The European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture has released the results of new study which reveals that regenerative farming systems across Europe are not only environmentally superior but bring higher returns for farmers and are more resilient than conventional models.
In the face of a deepening crisis in soil degradation, biodiversity loss, climate instability, and food system fragility, EARA’s multi-year analysis provides compelling evidence that regenerative agriculture offers a credible, high-performance alternative to Europe’s input-intensive farming model.
Spanning 14 countries and more than 7,000 hectares, EARA research introduces a new performance measurement tool, the Regenerating Full Productivity (RFP) Index, developed collaboratively by farmers, agronomists, and researchers. This index measures outcomes not only in terms of yield, but also soil health, biodiversity, and economic results, integrating both satellite data and field-level reporting.
Reliance on conventional agricultural practices and methods puts Europe and the world at risk due to ever more fragile yields, high input quantities and costs, increasing economic pressure on farmers and severe exposure to losses to the whole agri-food system due to climate instability.
EARA’s study was undertaken by 11 researchers supported by several top institutions and led by EARA’s pioneering farmers.
It shows that climate resilience, food security, improved economic returns for farmers – and for the food supply chain as a whole – are not only possible through regenerative forms of agriculture, but achievable, while also supplying the crucial foundations of climate adaptation for the whole of the European society including flood, heat and drought mitigation.
Yann Boulestreau, EARA Farmer, Scientist, Co-Founder AgSynergie and member of the research team, said, “EARA’s approach of Regenerating Full Productivity, offers a breakthrough metric for finance and insurance – turning real-time ecosystem performance of agriculture into a powerful data-backed indicator.
“This will be a game changer for estimating agricultural investment/credit risk, ROI potential, exposure management and insurance modelling. A unique opportunity to unlock smarter, safer capital flows into regenerative farming, for the benefit of investors, insurers and farmers alike.”
The study demonstrates:
- Higher full productivity – across all sites, regenerating farmers delivered 32 per cent higher RFP on average, with gains ranging from 14 per cent to 52 per cent
- Agroecological advantage – compared to neighbouring fields, regenerating farms achieved more than 24 per cent higher photosynthesis, 23 per cent higher soil cover and 17 per cent higher plant diversity from the period between 2019–2024. This advantage means more biodiversity and better soil health.
- Yield parity with major input reduction – regenerative farms achieved, on average, only a 2 per cent lower yield (in kilocalories and protein), while using 61 per cent less synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and 76 per cent less pesticides per hectare.
- Regional food sovereignty – while average EU farms import more than 30 per cent of livestock feed from outside the EU, pioneering farmers achieved similar yields using feed exclusively from within their bioregions.
These results directly challenge the notion that food security relies on high chemical inputs. Instead, they demonstrate that regenerative systems, across practices such as agroecology, organic, conservation agriculture, holistic planned grazing and syntropic agroforestry, can match or outperform conventional yields while restoring ecosystems and building climate resilience.
The study also shows that scaling regenerative practices across 50 per cent of EU farmland could mitigate up to 513 metric tonnes CO2e per year, more than three times the current emissions of the EU agriculture sector. Agriculture is the only industrial sector with the possibility to become truly climate positive.
Furthermore, with only 6.5 per cent of EU farmers under the age of 35, regenerative farming offers a compelling entry point for young people and women. Over 40 per cent of EARA’s farmer members are female, well above the EU average, indicating a shift toward inclusive, purpose-driven farming.
Policy recommendations and CAP
The European Commission’s response to farmers’ frustration that led to the farmer protests last year is to roll back environmental protections in an attempt to simplify the CAP. But what farmers really want is a system that truly rewards them for everything they do, including ecosystem services, and provides a safety net while innovating towards more resilient farming.
The report calls for RFP to be adopted as a key performance indicator across EU policy frameworks, including:
- Results-based eligibility for CAP payments and climate subsidies (see EARA’s CAP reform proposal here)
- A blended finance model to de-risk transitions through insurance and private co-investment
- A harmonised MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) system to unify public and private standards