Facing rising input costs and greater environmental awareness, an increasing number of Australian vegetable growers are practicing a system of farming that has come to be known as ‘regenerative agriculture’.

Regenerative agriculture means different things to different people, but in a broad-brush sense it’s a holistic way of managing landscapes that aims to move beyond sustainability to regenerate natural systems, while at the same time supporting the viability of farmers.

On farm, that generally translates to practices that improve soil health, store carbon and increase biodiversity, which, importantly, improve yields and reduce input and water requirements.

There isn’t a clear definition of which is and isn’t regen ag, but it’s generally understood to involve things like cover cropping, minimal tillage, rotational grazing and biological inputs, among others. It’s a broad church, and exact practices vary by crop, region, and grower.

The best way to understand it is through five core principles, according to Andrew Johanson, the Sustainable Agriculture Manager at Mulgowie Farming Company, a family-owned vegetable grower with farms in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.