Is Water the Achilles Heel of Regenerative Agriculture? A critical examination of the roles and omissions of soil-water and water in ‘Regen Ag’

The paper seeks to gain greater water literacy and numeracy in the connections between water and Regenerative Agriculture (RA). By identifying the many roles and quantities of water and soil-water, our paper argues that water is the Achilles Heel of RA.  At a basic level, RA is failing to fully appreciate and incorporate the many varied inputs, processes and outcomes of water. In ‘outcome’ terms, RA intends to improve soil-water properties and catchment hydrology so that, for example, rainfall seeps into soils rather than running off land surfaces.  In ‘process’ terms, RA adopts agricultural practices such as maintaining a protective cover that aims to enhance soil physical fertility (such as bulk density) and soil-water properties such as infiltration and available water holding capacity.  While these outcomes and processes are idealized and laudable, they miss the many ways in which water and RA intersect. For example water and hydrology are not only affected by RA, but water is also an input to RA. The latter is necessary when soil moisture is required to bolster soil organic accumulation and biological activity.  Accordingly, we find two interconnected fault lines. First, the descriptive and quantified roles of soil-water and water in RA are often missing or poorly explained, and secondly, narrative tropes and terms (e.g. ‘net zero’ or ‘net positive’ water) for describing the benefits and aims of RA are, at best, lacking context or, at worst, are misleading and incorrect. We conclude that scientists and decisions-makers should more thoroughly interrogate how RA is being applied in the context of basin water availability and attempt to bring more precision in regards to quantities of water required – and recognize the competition for those resources as well as opportunity costs. How those quantities overlap with local policies, allocations and hydrology, including farmers’ individual views and policy choices, are critical to RA success.