increases resilience to more extreme weather
With more carbon/ soil organic matter and living roots in the soil plus increased plant cover, water is both absorbed and retained better.
Each 1% increase in soil organic matter helps soil hold 20,000 gallons more water per acre.
So, when it pours with rain, much of the water is absorbed. On many conventional farms, the water runs off into roads, drains and watercourses, taking soil and chemical residues with it.
This in turn, reduces the risk of flooding in settlements downstream of regenerative farms, improves the water quality and biodiversity of local rivers and lakes. This moisture retention in the soil also enables resilience to drought conditions.
Other flood prevention strategies such as the reintroduction of old ponds and wet areas by blocking drains and introducing beavers, would also be deemed regenerative! Such strategies ultimately also increase biodiversity and capture carbon.