From the 6th Mass Extinction to Regeneration

Restoring soils, biodiversity and living ecosystems through regenerative agriculture and agroforestry

9/25/20265 min read

WIP A global strategy for agroforestry, syntropic agriculture and ecosystem regeneration

To governments, public institutions, municipalities, international organisations, scientific institutions and decision-makers worldwide

Statement of purpose

Earth's ecosystems are facing accelerating pressures from habitat destruction, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, climate change, pollution and the intensification of food production.

The loss of biodiversity is not only a conservation issue. Healthy ecosystems underpin food production, soil fertility, water regulation, pollination, carbon cycling and the resilience of human societies.

In this context, we call for a major expansion of approaches that seek to produce food while simultaneously restoring ecological functions.

Agroforestry integrates trees and woody plants with crops and/or livestock within the same productive system. Syntropic agriculture is a particular approach that draws on principles of ecological succession, plant stratification, biodiversity and continuous biomass production to develop highly diverse and functionally integrated agricultural systems.

Scientific evidence indicates that agroforestry can contribute to several ecosystem functions, including soil protection, nutrient cycling, biodiversity conservation, water regulation and carbon storage. However, outcomes vary according to climate, soil, species selection, management and system design.

Research specifically addressing syntropic agriculture is still comparatively limited, particularly in temperate regions. Existing studies nevertheless provide promising indications regarding soil fertility, biodiversity, carbon storage, water cycling and climate resilience, while highlighting the need for further long-term research.

We therefore do not propose a single agricultural model for every region.

Instead, we call for a global programme of research, experimentation, implementation and monitoring to identify where and how regenerative agroforestry and syntropic approaches can provide measurable ecological, social and economic benefits.

We call for:

1. A global programme for regenerative agroforestry and syntropic agriculture

Governments and international institutions should establish funding mechanisms to support the development and implementation of agroforestry and syntropic agricultural systems.

Support should include not only initial planting, but also technical assistance, training, long-term management and scientific monitoring.

2. A global network of demonstration and experimental sites

Public institutions, universities, research organisations, farmers and local communities should collaborate to establish experimental and demonstration sites representing different climates and ecosystems.

Where appropriate, these sites should compare different approaches, including conventional agriculture, agroforestry, syntropic agriculture and ecological restoration.

Common indicators should be used to measure:

soil organic matter and carbon;
soil biodiversity;
water infiltration and retention;
erosion;
nutrient availability;
plant and animal biodiversity;
agricultural productivity;
water requirements;
fertiliser and pesticide use;
economic costs and returns;
long-term resilience.

This would allow regenerative approaches to be evaluated through measurable and comparable evidence.

3. A major expansion of community food-growing spaces

Cities and communities should be encouraged to establish and expand:

community gardens;
urban food forests;
productive public gardens;
peri-urban agroforestry;
community orchards;
educational gardens.

Where appropriate, these spaces should integrate perennial plants, trees, shrubs, annual crops and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.

Such spaces can simultaneously contribute to local food production, environmental education, biodiversity and community participation.

4. Transform suitable green spaces into multifunctional ecosystems

Public authorities should identify suitable urban and peri-urban areas where conventional ornamental landscaping can be complemented or replaced by more diverse ecological systems.

Depending on local conditions, these may incorporate:

native trees and shrubs;
edible plants;
perennial crops;
medicinal and aromatic plants;
flowering plants for pollinators;
wildlife habitat;
shade;
recreational areas.

The objective is not to eliminate parks or gardens, but to increase ecological and functional diversity wherever appropriate.

5. Restore degraded soils and abandoned land

Governments should establish programmes for the restoration of degraded, eroded or abandoned land, assessing agroforestry and syntropic agriculture as potential restoration tools.

Maintaining living vegetation, increasing plant diversity, establishing perennial root systems and returning appropriate organic biomass to the soil can contribute to improvements in soil structure, organic matter and biological activity.

Restoration programmes should nevertheless begin with ecological assessment, including soil condition, water availability, erosion risk and appropriate species selection.

6. Put soil health at the centre of agricultural policy

Agricultural policies should increasingly reward practices that maintain soil cover, reduce erosion, increase organic matter and support soil biodiversity.

These may include:

cover crops;
diverse crop associations;
integration of trees and shrubs;
reduced soil disturbance;
maintenance of living roots;
increased crop diversity;
appropriate use of pruning biomass;
perennial vegetation.

Soil health should be assessed through physical, chemical and biological indicators rather than agricultural yield alone.

7. Build a global network for education and technical training

Farmers, agricultural professionals, municipalities, educators, community organisations and land managers should have access to training in regenerative land management.

Training should include:

agroforestry design;
species selection;
ecological succession;
biomass management;
pruning;
water management;
soil restoration;
biodiversity;
fire-risk management;
appropriate mechanisation;
economics and markets;
scientific monitoring.

The development of local technical knowledge is essential for adapting regenerative systems to different ecological and socioeconomic conditions.

8. Develop local and regional regeneration plans

Governments and local authorities should develop territorial regeneration plans adapted to their specific ecological conditions.

These plans should consider:

climate;
rainfall;
water availability;
soil characteristics;
topography;
erosion;
fire risk;
existing biodiversity;
agricultural systems;
land ownership;
local communities;
food needs.

There should be no expectation that one model can simply be replicated everywhere. Regeneration must be adapted to place.

9. Establish long-term scientific research and monitoring

International and national research programmes should investigate the long-term effects of agroforestry and syntropic agriculture.

Research should examine:

Soils: carbon, organic matter, structure, nutrients, microbial communities and erosion.

Water: infiltration, retention, runoff and irrigation requirements.

Biodiversity: plants, insects, pollinators, birds, microorganisms and other organisms.

Food production: yield, quality, diversity and stability.

Economics: labour, costs, income and long-term viability.

Climate resilience: responses to drought, heatwaves, extreme rainfall and other climate stresses.

Research should be transparent, reproducible and adapted to different ecological regions.

10. Make suitable public land available for regeneration

Governments and public authorities should identify suitable public land that could be made available, under appropriate legal and ecological conditions, for:

food production;
agroforestry;
community gardens;
ecological restoration;
education;
scientific research;
demonstration projects.

Where possible, these initiatives should involve local communities, farmers, schools, universities, researchers and civil-society organisations.

Underused land can become a resource for food, biodiversity, education and ecological regeneration.

A global strategy based on evidence

This petition does not claim that agroforestry or syntropic agriculture are universal solutions.

It calls for something more practical:

to test them, study them, compare them, improve them and implement them wherever evidence demonstrates that they are appropriate.

The scientific evidence already available provides sufficient grounds for substantial investment in research and experimentation.

At the same time, important knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning long-term outcomes and the performance of syntropic systems across temperate and other non-tropical environments.

These uncertainties should not be a reason for inaction.

They are a reason to establish large-scale, scientifically monitored experimentation.

Instead of treating agriculture, biodiversity conservation, soil restoration and climate adaptation as separate challenges, we can investigate systems capable of addressing several of them simultaneously.

The goal

We call for a transition towards land-management systems that seek to produce food while restoring soil, water, biodiversity and ecological function.

Agroforestry, syntropic agriculture, community food gardens, biodiverse green spaces and ecological restoration should be considered complementary components of a broader strategy for regenerating living landscapes.

The objective is not simply to reduce the damage caused by our current systems.

It is to develop systems capable of restoring ecological capacity while supporting human societies.

We therefore call upon governments, institutions, researchers, farmers, communities and citizens around the world to establish a coordinated programme of research, experimentation, education and implementation for regenerative agroforestry and syntropic agriculture.