A documentary extolling the virtues of regenerative agriculture, “Common Ground” gets its world premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it is also claiming a Human/Nature Award.
What is regenerative agriculture, you ask? It’s a mix of Indigenous and modern farming practices that abides by four principles: no tillage, no chemicals, cover crops and use of herd grazing.
Industrialization post WWII popularized the use of machinery, pesticides and herbicides in agriculture as, per the film, suppliers of tanks and chemical weapons looked to pivot to a steadier business model. It goes on to explain the agrichemical industry’s overwhelming pull on politicians and researchers at land-grant universities.