EARA | European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture

Marco Carbonara, regenerative farmer from Italy (Pulicaro Regenerative Farm and Rural Hospitality), traveled to Brussels to advocate for two critical but often overlooked issues in the CAP: diversified pasture-based livestock management and fair compensation for ecosystem services.? ?? Livestock Management: Regenerative farmers use holistic grazing systems that improve soil health, sequester carbon, and enhance biodiversity. However, outdated regulations often hinder these practices:?? ? Rigid zoning and subsidy rules penalize pasture-based systems, even though well-managed grazing restores ecosystems.?? ? Strict biosecurity laws treat all farms the same, making it harder for regenerative farmers to integrate livestock in resilient, agroecological systems.? Yet, research shows that diversified, outdoor-based livestock systems can reduce disease risk, enhance soil fertility, and strengthen climate resilience—precisely the kind of farming we should support.? ?? Fair Compensation for Ecosystem Services? Farmers who regenerate soil, increase biodiversity, and improve water cycles should be properly rewarded. As underlined in our Joint Response to Commissioner Hansen’s Vision to Agriculture and Food, current CAP payments are based on costs incurred or income forgone, rather than the real value of ecosystem services provided.??? ?? Instead of funding practices disconnected from actual outcomes, we need results-based incentive schemes that recognize and support farmers delivering measurable benefits.?? ?? Stronger soils mean greater resilience against climate shocks, droughts, and floods—benefits that should be acknowledged and financially supported.? Marco’s voice represents thousands of farmers working with nature. It’s time for the EU to shift from rigid, outdated policies to flexible, outcome-driven solutions that empower farmers to lead the way in agroecosystem regeneration.? #RegenerateEuropefromtheGroundUp If you want to learn more, here is some scientific evidence supporting regenerative livestock management: https://lnkd.in/eqMwgv4r https://lnkd.in/e5T6QQmD? https://lnkd.in/eixD9AiX? https://lnkd.in/ecMf2xPg https://lnkd.in/eJFqWXTW ?? Video Credit: Raphael Esterhazy | Deep Seed - Regenerative Agriculture

?? Miha Curk, Regenerative farmer from Slovenia, traveled to Brussels to amplify farmers' voices in the political arena, advocating for “policy changes that move away from rigid farming prescriptions and instead support flexible approaches focused on measurable outcomes.” ???? Miha, as all EARA farmers implement diverse approaches within the broader framework of regenerative forms of agriculture. While their specific practices may vary, they are all committed to an outcome-based approach that prioritizes the restoration and enhancement of soil health and ecosystem functioning. Rather than adhering to rigid, one-size-fits-all techniques, they adopt context-specific, adaptive systems that align with local ecological, social, and economic conditions. ?? This flexibility enables farmers to develop resilient and thriving agroecosystems, integrating traditional knowledge with innovative solutions acknowledging that adaptive management strategies—tailored to soil type, climate, and landscape characteristics—can significantly improve soil structure, water retention, biodiversity, and overall farm productivity ?? Current agricultural policies, however, tend to impose standardized practices and rigid regulations, limiting farmers' ability to experiment, innovate, and apply locally adapted regenerative techniques. By prioritizing prescriptive measures over ecosystem-based outcomes, these policies can hinder the transition towards a truly sustainable and resilient agricultural systems . A shift towards policy frameworks that recognize the complexity of agroecosystems—supporting farmers' ability to enhance soil and ecosystem health within their specific contexts—is essential for long-term food security and environmental and social regeneration.

?? Join Us in Strengthening Our Response! ?? We have been overwhelmed by the incredible support following the release of our Response to Commissioner Hansen's Vision for Agriculture and Food last week. Many organizations have reached out, wishing to endorse the document and to share in our common vision. To make this process easier, we’ve created a form where you can co-sign. By doing so, your logo will be added to the document.? We will also include you in our future collaborations, so that you can also be part of future actions. ?? Find the co-signing form here: https://tally.so/r/nrvVY5 ?? Find the Response Document here: https://lnkd.in/evXcUCW2 Thank you to everyone who has supported this initiative so far. Let’s continue building momentum together! ????

