Regenerative Agriculture and Leading Practices in Italy
Regenerative agriculture has gained international attention in recent years. This approach aims to restore ecosystems and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while cultivating crops. Italy is one of the countries proactively advancing regenerative agriculture. This article presents leading examples observed by our research team in Italy.
目次
The Importance of Regenerative Agriculture
What regenerative agriculture is
Regenerative agriculture aims to restore soil health and ecosystems. (*1) While sustainability focuses on minimizing environmental impact and maintaining the current state, regenerative agriculture emphasizes restoring nature. It seeks to increase soil organic matter, enhance biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Why the need for regenerative agriculture is increasing
Transforming agricultural practices has become an urgent global challenge. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that land use, including agriculture and forestry, accounts for about 22 percent of global GHG emissions. FAO stresses that transforming agrifood systems is essential. (2) IPBES, an international body focused on biodiversity, reports that more than one million species are currently at risk of extinction. It cites land and marine use, including farmland expansion, as the primary drivers (3). Amid these circumstances, some initiatives have begun to actively pursue a transition toward regenerative agriculture.
OP2B Initiatives
OP2B (One Planet Business for Biodiversity) is a business coalition focusing on biodiversity in agriculture. It was launched during the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. (*4) OP2B includes 26 global companies, such as the dairy manufacturer Danone, the food and beverage company Nestlé, the cosmetics company L’Oréal and the household goods manufacturer Unilever. Each company contributes to biodiversity conservation by shifting its related agrifood systems toward regenerative, nature-positive practices.
OP2B has set four objectives to promote regenerative agriculture (*5):
1.Protect and enhance biodiversity on and around farms
2. Improve and strengthen soil carbon and water retention by using plants, livestock and agricultural practices
3. Reduce pesticide and fertilizer use while improving crop and ecosystem resilience
4. Support the livelihoods of farming communities
To meet these objectives, OP2B uses eight indicators; biodiversity measurement; soil assessment; carbon sequestration measurement by soils and plants; and the evaluation of social and economic impacts.
In its five-year activity report (*6) released this September, OP2B announced that its actions have influenced 3.9 million hectares of farmland. It aims to expand regenerative agriculture to 12.5 million hectares by 2030.
Regenerative Organic Certification
To support farmers and companies adopting regenerative agriculture, and to help consumers identify such products, the non-profit Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) launched the Regenerative Organic Certification in 2017 (*7). The certification was developed by organizations and companies including the outdoor brand Patagonia and aims for one of the highest standards of agricultural certification worldwide.
Applicants must first be certified organic under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ROA then evaluates three pillars: soil health, animal welfare and farmer working conditions (*7). The certification has three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
OP2B and ROA each promote regenerative agriculture through different approaches. These efforts support ecosystem restoration, farmer livelihoods and enhanced product value.
Advanced Practices in Italy
From organic farming to regenerative agriculture
Given that ROA requires organic certification as a prerequisite, farmers already practicing organic agriculture find it easier to transition to regenerative practices that restore ecosystems.
Italy, which has one of the most advanced organic farming sectors in the EU, is also one of the countries where the introduction of regenerative agriculture is progressing. As of 2024, organic farmland accounts for about 20 percent of Italy’s total agricultural land, placing it among the highest in the EU (8). The EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, which aims to make food systems more sustainable, has set a target of converting 25 percent of farmland to organic farming by 2030 (9). Italian traditional farming practices rooted in each region’s climate, soil and culture align with the principles of soil health and ecosystem restoration that regenerative agriculture aims to achieve. For example, in Tuscany, known for olive oil and wine production, organic-certified farmland has reached 35.8 %, already surpassing the EU’s target (25%) (10). Fattoria La Vialla, a farm known for its olive oil and wine, practices not only organic farming but also biodynamic agriculture. This approach treats the entire farm as a single ecosystem, considering interactions among soil, plants, animals and people (11). The farm has been selected as a partner in the UN Environment Program’s “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” serving as a model case (*12).
Agriturismo
For regenerative agriculture to take root, consumer understanding and local economic benefits are essential.
Agriturismo, which is already thriving in Italy, facilitates this transition.
Agriturismo combines farming and tourism. Farmers offer visitors agricultural experiences, nature-based activities and rural lifestyles (*13).The model is popular both domestically and internationally, and Italy has an official certification system for agriturismo (*14).
