functions need

meaningful indicators that can be measured and

tracked over a long period of time. Moreover, cultural

practices that benefit one aspect of soil health (eg, soil

life) often have a negative impact on other functions;

there is usually not one direction in soil health, but

several trade-offs (Reynard, 2020). Many websites

and testimonials about regenerative agriculture

emphasize the importance of soil biodiversity and in

particular the macro- and micro-organisms that are

responsible for the biological cycling of nutrients.

Reports of reduced soil biodiversity with intensive

farming and the simplification of soil food webs have

raised widespread concerns about soil health. For

example, a recent advisory body report to the Dutch

government was ambiguously titled, as the word

"bodem" means both bottom and soil. The report

argues that the quality of the soil has declined to a

critical point - at least in part due to the loss of soil

biodiversity. While research clearly identifies

differences in soil food webs between cultivated

fields, pastures, and (semi-)natural vegetation, the

relationship with soil function is largely established

through correlation—there is little evidence of any

direct causal relationship between soil biodiversity

and soil biodiversity. any loss of function. . The

mantra "feed the soil, not the crop" has long been

central to organic agriculture, while the importance of

creating soil organic matter has been emphasized by

proponents of organic or biodynamic agriculture, as

well as in more traditional agricultural discourses in

the US and elsewhere (Meckling, 2020). Soil takes

centuries to form, and significant loss of soil through

erosion is unsustainable. The dust bowl of the 1930s

in the United States became a seminal experience for

both scientific and public acceptance of the soil. It is

commonly stated that a quarter or more of the earth's

soils are degraded, although exact numbers are

disputed. Commonly cited estimates of soil loss by

erosion are made using runoff plots, which tend to

overestimate the rate of loss because they do not

account for the deposition and transport of soil across

the landscape. However, assume that the rate of soil

loss exceeds the rate of soil formation by an order of

magnitude, assuming that a third of the soils for

which data were available have a lifespan of less than

200 years. A related long-term trend drawing

attention to soils is the decline in the global soil

carbon pool and its contribution to global warming.

Recent modeling estimates the historical loss of soil

carbon due to human land use at about 116 pg of

carbon, comparable to about one-fifth of industry's

total greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these losses

are due to changes in land use. Conversion of natural

vegetation, especially forests, almost always results

in a decrease in SOM content due to non-permanent

vegetation, removal of biomass and, consequently, a

decrease in organic matter input. However, the loss of

soil carbon from land-use conversion is different from

the losses or benefits that can be achieved by

changing management practices on existing

agricultural land (Hibbard, 2019).

Supporters of regenerative agriculture attribute

the biodiversity crisis to the widespread use of

monocultures along with heavy dependence on

external resources and the absence of "biological

cyclicity". Undoubtedly, large areas of genetically

homogeneous crops can be subject to the rapid spread

of pests and diseases and do little to improve the

quality of rural landscapes. If we consider

biodiversity in a broader sense, there is little doubt

that the Earth has entered its sixth mass extinction.

The increase in population, the clearing of primordial

habitat and the expansion of agriculture over the last

century are clearly the root causes. How best to halt

this loss of biodiversity is less clear. Optimistic

projections suggest that the world's population will

peak at 9.8 billion in 2060, while the United Nations

Population Program predicts a population of 11.4

billion by the end of the century. In any case,

population growth will undoubtedly require the

production of additional nutritious foods. Moderate

consumption patterns and dietary change can reduce

this demand, as can food loss and waste, but the most

Prospects for the Development of Organic Agriculture: Regenerative Animal Husbandry and Agriculture

conservative estimate is that overall global food

production should increase by at least 25%

(Molchanova, 2019; Reynard, 2020;

Monasterolo,

2018

3.1 Figures

Figure 1: A variety of forage grasses, both for fattening and

for grazing.

Figure 2: Leaves and twigs of legume trees, rich in protein

and widely available during the dry season.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The article presented lists of practices associated with

various regenerative agriculture options, which we

order based on agronomic principles. It should be

noted that chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides

cannot be used to define regenerative organic

agriculture, and soilless cultivation methods are also

prohibited. Many practices associated with

regenerative agriculture such as crop rotations, cover

crops, livestock integration are generally considered

(or in some cases have been considered) "good

agricultural practice" and remain an integral part of

traditional farming. Some of them are more

problematic: conservation agriculture, for example,

can be carried out within an organic structure or on

the basis of GMOs, with intensive use of herbicides

and fertilizers (Meckling, 2020; Hibbard, 2019).

Others, such as permaculture, have a rather limited

use for the production of many agricultural

commodities. Still others, such as holistic grazing, are

highly controversial in terms of claims of broad

applicability and environmental benefits in terms of

soil carbon storage and reduction of greenhouse gas

emissions. The potential of perennial cereals has

generated considerable interest in relation to

regenerative agriculture. Deep-rooted perennial

grasses such as wheatgrass (Thinopyrum

intermedium), cereals (such as sorghum), or legumes

(such as pigeonpea) have the advantage of providing

multiple products such as forage as well as grain, and

provide continuous soil cover that can stop soil

erosion and reduce nitrate leaching. On the other

hand, perennial cereals tend to yield less than annual

varieties and share limitations with monocultures in

terms of the spread of pests and diseases. They may

also have difficulty controlling weeds. Snapp et al.

conduct a detailed analysis of the potential of

perennial crops.

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Prospects for the Development of Organic Agriculture: Regenerative Animal Husbandry and Agriculture