Terra Madre: Mediterranean South & Mediterranean North

The “Aggregated Project Mediterranean South (MDS) and Mediterranean North (MDN)”, formaly under the Climate Farmers Carbon+ program, is now under Terra Madre. It is tailored to farms in Portugal and Spain, incentivising regenerative farming practices. This project includes three farmers and their operations: Manuel Troya, Fransisco Alves, and Joao Venlete. These farmers each specialise in different forms of regenerative agriculture, including agroforestry and livestock.

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Regenerative Agriculture is crucial for revitalizing and decarbonizing our failing agricultural system, but its adoption is hindered by high upfront costs, long payback periods, and a lack of ecosystem payments.

Terra Madre facilitates and de-risks it, helping farmers in transition with outcome measurements, reporting and financial incentives.

Their Carbon Program is designed for long-term impact, enhancing farm profitability, resilience, soil health, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

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“Out of 475 hectares on the farm, I only have access to water in about 250 Ha. Now that I can invest in a water network I can pump water up the hills. In doing so, I’ll be able to make the farm more resilient, use the land economically and at the same time regenerate paddocks.”

- Manuel Troya, participating farmer

• Terra Madre actively uses their innovation and partnerships lab to improve measurements for soil health indicators and improve farmer business models around regenerative farming.
• Through the project, the farmers gain access to a community of experts, farmers, and scientists. This strengthens connections and leads to knowledge sharing for building a climate-resilient food system.
• This project issues ex-post credits meaning that the carbon that has already been stored in soils.
• By incorporating agroforestry into some farms, farmers are now with an alternative income stream.The permanence of the soil carbon is dependant on the continuation of farming practices. However, while its permanence is low compared to other methods, it is a low cost method that is traceable, and has great potential for scaling.
• Regenerative agriculture improves soil fertility, water retention, and prevents erosion. And, it can reduce the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, reducing soil and water pollution. These are measured through multiple methods including site visits and satellite imagery, and verified by Tüv.

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• 38 Total Farmers participating in the project through 2024.
• They hosted 30 community events and skills training workshops in 2024. The project aims to generate more jobs for young people in the agricultural industry, reviving rural communities.
• 9127 ha in operation at the end of 2024, or 13,000 football pitches.