Can Regenerative Agriculture Really Heal Humans And The Planet? with Jeff Tkach

Nov 25, 2020

Jeff Tkach, Chief Impact Officer at the Rodale Institute, dives into the transformative potential of regenerative agriculture, which not only boosts crop yields but also enhances human health. He discusses how healthy soil leads to nutrient-rich food and the critiqued disconnect between agriculture and healthcare. Tkach shares insights from long-term studies showing the profitability and environmental benefits of organic practices. He also highlights innovative partnerships aimed at promoting sustainable farming, emphasizing the urgent need for holistic agricultural reforms.

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INSIGHT

Interconnected Health

Human, animal, plant, and soil health are interconnected.
Ignoring these connections has led to our current health and environmental crises.

ANECDOTE

Rodale's Origins

J.I. Rodale, a businessman, questioned how toxic inputs could create healthy food.
This led him to pioneer the organic food movement in North America.

INSIGHT

Regenerative Healthcare

Regenerative healthcare focuses on food as medicine to reverse chronic disease.
Doctors should connect patients with farmers and healthy food.

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Can Regenerative Agriculture Really Heal Humans And The Planet? | This episode is brought to you by Essentia, Athletic Greens, and ButcherBox

The argument that is often made against organic farming is that it can’t feed the world. Opponents say it can’t be scaled to the level we need to feed our current and growing population, but the real data actually says otherwise. The Rodale Institute is leading the way when it comes to research in the area of regenerative agriculture. Their work over the last 40 years shows organic agriculture leads to equal or better yields than conventional (sometimes over 30% better) with less energy use and three to six times more profits for the farmer. And they’re not the only ones who’ve found this to be true—it’s been repeated in five different studies from various universities and the USDA.

Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m thrilled to sit down with Jeff Tkach to talk about the amazing work the Rodale Institute has done and is continuing to do to further the cause of regenerative agriculture.

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Here are more of the details from our interview:

How the Rodale Institute came to look at the linkages between healthcare and health (9:18)

The meaning of regenerative healthcare (13:18)

Our societal and governmental disconnect between agriculture and human health (17:41)

Rodale’s research on regenerative organic farming practices (21:49)

The Farming Systems Trial, a 40-year side by side comparison of organic vs conventional grain production methods, and the creation of the USDA’s organic standard (24:22)

The benefits of feeding the world using organic farming methods (29:22)

Is organic food more nutritious? (30:51)

Are the chemicals and pesticides in conventional foods harmful or harmless? (40:36)

Evolving beyond the current organic standard with the launch of the Regenerative Organic Certification (44:20)

Are animals needed in regenerative agriculture? (55:49)

Learn more about the Rodale Institute at https://rodaleinstitute.org/ and follow them on Facebook @rodaleinstitute, on Instagram @rodaleinstitute, and on Twitter @rodaleinstitute.

Read Rodale Institute’s white paper, “The Power of the Plate: The Case for Regenerative Organic Agriculture in Improving Human Health,” here: https://rodaleinstitute.org/education/resources/power-of-the-plate-regenerative-organic-agriculture/

Learn more about the Regenerative Organic Certification at https://regenorganic.org/.