Because agriturismo is often found in hilly and mountainous regions rather than large flat farmland, it creates opportunities for small-scale farmers to communicate the value of their products directly to consumers. This contributes not only to environmental and cultural preservation but also to local economic revitalization. Although agriturismo is not limited to regenerative farmers, it provides an effective way to communicate the value of regenerative agriculture. Our research team took part in an agriturismo experience in Pollica, southern Italy, in April 2024. In Pollica, not only farmers but also local universities collaborate to implement regenerative agriculture.
Field Visit in Pollica, Italy
Features of Pollica
Pollica is one of the seven regions representing the Mediterranean diet, which was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010 (15). This hilly region surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea has maintained traditional food culture and agriculture using local ingredients such as olive oil, vegetables, seafood and dairy products. Pollica is part of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, which UNESCO recognizes as a Biosphere Reserve (16). The area is important from an environmental conservation perspective because it hosts many endemic and rare species. The park is also a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and influences from the diverse cultures and religions that intersected there in ancient times can still be observed today (*17).
Pollica is a community where rich natural environments coexist with traditional ways of life.
Community-wide Initiatives
The Future Food Institute (FFI), a non-profit organization focused on sustainable food systems, sees Pollica as an important model for thinking about the future of food and agriculture. FFI collaborates with the local community to explore solutions (*18), and our research team visited Pollica through FFI.
Pollica preserves traditional farming while adopting research and technology provided by local universities through FFI.
Examples include fig farmers cultivating without pesticides and dairy farmers producing mozzarella from cattle fed organic feed grown on-site. These farmers have improved processing techniques and enhanced product value.
Through agriturismo, visitors can learn from producers and enjoy dishes made with local dairy products and vegetables. This helps communicate the value of production and contributes to regional revitalization.
However, local stakeholders also pointed out challenges. Local stakeholders commented that although their practices should have positive effects on the ecosystem, the challenge when promoting these practices more widely is that the degree of environmental benefit has not yet been scientifically demonstrated.
The importance of visualizing environmental value
Regenerative agriculture has gained global attention, and some regions in Italy have adopted community-wide efforts through agriturismo.
At the same time, there are challenges in implementing regenerative agriculture.
Ecosystems vary widely across the world. Each environment contains unique species and microorganisms that interact in complex ways. Because these elements interact in complex ways and change over time, it is difficult to obtain an accurate overall picture. Evaluating ecosystems requires data across many indicators, including biodiversity, water quality, soil health and carbon sequestration (19). As a result, regenerative agriculture must be adapted to local conditions, and uniform standards do not exist (20). This makes it difficult for farmers to understand the extent to which they are contributing to the ecosystem, and difficult for companies and consumers to grasp the value of the products.
Efficient and Effective Quantification
The impact of regenerative agriculture must be assessed through multiple indicators including biodiversity, soil conditions and GHG reduction.
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is widely used to evaluate the GHG impact of products and services. However, biodiversity is too complex to be fully assessed through LCA alone.
Our company supports the use of internationally recognized tools such as Encore and IBAT (*21), which assess biodiversity impacts and provide regional biodiversity data.
Please contact us if you would like to enhance the appeal of your products or would like to learn more about trends in Europe and the United States.
References
1. Why Regenerative Agriculture? – Regeneration International
4. Home – OP2B
5. OP2B-Regenerative-Agriculture-Leaflet_FINAL.pdf
6. OP2B Five-Year Report | WBCSD
7. Regenerative Organic Certified: Farm like the world depends on it (regenorganic.org)
8. Italy Among EU Leaders: Over One Fifth of Italian Agricultural Land is Organic – BeingOrganic
9. 「Farm to Fork(農場から食卓まで)戦略」にみるEUの有機農業拡大に向けた課題と今後の展開の方向性：農林水産政策研究所 (maff.go.jp)
10. Tuscany “queen of organic”: the five organic districts with a new unitary logo | Sinab
11. Biodynamic approach and principles (demeter.net)
12. The guarantee | Fattoria La Vialla
13. Agriturismo in Italy | Europeana
14. Cos’è l’Agriturismo – Un modo originale di vivere la campagna – Agriturismo Italia
15. Pollica, Cilento (Italy) – UNESCO Med Diet (mediterraneandietunesco.org)
16. Biodiversità – Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni