Flowers instead of pesticides and mobile corrals: science backs different ways of cultivating the land

Among the watermelons of Verdcamp Fruits, in Cambrils, flowers of all colors grow. There are yellow, lilac, and orange ones, in a floral mosaic where bees and butterflies dance tirelessly. A few years ago, that same field was maintained with phytosanitary products to combat an aphid infestation and didn't breathe so much life. The problem was that the chemicals also killed the pollinators and production ended up falling. "One night I thought: what if the solution is to attract more life instead of fighting it?", recalls Ernest Mas, a farmer and member of the family business.That intuition led him more than a decade ago to plant strips of flowers among the crops to attract insects naturally. It worked. But, above all, it was the beginning of a much deeper change in mentality: to stop seeing agricultural land as a simple support for producing food and to start treating it as a living ecosystem.Today, Mas is part of a generation of farmers who are committed to organic and regenerative agriculture, a model that seeks to restore soil health so that it becomes fertile again, capable of hosting biodiversity and better withstanding the impacts of climate change such as droughts. Some of their techniques include leaving chemicals behind, not plowing, and using cover crops.The proposal gains traction in a particularly delicate context for agriculture. According to the European Environment Agency, 89% of agricultural soils show signs of critical loss of their functions. For decades, the intensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and heavy machinery has degraded many soils to the point of impoverishing them and making them increasingly dependent on external products. On the other hand, the benefits observed in the field are also beginning to be supported by recent scientific studies indicating that regenerative soils can store more carbon than conventional ones, retain water better, and have a network of beneficial microorganisms, some of which even act as natural pesticides.This is why farmers like Mas have decided to bet on the regenerative model. Their stories are different, but they share a single conviction: without living soil, there is no future for the countryside.Grow among flowers

At Verdcamp Fruits, the floral strips that cross the crops are called intercropping floral: a technique that combines biodiversity and agricultural production to attract pollinators.But the change didn't happen overnight. First, they took the step towards organic farming. Then, seven years ago, Mas decided to do a master's degree in agroecology at the University of Barcelona and also began to apply other techniques to restore soil health, such as not plowing and maintaining vegetation cover. "I understood that the key was not only to take care of what was visible, but also what is underground," he explains.

The passion for dedicating oneself to the agricultural world comes from family. “I am the fifth generation of farmers”, she says. From a very young age, she helped with the harvests, drove the tractor, and spent her days among crops. “I always say the same thing: before I used to run through the fields, and now the fields make me run”.  When the cultivation model changed, part of the family looked with doubt at those new practices. Over time, however, they have seen the benefits and are increasingly convinced. "We have lived through a profound transformation process and now we provide training because we want other farmers to benefit from it, because, after all, sharing is sowing".The roots of future wine

Just ten kilometers from Barcelona lie the vineyards of Art Laietà, a family winery that produces wines with D.O. Alella and D.O. Cava. It was founded 35 years ago and, for the last 15, has been applying regenerative agriculture. It works on a sauló soil, sandy and poor in organic matter. “That’s why regenerative agriculture makes so much sense here,” explains Mireia Pujol-Busquets, deputy director of the winery, and a biologist by training. “Although the vineyard can grow in poor soils, we must keep them alive. A vineyard that isn't working can be uprooted and replanted; the soil, on the other hand, cannot be replaced.”Among the practices they carry out is the reincorporation of pruning shoots into the soil during winter, which at Art Laietà they shred and leave on the surface to integrate naturally. They combine this with spontaneous vegetation cover, the same as was there when they arrived. “We don’t pull up the roots: we leave some cover to maintain the soil structure and protect its microbiological life”.The orography also conditions the work. Art Laietà is located in an area of valleys and slopes where, when it rains, it often does so torrentially. Although the water drains well, there is a risk of erosion. “That is why mulching —which is what these crop covers are called— helps us a lot: it reduces erosion and conserves moisture better. In these years of drought it has been key, because it maintains a layer of moisture that protects the soil”.Thanks to this agriculture, “we have never had any soil-related disease or any significant pest,” a fact that “is even more valuable because we are an urban vineyard,” explains Pujol-Busquets. Unlike areas surrounded by fields or vineyards, where crops benefit from the general environmental balance, “we have to create and maintain the ecological balance ourselves,” he concludes.Cows and mobile pens

In the heart of La Garrotxa, surrounded by forest, stands the Les Planeses estate. Vegetable gardens, grazing cows, hens, and chickens coexist in a green and humid landscape. Marc Gràcia guides us to the garden, where seasonal vegetables grow: from tomatoes and peppers in the summer, to cabbages and leeks when the cold arrives. Before starting the explanation, however, he bends down and picks up a handful of soil with his hands. He slowly breaks it apart. Fine roots, small worms, and a dark, spongy structure appear between his fingers. “This is a living soil”.Gràcia is an unusual figure in the agricultural sector: she combines the work of a farmer with scientific research as a CREAF researcher. Her story began when she wanted to put her scientific knowledge into practice on an abandoned farm that, with the conventional agricultural system, had no future.

He took it as a challenge and wanted to see if the regenerative model could revive the land and make it productive again. After 10 years, the best forecasts have been met and it is now fully operational. "To give you an idea, organic matter – an indicator of fertility – has almost tripled," he says. In addition to not tilling the vegetable garden, external products have been eliminated, and chickens can also be seen in delimited areas, which "eat insects and help fertilize the land, among other things".A few meters beyond the garden, the dairy cows graze outdoors in separate plots. Gràcia explains that they move daily from one space to another in a planned way. This way they eat the grass when it is ready, but they don't spoil the plants by trampling. At the same time, thanks to their droppings, they fertilize the meadow, "it's a double benefit". The same principle applies to chickens and hens, which live in mobile coops with wheels that are moved every day. "Animals and their movement are a very important part of restoring the fertility of the land," she points out.Change how we think to improve how we eat

To achieve scaling of this model, the challenge, they agree, is to change mentality. They also demand more support for farmers from governments to be able to make the transition to regenerative agriculture, especially in the first few years, "which are the hardest," they affirm.Consumers also play an important role in helping it pay off. The three farmers emphasize that we need to consume in a way that is more connected to the land: seasonal, local products produced with environmental responsibility. “Only in this way can we have real food sovereignty,” adds Gràcia.Another shared concern is the lack of generational succession and the little social consideration that, they assure, the agricultural sector still drags. Added to this is that it is a very poorly paid job, “although, paradoxically, we cannot live without eating”, points out Mas.

To attract more people willing to promote regenerative agriculture, they propose combining incentives, training, and real practical cases. Experts explain that it always helps to be able to visit a farm that already works this way, see it on the ground, talk to the people who do it, and understand what benefits they have, but also what difficulties they encounter.And then there is the whole research part. “I always say that we are also a bit like scientists. We research directly on the ground. To any doctoral student or research center that wants to come and try things, to do trials or experiments, we tell them that we are willing to do so,” emphasizes Pujol-Busquets.For them, regenerative agriculture is not just a different way of farming. It is also a way to rethink the role of farmers and the relationship between those who produce food and those who consume it. Now they want their farms to serve as inspiration and learning for other farmers who are considering joining the change.