In recent years, a single word has moved from research papers to European agricultural policies: regeneration.
No longer just sustaining the land, but restoring its health.
This is the essence of regenerative agriculture — an approach that integrates ecology, economy, and innovation to rebuild soil fertility, biodiversity, and resilience.
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027 officially recognizes this paradigm, linking it to the goals of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
But what does it really mean to regenerate a wheat field?
From Soil as a Resource to Soil as a Living System
For decades, European agriculture focused mainly on yields and productivity.
Today, farmers and scientists alike acknowledge that fertility is not a static feature but a living balance among soil, climate, and human management.
Regenerative agriculture begins with a simple yet revolutionary principle: soil is not a substrate — it’s a living organism.
To regenerate it means restoring its organic matter, microbial diversity, and capacity to retain water and carbon.
In cereal systems, this translates into practices such as:
- No-tillage or minimum tillage, to preserve soil structure and microbial habitats;
- Long crop rotations with legumes and melliferous plants, enriching soil nitrogen and breaking pest cycles;
- Winter cover crops, protecting soil from erosion and building organic carbon;
- Use of compost and natural amendments, restoring nutrients and carbon stocks.
Links with the New CAP and Eco-Schemes
The CAP 2023–2027 identifies soil regeneration as a core environmental priority.
Its instruments most aligned with regenerative principles include:
- Eco-Scheme 4 (Soil and biodiversity protection);
- Eco-Scheme 5 (Efficient management of water and fertilizers);
- and Agri-environmental interventions under the Rural Development Programs (PSR).
Through these measures, farmers can receive incentives for:
- reducing deep tillage and adopting direct seeding;
- maintaining permanent or seasonal vegetation cover;
- implementing organic fertilization plans;
- using digital tools to monitor soil health.
In Emilia-Romagna, for example, the LIFE AGRICARE and Soil4Life projects have shown that direct seeding combined with legume rotations can cut CO₂ emissions by 30% and increase soil water retention by 25%.
The Economic Value of Regeneration
Regenerative agriculture is not just an ecological ideal — it’s an economic strategy.
Investing in soil means lowering dependence on synthetic fertilizers and stabilizing yields in the long term.
According to a Joint Research Centre (JRC, 2024) study, regenerative wheat systems can reduce fertilizer costs by 18% while maintaining — or even slightly increasing — yields by around 5% over time.
In addition, regenerated soils store carbon and enhance functional biodiversity — key factors in emerging environmental credit markets and corporate ESG accounting frameworks.
Science and Innovation: Measuring Soil Regeneration
Regeneration can now be measured scientifically.
Using techniques like near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), researchers assess organic carbon and mineral nitrogen content.
Digital sensors and drones monitor microbial biomass and enzymatic activity — direct indicators of soil vitality.
The EU Soil Mission (Horizon Europe, 2024–2030) aims to regenerate 75% of European soils by 2035 through coordinated research, training, and policy action.
Within this framework, regenerative agriculture represents a bridge between scientific knowledge and field-level practice.
From Concept to Culture
Regenerating the land does not mean going backward.
It means rediscovering the balance between tradition and innovation.
Crop rotations, green manures, and reduced tillage — once seen as old practices — now gain new relevance thanks to technology and policy support.
Farmers who embrace regenerative systems often describe a deep shift:
less input, more observation; less reaction, more prevention.
It’s a new culture of farming that views the soil not as a tool but as a partner.
For wheat — the symbolic crop of Mediterranean agriculture — regeneration is not just an environmental goal.
It is a promise for the future.
Sources:
- European Commission (2024). Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027: Eco-Schemes and Soil Health.
- FAO (2023). Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Carbon Sequestration.
- CREA – Agriculture and Environment (2024). Conservation Practices and Rotations in Italian Cereal Systems.
- JRC – Joint Research Centre (2024). Economic and Environmental Performance of Regenerative Wheat Systems.
- LIFE Programme (2024). Soil4Life and AGRICARE Projects – Final Reports.
- Horizon Europe (2024). Soil Mission Implementation Plan.