Cultivating Change: Developing a Regenerative Agriculture Playbook for TechnoServe

Abstract

Regenerative agriculture prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and the long-term sustainability of farms. In contrast to conventional farming methods, it focuses on restoring ecosystems while promoting social and environmental justice. This Master’s Project partners with TechnoServe, a global anti-poverty non-profit, in developing a practical and evidence-based resource to help smallholder farms adopt regenerative agricultural practices that can improve ecosystem health, enhance food security, and increase economic resilience. Through a combination of literature reviews, field interviews, and collaboration with TechnoServe staff, our team developed an initial “Intervention Library” for TechnoServe’s internal Regenerative Agriculture Playbook. The Intervention Library consists of 12 comprehensive entries on a range of regenerative topics, including agroforestry, cover cropping, mulching, and drip irrigation. Each entry provides guidance on implementation, context-specific considerations, potential outcomes, and TechnoServe’s previous experience with the practice. Interviews with TechnoServe staff emphasized the importance of providing past program efforts and their outcomes and of focusing on adaptable, cost-effective approaches that meet the needs of smallholder farmers. The Playbook is intended to support TechnoServe staff in program design and field implementation as well as the transfer of internal knowledge. It enables users to quickly identify proven practices, understand how to adapt them to local contexts, and replicate previous successful outcomes. While primarily an internal tool, the Playbook also has the potential to benefit a wider audience, including other NGOs, funders, and agricultural stakeholders. This project represents an important step toward scaling regenerative agriculture through accessible knowledge sharing. Ongoing maintenance, regional adaptation, and future expansion will be critical to maximizing its impact. The Playbook bridges the gap between academic research and real-world applications, which we hope will contribute towards cultivating a more sustainable future for agriculture.