iDE Explains: What is Regenerative Farming, and How Does it Help Smallholder Farmers Survive?

Integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern agricultural practices is part of a growing trend in low-income countries, casting farmers as stewards of their lands, which are increasingly impacted by severe weather, pests and diseases, and harmful farming practices. Regenerative agriculture, or regenerative farming, as it is know, is widely applied across iDE's programming.

For example, iDE promotes regenerative farming in Nepal, which in recent years has been substantially impacted by infestations of fall armyworms and other pests, that threaten food security by destroying staple crops. Scientists say higher temperatures associated with climate change can prolong insect infestations, which can wipe out entire harvests. With 80 percent of the people living in  low-income countries getting by as smallholder farmers, and two-fifths of the world's population living in poverty, iDE is helping people gain access to the regenerative know-how, products and tools they need to be successful. This includes fostering access to markets that connect smallholders with local buyers and businesses.

By centering soil health as a core business asset, iDE deploys regenerative farming systems that actively restore biodiversity, recharge depleted watersheds, and optimize ecosystem services to build long-term climate resilience. These practices put soil life at the center of the farming system, capturing carbon in the soil and promoting above-ground biomass. At the same time, regenerative agriculture offers increased yields for customers, boosting income streams for farmers and helping communities thrive. By integrating climate-adaptive farm designs with market-led restoration and end-to-end value chain efficiency, iDE transforms every acre into a thriving, multi-income ecosystem for its customers, where protecting biodiversity and soil health is a profitable business advantage for rural entrepreneurs.

iDE works with local government and community partners by promoting behavior change and helping low-income farmers focus on topsoil nutrition and carbon sequestration, mitigating chemical use and enabling alternative income streams. To ensure farmers successfully implement sustainable practices, iDE also provides training on regenerative technologies and facilitates last-mile access to the organic supplies needed for growing crops.