Is Agriko certified organic?

Yes, Agriko is a certified organic farm. All our products are grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and meet international organic standards.

How long does delivery take?

We deliver fresh products within 3-5 business days within Metro Manila, and 5-7 business days for provincial areas in the Philippines.

What makes Agriko different from other organic farms?

Agriko stands out through our direct farm-to-table approach, 8+ years of expertise, award-winning certifications, support for 50+ local farmers, and our commitment to 100% pure organic products without compromise.

Do you offer bulk orders for businesses?

Yes, we offer wholesale and bulk ordering options for businesses and corporate clients. Please contact us for specific pricing and availability.

Are your products GMO-free?

Absolutely. All Agriko products are 100% GMO-free and use traditional, sustainable farming methods passed down through generations.

What is regenerative agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainability to actively restore and improve soil health, sequester carbon, and rebuild ecosystems. Core practices include no-till or minimal tillage to preserve soil structure, diverse cover crops to protect and feed soil year-round, holistic grazing management to mimic natural animal patterns, composting to return organic matter, and perennial crops with deep roots. The goal is climate-positive farming that captures more carbon than it releases, rebuilds topsoil faster than it erodes, and creates thriving biodiversity rather than just maintaining the status quo.

How is it different from organic farming?

Organic farming focuses on what not to use (no synthetic chemicals, GMOs), while regenerative agriculture focuses on what to do (actively build soil, sequester carbon, restore ecosystems). Organic certification allows tillage and monocultures as long as no synthetics are used. Regenerative practices specifically require soil-building techniques like no-till, diverse cover crops, and integration of animals. You can be organic without being regenerative, but most regenerative farms also qualify as organic. Regenerative is the next evolution beyond organic, with measurable outcomes like increased soil organic matter and carbon sequestration.

Can regenerative farming reverse climate change?

Regenerative agriculture has significant potential to mitigate climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon in soil. Studies show regenerative farms capture 0.5-2 tons of CO2 per acre annually through photosynthesis and root exudates. If applied globally to cropland and pasture, regenerative practices could sequester 3-15 billion tons CO2 annually, offsetting 10-30% of current emissions. While not a complete solution alone, regenerative farming is one of the few scalable climate solutions that also produces food, improves water cycles, and enhances biodiversity simultaneously.

What role do cover crops play?

Cover crops are fundamental to regenerative agriculture. They protect bare soil from erosion and UV degradation, feed soil microbes through root exudates and decaying biomass, fix atmospheric nitrogen (legume cover crops add 40-200 lbs N per acre), break up compaction with diverse root systems reaching different depths, suppress weeds through shading and allelopathy, and sequester carbon by capturing CO2 through photosynthesis and storing it as soil organic matter. Farms using diverse cover crop mixes (5-10 species) increase soil organic matter by 0.5-1% annually and reduce fertilizer needs by 30-50%.

Is regenerative farming economically viable?

Yes, regenerative farming becomes increasingly profitable over time. Initial transition costs include equipment changes and learning curve (3-5 years), but long-term benefits include 30-50% reduced input costs (less fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation), improved drought resilience leading to more stable yields, premium prices for regeneratively grown products (10-40% higher), carbon credit income potential ($15-30 per ton CO2 sequestered), and healthier soil requiring fewer external inputs. Studies show regenerative farms match or exceed conventional farm profitability after 5-7 years, with significantly better resilience during droughts and price volatility.

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Sustainable Farming

Regenerative Agriculture: Beyond Organic

How regenerative farming restores ecosystems and reverses climate change

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Agriko Organic Farm•March 23, 2025•11 min read

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Regenerative agriculture represents the next evolution beyond organic farming. While organic focuses on what not to do (no synthetic chemicals), regenerative agriculture focuses on what to do—actively healing degraded land, building soil organic matter, and creating thriving ecosystems that produce abundant food.

At Agriko, we've transitioned from 100% organic to regenerative practices since 2020. The results have been transformative: our soil organic matter has increased from 3.2% to 5.8%, water infiltration rates have tripled, and biodiversity has exploded with native species returning to our fields.

What Makes Regenerative Agriculture Different?

Regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainability (maintaining current conditions) to actually improve ecological health over time. The key difference lies in the approach:

Organic vs. Regenerative

Organic farming focuses on input substitution—replacing synthetic pesticides with approved organic alternatives. The soil might be tilled, monocultures might be grown, but as long as synthetic chemicals aren't used, it qualifies as organic.

Regenerative agriculture focuses on system transformation—rebuilding soil biology, maximizing photosynthesis, keeping living roots in soil year-round, and integrating animals into crop production. The goal is creating self-renewing ecosystems.

5-10x

Increased Microbial Biomass

1-2% annual

Soil Carbon Gains

300%

Water Infiltration Increase

50-70%

Reduction in Inputs

The Core Principles of Regenerative Agriculture

1. Minimize Soil Disturbance

Tillage destroys soil structure, kills beneficial fungi, and oxidizes soil carbon into atmospheric CO₂. Regenerative farms use no-till or minimum-till methods to preserve soil biology.

Agriko's Practice: We've eliminated tillage in 85% of our fields, using roller-crimpers to terminate cover crops and direct-seeding into residue. Our soil aggregation has improved dramatically, creating stable structure that resists erosion.

2. Keep Soil Covered

Bare soil is biologically dead soil. Cover crops, mulch, or crop residue protect soil from erosion, moderate temperature extremes, and feed soil life.

Prevents raindrop impact that destroys soil aggregates
Reduces evaporation—saving 30-50% more water through <Link href="/blog/water-conservation-farming">conservation practices</Link>
Suppresses weeds naturally without herbicides
Feeds soil biology with root exudates and residue

3. Maintain Living Roots Year-Round

Living plant roots are the foundation of the soil food web. They exude sugars, amino acids, and other compounds that feed bacteria and fungi, which in turn feed other organisms in an incredibly complex underground ecosystem.

