Regenerative Advocates Call for Outcome Based Soil Metrics

Regenerative agriculture advocates are calling for more rigorous measurement of soil outcomes as debates intensify over carbon markets, greenwashing, and the economic viability of transition. At the latest Sustainable Foods Summit, Dr. Timothy LaSalle, co-founder of Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University Chico, emphasized that outcome based metrics will determine whether regenerative claims withstand scrutiny.

Researchers affiliated with the Northwest Earth Institute and the White Buffalo Land Trust reported field level comparisons of regenerative and conventional systems using minute by minute carbon flux measurements, soil carbon sampling, soil biology metrics, and moisture monitoring. Early data from hay and cotton systems suggest that regenerative management can increase soil organic carbon, improve fungal populations, enhance water infiltration, and reduce fertilizer inputs while maintaining or improving yields. In one cotton comparison, regenerative management reduced fertilizer use by roughly 50 percent and lowered per acre costs while increasing production.

LaSalle cautioned against framing carbon as a sequestration target divorced from biological function, arguing that living carbon cycles and soil aggregation are more meaningful indicators than static carbon stocks. LaSalle also noted that conventional systems can capture significant carbon under certain conditions, underscoring the need for transparent measurement standards in emerging carbon markets.

Economic pressure remains central. With organic markets tightening in some regions and input costs rising, presenters argued that documented cost savings and resilience benefits may drive broader adoption across the majority of farmland still managed conventionally.

Source: Measuring Impacts of Regenerative Agriculture, Sustainable Foods Summit, San Francisco, CA, January 28, 2026.

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