The Power of Regenerative Farming, and How We Can Be Less Wasteful With Ingredients, Water, and Packaging
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Modern agriculture and food production face two critical challenges: how to feed a growing population while protecting the ecosystems that sustain us all.
Regenerative farming offers a solution that rebuilds soil health, restores biodiversity, and sequesters carbon.
But it’s not just something farmers need to worry about. We all have a role to play in cutting waste – whether it’s the way we use ingredients, consume water, or choose packaging.
About Industrial Farming
The industrialised agricultural system that dominates today is essentially about dominating and controlling the environment. It uses highly mechanised and intensive farming practices that include petrochemical based fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides to maintain monocultures (growing one type of species only and killing everything else that tries to get in the way).
Intensive farming (sometimes referred to as factory farming) can also include raising animals in close quarters, feeding them grain instead of their natural diet of pasture, and using hormones and antibiotics. The kind of stuff you see in anti-meat doco’s. It’s worth noting that Australia is actually pretty good here, most cows are pasture raised for around 85% to 90% of their lives, although 80% of supermarket beef does come from feedlots.
The science shows that this system produces food (both plant and animal) that is lower in nutrients and in some cases can be harmful to our health.
Let’s take glyphosate (AKA Round Up) for example. This is a herbicide that is so widespread it’s now found in the breast milk of human mothers. It’s also incredibly detrimental to our gut microbiota, as are pesticides, which means it’s incredibly detrimental to our immune system and our health. It’s perhaps no surprise that many modern diseases of inflammation like Autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer are closely correlated with the increase in the pervasiveness of these chemicals in our food.
The other impact of industrial farming is that we’re degrading our soil, which is crucial for improving soil health and the levels of nutrients we can get from those soils. Our race to produce more from less is like taking drugs – it’s great to begin with but over time there’s a price to pay because you’ve drained the system and it’s out of balance. The result is soils that don’t hold a lot of nutrients (they “need” chemical inputs) because they don’t hold a lot of biomass, which means they don’t hold a lot of carbon.
But, don’t we need to use industrial farming techniques if we’re going to feed 9 billion people in 2050? Unfortunately, if something is unsustainable we don’t have any other choice.
Please note: I’m not trying to lump all non-regenerative farmers into the “Industrial Agriculture” bucket, there are plenty of conventional farmers who care for their land and have very good practices.
What is Regenerative Farming?
Regenerative farming is about working with nature, not against it, with a focus on improving soil health. It shuns the use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers, which saves farmers a ton of money and means nature can do its thing. Instead of trying to maintain monocultures, regenerative farmers integrate multiple species and rotate the use of the land through different types of agriculture which protects the soil, improves the nutrient levels in the soil and gets more use from it at the same time.
Instead of dedicating a farm to one type of produce, like soy or wheat, they stack businesses to make their farms more profitable and more resilient – both financially and in terms of food produced. For example, producing eggs, honey, timber from trees (which are replanted of course – renewable resource), fruit, vegetables, livestock and more.
Regenerative farmers graze ruminant animals (cows, sheep, etc) like they used to in nature, eating their natural diet, not grain. Their natural diet includes grass of course but often other types of plants which gives them access to a broader range of nutrients. Nutrients that end up in the meat. This is the food that our grandparents ate. Food that science agrees is much better for our health.
Using ingredients wisely
Waste doesn’t only happen after food hits supermarket shelves; it begins on the farm and continues all the way through to production. Around one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted each year. To combat this, both food companies and consumers can rethink how ingredients are used.
For example, nose-to-tail or root-to-stem approaches ensure that more of the animal or plant is consumed. A carrot top can become pesto, beet greens can go into salads, and bones can be simmered into nutrient-rich broths. There’s even a brilliant app from our friends at Saveful which can help you make better use of the food in your fridge and cupboard.
For food producers, ingredient efficiency means finding creative ways to repurpose byproducts. Whey from cheese making can be turned into high-protein powders. Beef hides can be made into high-protein collagen powder rather than going to landfill. “Ugly” fruit can be blended into juices or snacks instead of discarded.
By valuing every part of the harvest, we not only cut waste but also create new revenue streams that benefit farmers and manufacturers.
Water: the hidden ingredient
Water is often invisible in the food conversation, but it’s one of the most precious resources at risk. Agriculture accounts for about 70% of global freshwater usage. Regenerative practices such as cover cropping and composting improve soil’s ability to retain moisture, reducing the need for irrigation. Holistic grazing also allows grasslands to act as sponges, capturing rainwater instead of letting it run off.
On a consumer level, small changes matter. Choosing foods grown in water-efficient systems, supporting brands that invest in regenerative farming all add up. Reducing food waste indirectly saves water too, since less wasted food means less wasted irrigation.
Rethinking packaging
Packaging is essential for protecting food, but it’s also one of the largest contributors to landfill and ocean pollution. While recycling helps, the real solution lies in redesigning packaging from the ground up. Compostable films and recyclable paper-based solutions are great too, but they aren’t suitable for all products. That doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to do better.
At Chief Nutrition we’ve moved our packaging to kraft boxes instead colourful printed boxes because kraft paper is made using fewer bleaching and dyeing chemicals, reducing chemical runoff and pollution during manufacturing. They’re also more easily recyclable and recyclers prefer them because they require less energy and water to recycle, and there’s no need to remove heavy inks, laminates, or foils. Many colourful boxes use plastic films or UV coatings so using kraft avoids this entirely, reducing the risk of microplastics leaching into the environment. Ironically, this environmental decision has also saved us money and given our products a unique look on shelf (a true win win).
A collective shift
The power of regenerative farming goes beyond producing food. It’s about creating systems that regenerate ecosystems, communities, and human health. Pairing these farming practices with conscious choices around ingredients, water, and packaging makes sustainability practical and achievable. We can all be part of this, whether by supporting regenerative farmers, cooking with less waste, conserving water, or rethinking how products are packaged.
A more regenerative, less wasteful world won’t arrive overnight, but it’s built choice by choice, meal by meal, and farm by farm. With every step, we restore not only the land but also our connection to it.
About Brock
Brock Hatton is a co-founder and CEO of Chief Nutrition – makers of extraordinarily clean snacks and supplements, and passionate supporters of regenerative agriculture. Chief are also proud supporters of Thankful4Farmers who partner with brands to raise money to support sustainable farming (including moving towards Regenerative Agriculture) and regional communities.
wearechief.com
@chief.nutrition
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