The soil carbon sponge is built not by what you put on the soil, but by what you grow in it. Living roots are the key to soil regeneration.
— Dr. Christine Jones, Soil Scientist

4. Increase Plant Diversity

Monocultures create biological deserts. Diverse plantings—multi-species cover crops, intercropping, agroforestry—support diverse soil microbiomes and create resilient ecosystems.

Our 12-Species Cover Crop Mix

At Agriko, we plant a diverse blend each off-season:

Legumes: cowpeas, mung beans, pigeon peas (nitrogen fixation)
Grasses: sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet (carbon sequestration)
Brassicas: radish, mustard (bio-drilling, pest suppression)
Broadleaves: sunflower, buckwheat (pollinator support, nutrient cycling)

This diversity feeds 5-10x more microbial species than a monoculture.

5. Integrate Animals

In nature, plants and animals co-evolved together. Grazing animals stimulate plant growth, cycle nutrients, break pest cycles, and build soil organic matter through their manure. Regenerative farms integrate livestock into crop production.

Measuring Regenerative Success

How do we know if regenerative practices are working? We measure specific indicators:

Baseline (2020): Starting Conditions

Soil organic matter: 3.2% • Water infiltration: 0.5 inches/hour • Compaction at 6 inches • Limited biodiversity

Year 1 (2021): First Improvements

Soil organic matter: 3.7% • Water infiltration: 1.2 inches/hour • No-till zones established • Cover crops planted

Year 3 (2023): Measurable Regeneration

Soil organic matter: 4.8% • Water infiltration: 1.8 inches/hour • Native pollinators returning • Reduced irrigation needs

Year 5 (2025): Thriving Ecosystem

Soil organic matter: 5.8% • Water infiltration: 2.5 inches/hour • Complete biodiversity recovery • 40% input reduction

Regenerative vs Organic vs Conventional Agriculture

Understanding the differences between regenerative, organic, and conventional agriculture helps clarify why regenerative practices represent the future of sustainable food production.

Comparison of Regenerative, Organic, and Conventional Agriculture
Factor	Regenerative Agriculture	Organic Agriculture	Conventional Agriculture
Soil Carbon Sequestration	3-8 tons CO₂/hectare/year actively sequestered	2-3 tons CO₂/hectare/year (moderate sequestration)	Net carbon loss (−1 to −2 tons/hectare/year)
Tillage Practices	No-till or minimum-till (preserves soil structure)	Variable - some organic farms till heavily, others minimize	Heavy tillage destroys soil aggregates and releases CO₂
Biodiversity Focus	Central principle: maximize species diversity above and below ground	Encouraged but not required (can be monoculture organic)	Monocultures standard, biodiversity actively suppressed
Input Dependency	Minimal inputs: self-sustaining ecosystem (50-70% reduction)	Reduced inputs vs conventional but still import nutrients	High input dependency: fertilizers, pesticides, fuel
Soil Health Improvement	Rapid gains: +1-2% organic matter annually, 5-10x microbial biomass	Moderate gains: +0.3-0.5% organic matter annually	Declining: −0.2-0.5% organic matter annually
Water Retention	300%+ improvement: 2.5+ inches/hour infiltration, 16,500+ gal stored per 1% SOM	100-150% improvement over conventional baseline	Poor: 0.3-0.5 inches/hour, compacted subsoil blocks water
Climate Impact	Climate-positive: removes more carbon than emitted	Climate-neutral to slightly positive depending on practices	Climate-negative: major emissions from inputs and soil loss
Profitability Long-term	Increasing: lower costs + premium prices + drought resilience	Stable: premium prices offset slightly higher labor	Declining: rising input costs, yield plateaus, pest resistance
Certification Required	Optional - outcome-based verification emerging (soil tests, biodiversity)	Yes - strict input-based standards, 3-year transition	No certification needed

Key Insight: Regenerative agriculture takes organic farming to the next level by focusing not just on avoiding harmful inputs, but actively healing degraded land. With 3-8 tons CO₂ sequestration per hectare annually and 50-70% input reduction, regenerative farms demonstrate that the most sustainable agriculture is also the most profitable long-term.

The Climate Impact

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of regenerative agriculture is its potential to reverse climate change. By building soil organic matter, regenerative farms pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester it underground.

Carbon Sequestration Potential

Regenerative farms can sequester 3-8 tons CO₂/hectare annually
If applied to all cropland globally: could offset 20-30% of annual emissions
Each 1% increase in soil organic matter stores ~60 tons CO₂/hectare
Our 2.6% SOM increase = ~150 tons CO₂ sequestered per hectare

Getting Started with Regenerative Agriculture

You don't need to transform your entire operation overnight. Start with these foundational practices:

For Farmers:

Reduce tillage intensity—try zone tillage or strip-till as a first step
Plant a simple cover crop mix in fallow periods
Leave crop residue on fields instead of burning or removing
Add one new crop or livestock species to increase diversity
Test soil biology with a complete soil health assessment

For Consumers:

Look for "regenerative organic" certification or verification
Support farms that prioritize soil health and biodiversity
Ask producers about their soil carbon and water infiltration metrics
Choose products from integrated crop-livestock systems
Pay premium prices—regenerative farming requires skilled management

Support Regenerative Agriculture

Every purchase from Agriko supports regenerative farming practices that heal the land and reverse climate change.

Shop Regenerative Products

Continue Learning

Explore related sustainable farming guides:

→ Building Healthy Soil Naturally

→ What is Organic Farming?

→ Complete Sustainable Farming Guide

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