Rangelands cover approximately 54 percent of the Earth's terrestrial surface, yet millions of hectares have been degraded by overgrazing, agricultural expansion, urbanisation and afforestation. In The value of regeneration, published in the journal People and Nature in 2026, Ethan Gordon and colleagues explore how regeneration can be understood not only as an ecological process or a set of agricultural practices, but also as a broad value that shapes how people relate to nature. Focusing on ranching in the United States, the research examines how this perspective could contribute to more sustainable rangeland management and the well-being of both human and non-human communities.

The authors draw on semi-structured interviews with 59 ranchers across three ecoregions in Michigan, Oklahoma/Texas and Colorado/Wyoming. Their analysis identifies four dimensions of regeneration as a guiding value: the desire to improve degraded land for future generations; recognition of cyclical processes of renewal; respect for the capacity of ecosystems and non-human species to regenerate; and the belief that regeneration contributes to a meaningful and fulfilling life. These dimensions emerged among ranchers with diverse grazing philosophies, including those who did not identify as regenerative ranchers.

The findings suggest that regeneration can provide common ground across different management approaches, shifting attention from prescribed practices and measurable production outcomes towards care, reciprocity and the ecological potential of landscapes. The authors argue that promoting regeneration as a guiding principle could help mobilise diverse groups around sustainable rangeland futures and support the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's 2050 Vision of living in harmony with nature. Further research is needed to assess its potential across other sectors and social groups.