European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture

The European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) is an independent farmer-led coordination and political advocacy organisation of the movement of regenerative agriculture at the European level.

It is firmly rooted in its pioneering farming stewards from all of Europe’s diverse contexts. EARA is striving to enable the transformation of our agrifood system through accountable ecologic, economic and social regeneration beginning with the health of our living soils.

Policy Paper

Towards a farmer-centric CAP rooted in Agroecosystem Health - Facilitating the Transformation of EU Agrifood Ecosystems

We want to put farmers and agroecosystem health at the center of the next CAP. Our proposal sketches a farmer-centric and performance-based path for a CAP post 2027 that can deliver:

structural simplification & fairness
rapid spreading of context-specific innovation
farm labour attractiveness
synergistic integration of productivity & ecology
an immense co-financing opportunity of Member States for climate change adaptation
meaningful public reengagement with rural livelihoods, farmer well-being, local regions, landscapes and communities
healthy and sustainable food security in Europe and beyond
the strengthening of social cohesion and European sovereignty
a re-rooting of the European project in the health of our European continent and its inhabitants

Read our Policy Paper

Read our Policy Brief

Own figure based on Wang-Erlandsson et al. 2022; Persson et al. 2022; Steffen et al. 2015, Campbell et al. 2017; Kovac & Kravic 2023.

Learn more about our Founding Farmers and how we work together to transform European agriculture

Reason Why

The current agri-food system is the greatest cause for the degradation of our planetary health

Additionally, in regard to human and animal health, crops have greatly reduced their antioxidants, micro- and phytonutrients due to modern genetics, agricultural practices, and degraded soil health underlying health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes.

Own figure based on Wang-Erlandsson et al. 2022; Persson et al. 2022; Steffen et al. 2015, Campbell et al. 2017; Kovac & Kravcik 2023.

Background

The current agri-food system is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases by economic sectors globally.

The current governance mode of the crises fails to facilitate the needed socio-ecological trend reversals. Competing policy narratives employed to facilitate the trend reversals have led to a practical deadlock of agricultural policy. The regenerative transformation is impeded by a practice-based and short-term policy approach that alienates farmers who are struggling to build planning security in a volatile and predatory regulatory and market environment.

0 %

of all CO2 emitted 1990-2015 globally

0 + Billion

of our fellow human beings can not afford a healthy diet with agonizing consequences like malnutrition, diseases, hunger and starvation.

Who we are

But there is proof of hope.

Regenerative farmers are leading the way from degradation to regeneration all over Europe.

Watch this space as we fill it with the profiles of our Founding Farmers!

Alfonso & Yanniek

We are the farmers of La Junquera, an organic regenerative farm and village in the South of Spain. We are creating a diverse and thriving landscape together with our partners (Regeneration Academy, Camp Altiplano) and bringing back life to the countryside. We grow a variety of crops and herd cows. We work hard to restore soils, capture water and bring back biodiversity through compost, swales, ponds, keyline, minimum tillage, hedges and borders and grazing practices. www.lajunquera.com

Anna & David

Regenerative agriculture is more than just a farming practice - it's a way of life deeply rooted in our Hungarian traditions. It signifies our commitment to restoring the health of our land, fostering biodiversity, and creating a sustainable food system that nourishes both people and the planet. https://www.remenyfarm.hu/

Marja

The Pursila farm is a conventional grain farm where regenerative cultivation is practiced. The farm also has cattle and sheep for landscaping. Regenerative agriculture means nurturing and revitalizing the soil, the ecosystem and the biodiversity.

Daniele

We cultivate soil, water, landscape. Farming life is our passion, producing abundant good, nutritious food by restoring soil is what we are committed to. We enjoy farming, trying our best to regenerate the land we work on, in order to leave it to future generations, better than how we got it.

William Houstoun

I holistically graze sheep and cattle on my farm in Glenisla, Scotland for my brother who has a 1,000 ha farm in Glenshee which is transitioning to regenerative management. I have been based here all my life while I have managed farm businesses ranging from Venezuelan ranches to a Scottish soft fruit co-operative. I now also work as a Savory Accredited Professional Educator.

Tilen Praprotnik

Kmetija Vegerila is situated at the foot of the Alps at an altitude just above 500 m in the north-western corner of Slovenia. It is a small family run farm on 14 hectares. Today we grow the grain for our poultry, the rest of land consists of marginal grasslands and traditional vigorous stock orchards to graze our livestock. We only sell locally and strive to build a local community interested in holistic regenerative agriculture.

You are a regenerative Farmer?

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Evidence of the impressive outcomes produced by regenerative farmers

Biodiversity

0 x

more birds

Water

0 °C

less surface temperature

Water

0 %

improvement of the soils´ water functions

Carbon

0 %

better CO2e balance

Productivity

0 %

increase of forage production on pastures

Crop Health

0 %

less ‘pest’ abundance

Nutritional Quality

0 %

higher nutrient density

Economic Health

0 %

Regenerative farmers from several European countries, genders, ages and farm types work together

In a time when political decisions fail to solve the ‘trade-off’ between the regeneration of ecosystems and agricultural productivity, regenerative farmers show that resilient and high quality yields are best achieved through ecosystem regeneration with various co-benefits on health and climate change mitigation. EARA serves to make the voices of farming pioneers central in relevant political discourses to guide stakeholders’ decision-making in the EU member states as well as in EU institutions towards the urgently needed regenerative transformation of our agri-food system in Europe and beyond.

Become part of the transformation

What we do

Examples of our Policy Advocacy

EU Soil Health Law Coalition

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Joint Position Paper on the Soil Health Law

EU Soil Health Law Coalition

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Joint Position Paper on the Soil Health Law

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EARA White Paper: Together for Regenerative Agrifood Ecosystems

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Towards a farmer-centric CAP rooted in agroecosystem health

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Become a part of the transformation.

The ecosystem EARA strives to grow around its regenerating farmers is inclusive of everyone in the regenerative movement who is deeply engaged in the genuine regeneration of our EU agri-food system and beyond: Farmers, scientists, policy-makers, NGOs, individual pioneers from the food industry and many many more. If you want to join our Alliance and support our ecosystem, political advocacy and agitation please reach out.

EARA’s Operational Team is driven by the needs, knowledge and experience of our community of regenerative farmers. They act as coordinators and facilitators of our farmer-led Alliance.

Natascha Schwarzkopf, Alliance Builder

Trained Sustainability Economist and experienced Policy Advisor. Passionate about rethinking economics and policy making for regeneration.

Ana Digón, Community Care

Trained Political Scientist, Linguist and Process Facilitator. Committed to supporting regenerative farmers in their work to change the world through wholesome food and relationships.

Simon Krämer, Policy Steward

Trained Political Agroeconomist and experienced Policy Advisor. Invested to grow farmer and food agency, biocultural diversity, biogeochemical cycling and peace.

Meghan Sapp, Advocacy Steward

Experienced lobbyist at EU, UN and African Union levels as well as former journalist and current founding farmer of EARA. Passionate about bringing the voice and experience of progressive, regenerative farmers to the heart of Europe.

Virginia Tarditi, Advocacy Coordinator

Master's degree in Agroecology, passionate about sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Committed to blending traditional wisdom with innovative approaches to address today's pressing challenges with a holistic perspective.