Regenivore, noun:
A person who eats in a way that supports a shift from degrading, stripping, and crippling to regenerating and sustaining—our planet, our health, and our economies. Regenivores know that the food on our plates and the farmers, ranchers, and grocers we support are directly connected to the biodiversity of our food web, the integrity of the soil, the health of the planet, our own health, and the health of our families and friends.

6 Reasons to be a Regenivore:

1. Regenerative organic farming “encourages continuous innovation and improvement of environmental, social, and economic measures.” It eliminates toxic synthetic inputs while promoting biological diversity and the harmony of natural cycles. Consequently, the health and welfare of all living things is inherent to its success.³
2. A teaspoon of healthy soil is alive with billions of organisms that play a role in its function as the foundation of our food supply. Soil organisms convert decaying matter into plant nutrients, improve soil structure, increase water-holding capacity, and enhance carbon sequestration.⁴ Yet soils are degrading at such a rate the United Nations has said we may only have 60 harvests left.⁵ The principles of regenerative organic agriculture restore and maintain soil health. 
3. Soil carbon (i.e., carbon dioxide that has been pulled from the atmosphere and locked into the soil) is significantly higher in regeneratively-managed grazing systems when compared to un-grazed land.⁶ And because of this increased carbon sequestration in regenerative grazing systems, these ranches can offset 100 percent of the emissions from the cattle, and up to as much as 85 percent of the farm’s total carbon emissions.⁷
4. Approximately 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. go to livestock production, often as feed additives to increase growth and to prevent infections caused by being confined in a CAFO (concentrated animal feed operation); around 70 percent of these drugs are “medically important” for humans.⁸ Organic regenerative systems prohibit antibiotics, and one study found that grazing cattle have a more efficient immune response than cattle in a feedlot (i.e., a healthy cow doesn’t need preventative antibiotics).^{9 10}
5. The micronutrient content of fruits and vegetables has declined over the last 70 years, including vitamin C, calcium, and iron, while proteins in wheat, rice, and barley have decreased by 30%, 18%, and 50% respectively. Organically grown crops, by contrast, consistently demonstrate higher levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous and other important bioactive compounds, and one study found levels of health-supporting phytonutrients in pasture-raised animal products that are undetectable in their grain-fed counterparts.^{11 12 13 14}
6. Regenerative organic agriculture is more climate resilient. Data from the Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trial (FST), the longest running comparison of organic and conventional farming, found that organic yields were 40% greater than conventional in times of drought.¹⁵

“The health of soil, plant, animal, and man is one and indivisible.”
—Sir Albert Howard

References

1. Paustian, Keith, et al. “Soil C Sequestration as a Biological Negative Emission Strategy.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Jan. 1AD, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2019.00008/full.
2. Copy of Climate White Paper Fact Sheet v2 - Rodale Institute. https://rodaleinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Rodale-Institute-Soil-Ca….
3. The Power of the - Rodale Institute. https://rodaleinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Rodale-Institute-The-Pow….
4. “News Detail.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, https://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/en/c/277682/#:~:text.
5. “Only 60 Years of Farming Left If Soil Degradation Continues.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2014, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-lef….
6. Wilson, Chris H., et al. “Grazing Enhances Belowground Carbon Allocation, Microbial Biomass, and Soil Carbon in a Subtropical Grassland.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 24 Feb. 2018, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.14070.
7. Team, White Oak Pastures. “Study: White Oak Pastures Beef Reduces Atmospheric Carbon.” Around The Farm Blog, https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/blog/carbon-negative-grassfed-beef.
8. Martin, Michael J, et al. “Antibiotics Overuse in Animal Agriculture: A Call to Action for Health Care Providers.” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, Dec. 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638249/.
9. The Organic Center, https://www.organic-center.org/organic-does-not-contribute-antibiotic-r….
10. Di Grigoli, Antonino, et al. “Effects of Grazing on the Behaviour, Oxidative and Immune Status, and Production of Organic Dairy Cows.” Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI, MDPI, 18 June 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617352/.
11. Ramaiya, Shiamala Devi, et al. “Organic Cultivation Practices Enhanced Antioxidant Activities and Secondary Metabolites in Giant Granadilla (Passiflora Quadrangularis L.).” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.025….
12. E;, Hallmann. “The Influence of Organic and Conventional Cultivation Systems on the Nutritional Value and Content of Bioactive Compounds in Selected Tomato Types.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22351383/.
13. Crinnion WJ. Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer. Altern Med Rev. 2010 Apr;15(1):4-12. PMID: 20359265.
14. van Vliet, Stephan, et al. “Health-Promoting Phytonutrients Are Higher in Grass-Fed Meat and Milk.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Jan. 1AD, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.555426/full#h1.
15. Regenerative Agriculture - Rodale Institute. https://rodaleinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Rodale-Soil-Carbon-White….