Science and farmers define the ten basic criteria of regenerative agriculture to curb greenwashing

Regenerative agriculture is establishing itself as a leading alternative for addressing current environmental and social challenges. However, this surge has not been accompanied by official certification, leading companies and other stakeholders to appropriate the term as a tool for greenwashing , a practice not endorsed by the scientific community or the majority of regenerative producers. To address this gap, CREAF and the Spanish Association of Iberian Regenerative Agriculture are publishing a reference document today that establishes the ten basic criteria that define genuine regenerative agriculture. The document was created during the REGEN project and has the consensus of nearly 200 producers, organizations, and representatives from the sector, as well as scientific personnel from universities and research centers throughout Spain.

Meanwhile, CREAF has released groundbreaking scientific findings that further strengthen the case for this model over conventional farming. After two years of analysis and comparisons, science has determined that regenerative agriculture produces healthier food, and that it can do so in the same quantity and at a similar or even lower cost than the conventional system. In this case, the Regenera.cat project has involved four farms in Catalonia that have been applying regenerative techniques for several years in various plots of their vegetable gardens (Verdcamp Fruits), vineyards (Familia Torres), orchards (Pomona Fruits) – three farms that hold organic certification and have decided to take regenerative agriculture a step further – and pastureland (Planeses).

One of the document's central themes is soil conservation , with principles such as avoiding tilling to preserve a structure that takes years to form; keeping it as covered as possible with pruning debris or other plant cover to reduce erosion and retain moisture; and integrating managed grazing so that livestock move daily , helping to fertilize the soil through their manure and trampling. Key objectives include managing the farm agroecologically, reducing water use, and minimizing waste . Furthermore, a social pillar is established, highlighting the close link between agriculture and the health of the land and its people, because for this shift to be feasible, knowledge-sharing activities, short supply chains, and consumer mobilization are also essential.

To do this, over the course of a year, six regional debates have been organized on farms in Andalusia, the Valencian Community, Galicia, Castile and León and Catalonia, and a final meeting in Manresa, at the REVIVE festival, between representatives from all over Iberia.

Furthermore, these criteria have been specifically developed for six types of production , as each has distinct realities and needs. The production types included so far are olive groves, citrus and fruit trees, viticulture, vegetable gardens, herbaceous crops, and cattle farming, with plans to expand to include more crops in the future.

Among the results of RegeneraCat, the scientific team highlights that products obtained through regenerative techniques increase the concentration of certain nutrients and are therefore healthier. "There are few studies that have evaluated the nutritional density of foods obtained through regenerative techniques," says Dolores Raigón, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and an expert in nutritional analysis.

For example, in the case of Verdcamp Fruits , a higher mineral content and antioxidant substances have been detected in the regenerative pumpkins , "in addition there is also a higher concentration of the substances responsible for the sweet taste," adds the researcher.

Similarly, Pomona Fruits pears stand out for their balanced concentration of acids and total sugars, "making them more balanced in flavor—neither too sweet nor too acidic," explains Dolores Raigón. Like pumpkins, these regenerative pears also have a higher polyphenol content and twice the antioxidant capacity , "all of which helps reduce cellular oxidative stress and promotes greater protection against disease."

Meanwhile, milk from cows on the regenerative farms in Planeses shows a significantly lower atherogenic index . “This means there are fewer fatty acids associated with plaque formation in the arteries,” the expert adds. In the case of regenerative yogurt, the results are even more positive, as it shows lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indices—the latter measuring the tendency of fats to promote blood clot formation. “In general, this is associated with a healthier lipid profile, with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and thrombus formation.”

Beyond food, the data reveals that regenerative management has positive effects on the soil. The most significant differences in soil have been observed in the plots of Verdcamp Fruits and Pomona Fruits. Specifically, the carbon concentration in regenerative soil is at least 35% higher in regenerative plots compared to conventional ones . “To give you an idea of the importance of this data, it has been estimated that increasing carbon sequestration in all agricultural and forest soils by 0.4% each year could offset all current greenhouse gas emissions,” highlights Sara Marañón, a researcher at CREAF and part of the project. They have also found that water retention capacity is at least 9% higher in regenerative plots . “This means they can absorb more water in case of flooding and have more reserves in case of drought,” the expert points out.

The study also shows that the regenerative model better maintains the soil microclimate. “This is very positive because, for example, it buffers the temperature when it’s hot and better retains moisture. In fact, we’ve seen that it can buffer maximum soil temperatures by up to 3.6 degrees in summer,” Marañón adds.

And there's more. It has been observed that there is greater biodiversity of bacteria, fungi, and microarthropods in the soil, and several of the species detected are bioindicators of improved ecosystem quality. "Species recognized as commercial biopesticides, such as Metarhizium sp., also appear; that is, they can act as natural pest control," explains Xavi Domene, a researcher at CREAF.

“Another very important point is that the final results of RegeneraCat confirm that, contrary to popular belief, after a few years of transition and once the soil health has recovered, this model can produce the same amount of food as the conventional system and do so at a similar or even lower cost ,” explains Javi Retana, a researcher at CREAF and also the coordinator of RegeneraCat. According to the researcher, more data on a larger scale is still needed, and the next step is to expand the research with more farms and even more diverse crops, but “overall, the results are very promising and support the benefits of regenerative agriculture,” Retana concludes.

The Regenera.cat regenerative agriculture project is funded by AGAUR through the Clima program, financed by the Fons Climàtic of the Departament de Territori, Habitatge i Transició Ecològica, which is funded by 50% of the income obtained through the tax on CO₂ emissions from mechanically propelled vehicles and 20% of the revenue from the tax on facilities that impact the environment.