On Freshly Grown, you will see many regenerative farmers and producers talk about “Holistic Decision Making” or “Holistic Management.” Holistic Management is a core foundation to regenerative agriculture. And while there are big implications for the farmer or producer, you might be wondering how it really matters to you.
Even better, why should you support a farmer or producer that integrates holistic management practice?
What is Involved in Holistic Management
First, let’s take a quick overview of what Holistic Management covers:
- Holistic Ecosystem Process – Water Cycle, Community Dynamics, Mineral Cycle and Energy Flow
- Holistic Financial Planning – Farms cannot be sustainable without at least fair profits.
- Holistic Planned Grazing – Farms can increase the productivity of the soil and preserve grassland.
- Holistic Land Planning – Optimizing infrastructure placement on the land for all of the above.
Some Benefits for Us
There are two main organizations that teach holistic management: Holistic Management International and the Savory Institute (Allan Savory developed the idea of Holistic Management). There is proven data on Holistic Management from thousands of farms across millions of acres to support these benefits.
Grow More Food
It is not uncommon to hear farmers and ranchers share that Holistic Management has helped increase production by 100-200% within the first ten years. This increases profitability while regenerating the local ecosystem. It’s win-win-win. A win for the farmer, a win for those of us that eat the food, and a win for the environment.
Farmers are Happier
We often don’t consider this. The truth is we need farmers. And it’s not easy being a farmer. Holistic Management takes into account a farmer’s well being and personal fulfillment. The happier farmers are, the more generations of farmers there will be to ensure food security and environmental health.
A Social Solution
Holistic Management and regenerative agriculture can address social justice and systemic poverty around the world. While it may not be as pronounced here in Canada, regenerative farmers can provide access to healthy food across all classes of society and stimulate the local economy (in fact buying from a local farmer makes double the economic impact). How would it feel to know your food choices are providing a social solution versus only increasing shareholder profits of a major corporation?
We’re just scratching the surface of the benefits of Holistic Management when it comes to regenerative agriculture. But this is a great start. Holistic Management is a movement we can all learn and care about. Thanks you for your support already! Just using Freshly Grown is making a difference.
Do You Like TED Talks?
We’d like to leave you with this TED talk by Allan Savory, the originator of Holistic Management.
“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And terrifyingly, it’s happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes — and his work so far shows — that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below!