In recent years, the word “regeneration” has started to replace “sustainability.” Reducing impact is no longer enough: we must restore the health of agricultural ecosystems. Regenerative agriculture was born from this idea — to bring back fertility, biodiversity, and climate stability to the land.
Wheat, because of its global importance and vast cultivation area, is the perfect crop to show that this model is not utopian but entirely achievable.
What Regenerative Agriculture Means
Regenerative agriculture is more than conservation; it is a philosophy of production built around natural processes. Its goal is to restore the carbon cycle, microbial life, and the soil’s natural ability to regenerate itself.
According to the FAO (2024), a regenerative soil is a “functioning” soil: alive, porous, rich in roots and microorganisms, capable of retaining water and nutrients without depending on synthetic inputs.
Typical regenerative practices include:
- cover crops and permanent ground cover
- complex rotations with legumes and flowering plants
- reduced or no tillage
- integration of compost and organic residues
- use of mycorrhizae and natural biofertilizers
Together, these practices transform soil from a passive substrate into an active ecosystem.
Why Wheat Is Central to This Model
Wheat is one of the world’s most widespread crops and often associated with intensive systems. Yet this is precisely why it holds the key to soil regeneration.
The dense and fibrous roots of wheat can:
- improve soil structure and aggregation
- promote the formation of stable organic matter (humus)
- support microbial and fungal symbioses
In regenerative systems, wheat acts as a biological pump, capturing carbon from the atmosphere and fixing it into the soil. Studies by the Joint Research Centre (2024) show that rotations involving durum wheat, faba bean, and barley can reduce organic carbon losses by up to 35% compared to monocropping.
From Carbon Farming to Biodiversity
Regeneration also means diversification. In wheat-based systems, cover crops such as clover, vetch, or mustard increase biomass and enrich nitrogen levels naturally.
At the same time, flower strips and multifunctional hedgerows attract pollinators and beneficial insects, reducing the need for pesticides.
According to CREA (2024), a cereal farm that adopts regenerative practices can double soil biodiversity within five years and cut chemical fertilizer use by 20–30%.
Benefits for Climate, Water, and Productivity
The benefits of regenerative wheat farming are both ecological and economic. A regenerative soil:
- retains more water, increasing climate resilience during droughts
- boosts average yields by 10–15% after three years due to improved soil structure
- reduces erosion and nutrient runoff, protecting nearby water bodies
Regeneration creates a virtuous circle: more life in the soil → greater fertility → more stable production.
Examples of Regeneration in Wheat Fields
In Spain, the RegeneraCereal project showed that regenerative rotations with wheat and legumes can sequester up to 1.5 tons of CO₂ per hectare each year.
In Italy, the CREA Agroecology Platform studied regenerative durum wheat systems in central and southern regions, documenting a 40% increase in soil microbial biodiversity and better water balance.
In France, cooperatives such as Terrena and InVivo have introduced supply chain contracts based on regeneration scores, rewarding farmers who improve soil health and reduce input use.
Regeneration as a Political and Cultural Act
Regenerative agriculture is not only a technical model but also a political and ethical vision. It represents a shift from an extractive to a circular approach, where soil health becomes a shared public good.
Degraded soils cost the EU over €50 billion each year in lost productivity and ecosystem services (EEA, 2023). Regenerating land, therefore, means restoring the capacity for future life.
It is also a cultural act — a new way of understanding stewardship of the Earth. Farming regeneratively means returning fertility to the soil, not by adding chemicals, but by nurturing life itself.
Wheat as a Symbol of Renewal
Growing regenerative wheat is both an agricultural and a symbolic gesture. It reminds us that fertility does not come from fertilizers but from the living complexity of the soil.
Every root that penetrates the earth, every cover crop that protects it in winter, every hedgerow that flowers again is part of a new economy of care.
As the FAO (2024) writes, “the future of agriculture lies in regeneration, not compensation.”
And in this vision, wheat — humanity’s oldest crop — once again becomes a seed of balance between humans and the planet.
Sources:
- FAO (2024). Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health Framework.
- Joint Research Centre (2024). Carbon Sequestration in Regenerative Cereal Rotations.
- CREA – Agriculture and Environment (2024). Regenerative Systems in Italian Cereal Production.
- European Environment Agency (2023). Soil Degradation and Agricultural Productivity in the EU.
- Horizon Europe (2025). RegeneraCereal Project – Final Report.