Where regenerative farming practices could increase yields: a global assessment

Regenerative farming practices (RFP)—no-tillage (NT), cover crops (CC), agroforestry (AF), and organic farming (OF)—are increasingly promoted to enhance soil health and support sustainable food production. Yet, their global suitability and yield effects remain unclear. We assessed where these practices could increase crop yields across global croplands using a Random Forest model trained on field-scale data from multiple meta-analyses linked with global climate, soil, and environmental datasets at 5-arc-minute resolution. Yield increases varied by practice, covering 5–45% of cropland area. CC showed the greatest potential for yield improvement (45%), followed by AF (41%), NT (37%), and OF (5%). Areas suitable for multiple RFPs often involved combinations such as CC–AF and OF–CC–AF. Our findings highlight spatial variability in RFP impacts and provide insights to guide policies and interventions that promote soil health and enhance food production globally.