Meet the incredible women who are shaping the future of agriculture and food across Europe. ???? Here’s to celebrating the women in farming who are tirelessly working to regenerate our landscapes. They are serving as guardians of our ecosystems and nurturers of our rural communities every single day and are key to a holistic transformation in agriculture and food. At EARA, half of us farmers are women. While there are many more, to offer a glimpse into the transformative power they provide, let us introduce: ?sa Vilhelmsson in Sweden farming cattle outside year-round in the far north, Meghan Sapp in Spain holistically managing her land while shaping policies in Brussels, Anne van Leeuwen in the Netherlands bridging nature restoration and farming like no other, nick viney in England regenerating landscapes and ecosystems while connecting art and farming, Yanniek Marijn Schoonhoven in Spain regenerating Spain’s desert and pioneering rural education, Beate Caldewey-Samaras in Greece pioneering soil health and transition finance in farming, Chiara Pulicaro in Italy nurturing holistic, integrative ecosystems of plants, animals, and people, and Sheila Darmos in Greece reviving rural landscapes and communities. ? ?? In honor of all the work they are doing for a living world, a heartfelt thank you to all the women in farming—past, present, and future—who are showing us the path to regeneration. #internationalwomensday #womeninag

???? Regenerating Europe: A United Call for Action On 6 February 2025, EARA hosted a Senior AgriFood Workshop as part of our Regenerating Europe Tour, bringing together pioneering farmers, businesses, and civil society leaders to build common ground. The agreements reached form the foundation of this joint response to Commissioner Hansen’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture and Food. ?? While the Vision is a step toward European food security, sovereignty, and strategic autonomy, it does not go far enough. The signatories agree that regenerating forms of agriculture must be central to achieving these goals, with context-specific, results-based incentives driving real transformation.? We strongly advocate for a results-based CAP reform, aligned with EARA’s upcoming research (coming May 2025), which will demonstrate how a unified benchmarking system that can effectively track holistic farm performance while reducing administrative burdens on farmers and enabling to farm better with Nature every growing cycle. ?? You can find the Joint Response to Commissioner Hansen's Vision for Agriculture and Food here: https://lnkd.in/euDiF_qz ?? This is just the beginning. The signatories are committed to working together to push for policies that truly support the transition to regenerative agriculture. ?? Join us on the Regenerating Europe Tour as we spotlight pioneering farmers across the continent who are restoring soils, water cycles, and ecosystems HarvestCare, Ashoka Netherlands, European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), We Are The ReGeneration, Baltic Sea Action Group, BSAG, European Vegetarian Union, The AgriCircle, RHEA - Regenerative Healthcare European Association, Savory Institute, CrowdFarming, Miha Curk, Regeneration Academy, Asociación de Agricultura Regenerativa, European Landowners' Organization, OP2B, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, Pangaio Living Soil, FAIRR Initiative, Anders Lerberg Kopstad, Anders Assis, NOW Partners Foundation, Soil Heroes Foundation, Unilever, Commonland, Terra Sintrópica, Piotr Maciejewski, CultivAé - Coopérative agroécologique, House of Agroecology, Water Holistic, The Southern Lights,

At EARA, we are deeply engaged in pragmatic, farmer-led research on regenerating forms of agriculture. EARA pioneering farmers are active voices in the conversation, bringing a firsthand perspective on how transforming agrifood ecosystems is not only necessary but entirely possible – through accountable ecological, economic, and social regeneration, they are proving that change starts on the ground. ?? This week in Brussels, we had the honor of presenting our preliminary research results at the invitation of the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Commission DG AGRI, and OP2B. More than just results, we shared our farmers' visions for transition finance and how it should work for them to accelerate regenerative transformation. The conversation didn’t stop there. Yesterday and today at the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Summit 2025 #rfsi we took to the stage alongside Philip Taylor, Ph.D. from Mad Capital and Fanny CORPET SAUVAGEON ?? from Lively.earth, further deepening the dialogue on regenerative finance. We believe that a harmonized public-private core data infrastructure could unlock real financial opportunities for farmers. By demonstrating a clear path toward regeneration, farmers could gain access to ?? debt restructuring, ?? affordable loans for land and equipment, ?? and transition insurance ensuring the financial support needed to drive lasting change in agriculture. The global agricultural innovation leap is happening. Europe can lead the world’s regeneration. Lets enable all our farmers to lead us.

At EARA, we are deeply engaged in pragmatic, farmer-led research on regenerating forms of agriculture. EARA pioneering farmers are active voices in the conversation, bringing a firsthand perspective on how transforming agrifood ecosystems is not only necessary but entirely possible – through accountable ecological, economic, and social regeneration, they are proving that change starts on the ground. ?? This week in Brussels, we had the honor of presenting our preliminary research results at the invitation of the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Commission DG AGRI, and OP2B. More than just results, we shared our farmers' visions for transition finance and how it should work for them to accelerate regenerative transformation. The conversation didn’t stop there. Yesterday and today at the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Summit 2025 #rfsi we took to the stage alongside Philip Taylor, Ph.D. from Mad Capital and Fanny CORPET SAUVAGEON ?? from Lively.earth, further deepening the dialogue on regenerative finance. We believe that a harmonized public-private core data infrastructure could unlock real financial opportunities for farmers. By demonstrating a clear path toward regeneration, farmers could gain access to ?? debt restructuring, ?? affordable loans for land and equipment, ?? and transition insurance ensuring the financial support needed to drive lasting change in agriculture. The global agricultural innovation leap is happening. Europe can lead the world’s regeneration. Lets enable all our farmers to lead us.

