Explore Walter Jehne's Work

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

1. The Soil Sponge (4 minutes)

A short introduction to living soils and why the soil sponge matters.

Biodiversity for a Livable Climate, USA

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youtube video

2. Restoring the Structure and Function of Soil (25 minutes)

A practical presentation for farmers exploring soil structure, biology and regenerative land management.

Local Land Services, New South Wales Government, Australia

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Youtube video

3. The Soil Carbon Sponge, Climate Solutions and Healthy Water Cycles (80,000+ views)

Walter Jehne's most widely viewed presentation, exploring the relationships between healthy soils, water cycles and climate.

Biodiversity for a Livable Climate at Harvard University, USA

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Youtube Video

Foundational Papers

Selected papers by Walter Jehne that have helped shape Regenerate Earth’s work across soils, water cycles, climate and landscape regeneration.

REGENERATE EARTH

Foundational Paper

Regenerate Earth takes its name from this foundational paper by Walter Jehne. Written for an invitation-only FAO conference in Paris in 2017, it sets out a practical global strategy for regenerating soils, landscapes and water cycles to rehydrate living systems and help naturally cool the climate. The conference was part of efforts to bring soils more strongly into the IPCC climate framework.

Read The Paper

REGENERATE AUSTRALIA

Why regenerating the health and resilience of our soils and bio-systems is now critical to
secure our safe climate, water, food needs, viable regions and future.
This paper by Walter Jehne was written for and presented at Global Soil Week 2015 in Berlin.
It sets out a practical strategy connecting soil carbon, water, fire, grazing, vegetation and food
production. It explores how regenerating these living systems can strengthen landscape
resilience and sustain regional communities. Walter also highlighted how soil health
innovators were transforming Australia’s rangelands.

About Global Soil Week 2015

Read The Paper

HOW HYDROLOGICAL PROCESS NATURALLY REGULATE AND COOL EARTHS CLIMATE

Written for Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global
Warming conference at Tufts University in 2015, this paper explores how water helps
regulate the Earth’s climate. Walter Jehne explains the roles of soils, vegetation, transpiration,
clouds, rainfall and the soil carbon sponge. He shows how restoring these natural processes
can help rehydrate landscapes, reduce climate extremes and restore natural cooling.

About The 2015 Tufts Conference

read the paper

Phill with Banner and Masterclass in India

Gallery Images

Farmers walking together and talking in a grazing paddock.

Working Alongside Practitioners

In Australia

For more than 20 years, beginning through Healthy Soils Australia and now through Regenerate Earth, we have worked alongside pioneering farmers and graziers across Australia. We also work with farmer groups, leading state extension services, Landcare and Natural Resource Management organisations, and regenerative agriculture businesses.

Over that time, regenerative approaches have moved increasingly into mainstream Australian agriculture. This is now reflected in major government investment in drought resilience and regenerative practices, including through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and its regional Drought Resilience Hubs.

Through presentations, field days and on-farm analysis, we connect what people are seeing in their soils and landscapes with the science of how living systems function. We learn from their experience and help knowledge travel between practitioners.

Watch: Soil Carbon with Walter Jehne (2 minutes)

Walter Jehne explains how living plants produce sugars that feed soil microbes, helping build healthy soils, pastures and farms.
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, South Australia.

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In Andhra Pradesh

For nearly a decade, we have worked the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) who lead the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), and with the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Since our relationship began, APCNF has grown from a small program to one reaching around 1.8 million farmers today. This remarkable growth has been enabled by Andhra Pradesh's extensive women's self-help network and farmer-to-farmer learning.

Our relationship continues today, providing scientific and strategic advice and helping connect systems science, living soils and farmer practice.

Watch: 365-Day Green Cover in Andhra Pradesh

Phill Lee explains the role of 365-day green cover in APCNF and its relationship to soils, water and landscape cooling in Anantapuramu, India.

Watch The Video

How We Work

From Andhra Pradesh To Wider International Adoption

Our long-term work with Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) and APCNF shows how knowledge developed through practice can travel further.

APCNF has now attracted learning delegations from more than 50 countries, with its approaches being adapted through international partnerships and pilots in countries including Zambia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Walter Jehne and Phill Lee have contributed scientific, practical and strategic advice to APCNF for nearly a decade. Walter’s contribution to the development of Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing is feature by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Agroecology Knowledge Hub

Watch Climate Calming Natural Farming →
Regenerate Earth – Climate Calming Natural Farming

View the FAO feature and webinar →
FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub – Scaling Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing with Natural Farming

The Hidden Life Of Healthy Soils

Much of what makes a soil function is invisible to the naked eye. Soil microscopy opens a window into this extraordinary living world, making microorganisms, fungi and their relationships visible.

Regenerate Earth uses microscopy to connect science with observation and practice—helping farmers, scientists, educators, communities and decision-makers see soils differently, understand what is happening beneath their feet and ask better questions about how living systems function.

When we can see what is happening in the soil, we can begin to understand how our decisions above ground affect the living world below.

Hyphae running down small root to nutrient source

Regenerate Earth

Growing Soils, Communities & Futures

what we focus on

REGENERATE LIVING SYSTEMS

Regenerate Earth works across science, education and practice to help regenerate the living systems that support productive landscapes, resilient communities and a stable climate.

We work alongside farmers, scientists, communities, organisations and governments, connecting science and practical experience to turn knowledge into action.

We develop knowledge.

Apply it in practice.

Share what works.

Influence wider change.

What we do

Support Our Work

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How We Create Change

Develop → Apply → Share → Influence

Knowledge creates wider change when it moves into practice, informs others and shapes decisions and policy.

Our Work In Action

Science That Changes How We See The World

We develop and share understanding of living systems—connecting science, observation and practical experience across soils, landscapes, water cycles and climate.

Explore Walter Jenhe's Work

Supporting Practitioners On The Ground

We work alongside farmers, graziers, land managers and partner organisations to apply knowledge, learn from practice and understand what works in real landscapes and why.

For more than 20 years in Australia, and for nearly a decade with RySS and the Andhra Pradesh Government in India, we have connected science with field observation, practitioner knowledge and practical action.

See Our Work In The field

Connecting People To Create Wider Change

We connect people, knowledge and ideas across science, practice, community, industry and government, helping useful knowledge travel further.

Our long-term work with Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) is one example. Its approaches have now attracted learning delegations from more than 50 countries and are being adapted internationally.

See How We Work