ReGen (David R. Montgomery)

A century of conventional farming has left our planet with sick soil. Once fertile farmlands are now dusty and degraded, accelerating food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and climate change. David Montgomery has devoted decades to investigating this damage. ReGen, his manifesto, lays out practical and productive solutions to recover the health of our land through soil-building regenerative agriculture. Drawing on the work of farmers, historians, and researchers, he forcefully articulates the power of combining cover cropping, no or low tillage, and crop diversity to rebuild soil health. The combination allows farmers to greatly reduce or eliminate synthetic fertilize and pesticide use, and can help address a number of today’s most pressing problems. Along the way, he takes apart common myths around conventional farming, animal agriculture, and plant-based diets. Charting a course for action, Montgomery lays out ten policy recommendations—from subsidizing young farmers to establishing a national network of demonstration farms—to safeguard the future of our food supply.

ReGen shows us how reforming the way we see and treat the land can address critically underappreciated and yet eminently solvable problems to restore the health of our land and secure civilization’s agricultural foundation—and a healthy future for our society and ourselves.