“There is one thing we know for sure and that is that times are changing” We talk about System Change and Systems Thinking a lot, but what does that actually mean? In Brussels, we asked friends and partners who joined us on their take on our current transition and system complexities. To Merijn Dols, Managing Partner at NOW Partners Foundation it’s crucial to understand that large system shifts happen from the fringes. What he also emphasized? The critical role of pioneering farmers in transforming agrifood systems towards greater resilience and decentralization. For too long, economies of scale and resource efficiency have justified a push toward centralized food systems—but at what cost? An increased system fragility due to the immense distance between food sources and consumers, making the whole system more vulnerable to disruptions. ?? Unlike centralized models with fewer production hubs, decentralized systems reduce single points of failure and strengthen food security at regional levels. ???? By bringing farmers’ voices into the discussion, we can co-design a system that is less fragile, more adaptive, and better equipped to face future challenges. Each actor in the food system—farmers, policymakers, businesses—has a role in shaping resilience, contributing unique knowledge, experiences, and strategies. The EARA Regenerating Europe Tour will be a key moment to foster dialogue, collaboration, and shared vision among farmers, policymakers, and stakeholders. It aims to build a strong consensus for a systemic transformation—one that is resilient, adaptable, and capable of meeting the evolving challenges of the future. Articles used to support this post: - https://lnkd.in/euu4MuBr? - https://lnkd.in/eEYcRRu9?

?? The time for collective action is now. Regenerative agriculture has to remain regenerative agriculture, led by farmers who step out of the reductionistic mindset and take an ecosystem approach to their actions. When we presented the economic resilience gained by Europe's pioneering farmers in actual facts and numbers at our EU Parliament Dinner, it quickly became clear that farming with nature is a no brainer. (Stay tuned for the results to be published later in spring!) ? Michal Wiezik, one of the Members of the European Parliament hosting us for Regeneration Week in Brussels, shared his perspective with us. The solutions we seek for the future of agriculture are embedded in the essence of integral regenerative farming. Michal highlights that we need to:? ?? recognize?agriculture’s deep connection to nature—Unlike any other sector, food production is intricately linked to healthy ecosystems, relying on their complexity and resilience. ???? empower farmers as the knowledge bearers—Whether through tradition or innovation, farmers hold the key to best practices. They must be at the forefront of the transition, supported by all fundamental players in the agrifood chain. The EARA Regenerating Europe Tour is a call to action—bringing together farmers, policymakers, and stakeholders to shape the future of food and farming across all member states. Thank you Michal Wiezik for backing us in bringing the unique opportunity of the tour to unite in diversity with a common purpose in Europe. Our Brussels Regeneration Week was hosted by three Members of the European Parliament: Michal Wiezik (Renew) from Slovakia, Cristina Guarda (Greens) and Dario Nardella (S&D) from Italy, who are putting their perspective to Brussels to push for a transition in our agrifood systems. A huge thank you to all three for hosting us at the European Parliament and kicking-off the tour with us! We will be back.

As we await Commissioner Christophe Hansen’s Vision for Agriculture and Food to shape a future-proof CAP, farmers like Sheila Darmos are already showing what’s possible. ?? Sheila’s farm in the South of Greek Peloponnese thrives with biodiversity—where the soil smells like a forest, is rich in nutrients, retains water, and produces abundant food. But agriculture needs more than just applause—Sheila left her farm to come to Brussels, calling for real action on the ground and the dismantling of misguided regulations that hinder agriculture with nature. ?? The EARA Regenerating Europe Tour is about building alliances that drive real change. By connecting pioneering farmers with key players across the agrifood supply chain, we can create a political landscape that truly supports agroecosystem regeneration. Change happens when those working the land and shaping the system come and join forces together. Contact us if you want to bring the EARA Tour to your Country! In the video: Sheila Darmos, EARA Founding Farmer and Director of The Southern Lights & Simon Kr?mer, EARA ED | Lead Strategy, Policy and Operations Steward Video Credit: Raphael Esterhazy | Deep Seed Podcast