As the climate crisis intensifies, the world's demand for sustainable food production continues to grow. At the same time, European farmers face unprecedented challenges: rising costs, stringent regulations, and the unpredictable impacts of climate change.
At this crucial juncture, the question arises: How can Europe advance its climate goals while strengthening its agricultural competitiveness?
Regenerative agriculture could provide an answer. This holistic approach to farming helps farmers increase their productivity and yields while delivering benefits to nature such as better soil health, water conservation biodiversity and a lower climate footprint. It's not just about sustainability; it's about reimagining agriculture as a driver of both economic growth and environmental stewardship.
Regenerative Agriculture: A win-win for farmers and the environment
At its core, regenerative agriculture focuses on rebuilding soil health, the foundation of agricultural productivity. Healthy soils store more carbon, retain more water and prevent nitrogen loss, thus providing essential nutrients for crops. This leads to increased yields and eventually to improved food quality and better resilience to climate extremes.
Studies have shown that regenerative practices can increase soil organic carbon by 0.5 to 1 ton per hectare per year, significantly contributing to carbon sequestration goals. Farms across the EU use around 157 million hectares of land for agricultural production. Just imagine the potential to reduce and store carbon if all European farmers adopted regenerative agriculture practices!
For Bayer, regenerative agriculture is an outcome-based approach. We offer farmers a system of solutions that is tailored to the specific local conditions of each farm and enable regenerative practices, such as cover crops, crop rotation, no or low till.
In our pilot programs across Europe, regenerative agriculture has proven to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint, from 12 per cent in Spain in a corn field, up to 56 per cent in Poland in an oilseed rape field. In the UK, cover crops, reduced tillage and fertilizer management have enabled farmers to reduce the carbon footprint of winter oats by 65 percent.
Furthermore, regenerative agriculture promotes biodiversity, creating habitats for pollinators and beneficial insects that play a crucial role in pest control and crop pollination. This reduces reliance on chemical pesticides and the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, benefiting both the environment and farmers' bottom lines.
Innovation as the catalyst
Bayer is committed to harnessing the power of innovation to empower farmers in the transition to regenerative agriculture. Bayer ForwardFarms across Europe – and around the world – a are showcases of what the key innovations and building blocks look like that make up a regenerative agriculture system. Here, you can experience how digital farming tools, modern crop protection solutions such as biologicals and breeding technologies combine to optimize resource use, reduce environmental impact, and enhance agricultural productivity.
Data and digital farming tools, powered by advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, allow farmers to make informed decisions about crop management. By monitoring soil health, tracking crop growth, and optimizing irrigation and fertilization, farmers can increase yields, minimize waste, and reduce their environmental footprint. Digital tools also enable farmers and crop scientists to upload evidence, provide first insights immediately after data collection and to rapidly and cost effectively identify anomalies and issues.
Regenerative agriculture is the new farming buzzword, but few can agree on what it means
Europe's opportunity to lead
Europe has an extraordinary opportunity to become a global leader in sustainable agriculture. By embracing and scaling up regenerative practices and investing in innovation, we can create a model for the world, demonstrating that economic growth and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.
But farmers need the right enabling environment and access to the right innovations. For example, according to our latest Farmer Voice survey, more than half of German farmers say they would find policy and regulatory changes most beneficial for the future of their farming operations, and 1 in 3 would like to have access to new seeds and traits to better cope with extreme weather.
Regenerative agriculture can contribute significantly to the EU's ambitious climate goals. By sequestering carbon in soils, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and promoting biodiversity, regenerative practices can play a key role in restoring nature, reducing the agricultural sector’s footprint and mitigating climate change.
Moreover, regenerative agriculture can enhance the competitiveness of European agriculture. By improving soil health and resource efficiency, farmers can increase yields, reduce costs, and become more resilient to market fluctuations and climate shocks.
Conclusion
I am certain that the future of farming is regenerative. By embracing innovation and working together, we can transform Europe's agricultural landscape, creating a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.
