Ecosystem Review Delves into the Concept of Regenerative Agriculture in its 19th Issue

Ecosystem Review Delves into the Concept of Regenerative Agriculture in its 19^th Issue

The 19^th issue of Ecosystem Review by TSKB Economic Research has been published. The latest issue discusses the risks facing soil, the second largest carbon store after the oceans, and how regenerative agriculture can offer a solution in combating these risks.

The 19^th issue of Ecosystem Review, a periodical publication by TSKB Economic Research, focuses on the key role of soil in ecosystems and the benefits offered by regenerative agriculture. Soil provides multiple key ecosystem services, primarily carbon storage. Storing more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, soil is at risk due to traditional farming methods and the use of chemical fertilizers. To this end, this issue of the Ecosystem Review emphasizes that a 'sustainability' approach alone is not sufficient and a 'regenerative' perspective must be adopted instead.

This issue of Ecosystem Review highlights that, in a period when water stress proves to be critical and the effects of the ecosystem crisis is increasingly felt with extreme heat, drought and changing rainfall patterns, enhancing water efficiency in agricultural irrigation has become necessary. Furthermore, the issue addresses the impact of extreme weather events on food inflation, noting that frost caused by severe weather conditions has led to a hike in fruit prices. The multidimensional effects of the ecosystem crisis, current developments such as the EU's target of curbing emissions by 90% by 2040 and the UNEP's forecast of a 2.6 - 3.1°C temperature increase by 2100 are also discussed. In addition, the potential of carbon credits to combat the ecosystem crisis and close the financing gap, as well as international developments such as COP30 to be held in Brazil in November 2025 are among other highlights addressed in this latest issue.

Highlights from the 19^th issue of Ecosystem Review are as follows:

• Carbon credits generated through regenerative agriculture hold significant potential in terms of both carbon storage and the additional benefits they offer to the ecosystem.
• Modern irrigation methods stand out in increasing water efficiency in agricultural irrigation. They enable water savings of 35% (sprinkler irrigation) to 65% (drip irrigation). According to General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) data, surface irrigation consumes an average of 3.75 liters per hectare per hour, while sprinkler and drip irrigation systems consume 1.25 liters.

§ Extreme weather events fuel upward risks on food inflation by causing short-term negative supply shocks and increasing transport costs.

• The European Commission 2040 target aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to 1990 levels.
• The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, will be held in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November this year. Countries are expected to complete updates to their Nationally Determined Contributions in September ahead of the conference.
• Forest financing fell short of needs, averaging USD 6 billion annually during the 2021-2025 period.
• The Directorate of Climate Change published draft texts on the Türkiye Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Türkiye Carbon Credit and Offsetting (TR KDS) Regulations. Under the ETS, greenhouse gas emissions from certain activities will be monitored, reported and verified before being reduced through a market-based system. TR KDS, on the other hand, will enable the production, registration, verification and trading of carbon credits for the reduction and removal of greenhouse gas emissions not covered by the ETS.

The 19^th issue of Ecosystem Review is available at: https://www.tskb.com.tr/uploads/file/ecosystem-review-2025-ii.pdf