Climate Change, Healthy Soils and Holistic Planned Grazing: A Restoration Story ⋆ Savory Institute

Whitepaper

Climate Change, Healthy Soils and Holistic Planned Grazing: A Restoration Story

By: Savory Institute

Key Takeaways

This whitepaper, authored by the Savory Institute in 2015, discusses how Holistic Planned Grazing, if applied across global grasslands, can contribute towards bringing atmospheric CO2 to pre-industrial levels.
The quantity of carbon contained in soils is directly related to the diversity and health of soil life. All organic carbon sequestered in soils is extracted from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and converted to complex molecules by bacteria and fungi in synergy with insects and animals.
An effective, profitable, and culturally relevant method for increasing soil organic carbon is to restore grasslands worldwide to their optimal health.
To accomplish this at the scale and pace that we need, Holistic Management and one of its associated processes, Holistic Planned Grazing, offers a tangible way to begin to restore the climate to pre-industrial levels by properly managing livestock to build soil life.
At the same time, it has the potential to restore agriculture productivity, enhance wildlife habitat and water resources, while also employing more people in rural communities and producing high-quality protein for millions.

Summary

Regenerating the health and productivity of our soils is critical for ensuring the Earth's climate remains conducive to not only human life but other species as well. Moreover, we need to take direct action so that we have enough water and food to sustain a growing population of people. Livestock, properly managed, have a critical role to play in achieving these goals.