Women in
Regenerative
Agriculture

Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Revitalization

• Rowen White (Mohawk, USA) - Sierra Seeds: Rowen is a seed keeper and educator who leads projects focused on indigenous seed sovereignty and rematriation. Her work regenerates not just land, but cultural heritage. She trains communities in seed stewardship, biodiverse farming, and collaborative breeding, ensuring climate-resilient crops and reclaiming ancestral relationships with food.

• A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa, USA) - First Nations Development Institute: While leading at a national level, her work fundamentally supports community-based regenerative projects that center Native women. She advocates for and funds initiatives that integrate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with regenerative practices, rebuilding local food systems from the ground up.

 

Building Soil Health & Farming Models

• Lydia & Emma Kiro (Kenya) - Rusinga Island Vineyard: This mother-daughter duo transformed a barren, deforested 15-acre plot on an island in Lake Victoria into a thriving, biodiverse food forest and vineyard. Using agroforestry, composting, and water harvesting, they created a living example of turning degraded land into a productive, resilient ecosystem. The project provides food, income, and education for the local community.

• Brenda Chavez (USA) - Tiny Hearts Farm (California): Brenda co-founded and runs this hyper-local, no-till, biointensive farm. The farm is a model for **urban-edge regenerative production**, focusing on soil-building, carbon sequestration, and direct community nourishment through a vibrant CSA program.

 

Pasture-Based & Livestock Systems

• Nicolle Gonzalez (Diné, USA) - Change Labs & Navajo Ethno-Agriculture: As a farmer and nurse-midwife, Nicolle integrates holistic health with regenerative ranching. She works with Navajo shepherds to implement planned grazing (akin to holistic management) that restores desert grasslands, improves sheep health, and creates sustainable markets for Navajo wool and meat.

• Christina O’Sullivan (Ireland) - Hempstead Valley Farm: Christina is a leading voice in Ireland for regenerative dairy farming. She transitioned her family farm to a pasture-based, multi-species grazing system, drastically reducing inputs, enhancing biodiversity, and creating a premium product. She mentors other women in pasture management and farm business.

 

Community & Farmer Networks

• Michele Puzzolante (Italy) - Agricolus: As an agricultural engineer, Michele founded a tech platform that helps farmers (especially in the Mediterranean) adopt precision regenerative agriculture. The platform provides data-driven tools for water efficiency, soil health monitoring, and reducing chemical inputs, enabling a smoother transition to regenerative practices.

• Helena Norberg-Hodge (Sweden/Global) - Local Futures: A pioneer of the local food movement, Helena’s work for decades has been foundational to the philosophy of regeneration at a community scale. Her projects and advocacy promote decentralized, biodiverse food economies that regenerate landscapes *and* social fabric.

 

Research, Advocacy & Large-Scale Implementation

• Dr. Rattan Lal (Honorary Mention - His Students & Collaborators): While Dr. Lal is male, his mentorship has empowered countless women scientists globally who lead field projects. For example, Dr. Shamie Zingore (of  The African Plant Nutrition Institute) leads research and implementation of site-specific, soil-health-focused nutrient management across Africa, working directly with smallholder farmers.

• Savory Global Network Hub Leaders: Within the Savory Institute’s network, many Ecological Outcome Verified hubs are led by women who train thousands of farmers in holistic management. Examples include Didi Pershouse (USA, soil health education) and Agatha Nyanjong (Kenya, pastoralist communities).

 

Urban & Small-Scale Regeneration

• Naima Penniman (USA) - Soul Fire Farm (Co-Director): While Soul Fire is a collective, Naima has been a key leader in its programming. The Afro-Indigenous centered farm in New York is a national model for **regenerative agriculture as a tool for food justice and land repatriation**. They practice carbon-sequestering farming, train Black and Brown farmers, and actively work to reclaim relationship to land.

• Ronnie Cummins (Honorary - La Via Campesina & Movements): The global peasant movement La Via Campesina, which champions agroecology (a sister to regeneration), has millions of women members leading local projects. Figures like Elizabeth Mpofu (Zimbabwe), a former General Coordinator, have been instrumental in advocating for women-led agroecology as the solution to climate and food crises.

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