Science to Shape Our Food System
Ecdysis is delivering peer-reviewed research that empowers people to make informed, regenerative decisions on the land. Our science is designed to guide the choices shaping the future of food.
Since 2022, we have measured how growers manage life on their farms. We have now surpassed 1,000 farms and have begun expansion efforts.
The 1000 Farms Initiative
is one of the most ambitious agroecology experiment ever conducted, researching food systems across North America.
​Project Ignite focuses on the regenerative potential in key food systems, measuring how agriculture may change under more extreme climatological conditions.
​Sign up your farm.​
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​Project Avalanche enables farmers to take science into their own hands. Brought together in regional learning cohorts, farmers are provided with the tools to measure progress on their own farms. ​
​​​The 1000 Farms Initiative has driven our
peer-reviewed research and data-backed guidelines which are available for the benefit of growers, decision makers, and consumers alike.
Guidelines
promotes biodiversity through farm management, thus generating nourishing food, strong communities, and resilient ecosystems.
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work alongside nature rather than against it.
Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative Principles
Our principles:
What We Measure
When we study a farm, we’re measuring life in all its forms. From naming the bacteria and fungi living below ground to counting the insects, birds, and plants above it, we’re capturing how the whole system works together.
These biodiversity measurements are key indicators of soil health and the ecosystem’s health as a whole.
We study:
Soil
Microbial activity, organic matter, and carbon storage
Water
Water infiltration, holding capacity, wet aggregate stability
Leaf tissue analysis/Brix levels, nutrient density/diversity of yield, yield/biomass
Plants
Insects
Ground dwelling and airborne insects and invertebrates (abundance, species richness and diversity, functional groups, pest abundance)
Birds
Bird abundance, species richness, diversity, and habitat use
Pests
Plant pathogens and insect pests
Nutrition
Crop nutrient analyses
Economics
Yields, input costs, and overall profitability
Ecdysis Foundation has developed the only data-backed scoring system (0-8) to define and validate regenerative outcomes based on eight management questions.
These questions pertain to specific regenerative practices that are proxies of regenerative management philosophy.
Examples of Ecdysis
Regenerative Scoring
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Our Process
Below is a step-by-step guide of our research process, using our insect biometrics as an example of one of the many data points accumulated.
Management practices recorded from the initial survey are compared to data-backed outcomes, produced from the insect data.
The data-backed outcomes are used to score the farm from 0 - 8 using our regenerative scoring system.
From field work
Ecdysis team conducts a farm visit, involving an initial survey about management practices and insect samples are collected.
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Insect samples are brought back to Ecdysis headquarters where
they are photographed, identified, quantified and added to our dataset.
to peer-reviewed papers
The data and regenerative score from the farm is added to our 1000 Farms dataset.​
Data is compiled and analyzed for trends that can guide the future of our food system.
Ecdysis staff publishes scientific papers based on these findings—guiding land stewards and policy makers in their decisions.
Our annual reports include research updates, staff stories, and a whole lot of accomplishments.
