The first session of the TERRA Viva debate series “Regenerative Agriculture in Practice” is now available

November 13, 2025

Science, agricultural practice, and sustainability under discussion: The first session of the debate series “TERRA Viva – Diálogos para Políticas Públicas” brings together experts to discuss practices and challenges in regenerative agriculture in Portugal.

The TERRA Associate Laboratory has just released the first episode of its new series of debates “TERRA Viva – Diálogos para Políticas Públicas” (TERRA Viva – Dialogues for Public Policy) dedicated to the theme “Regenerative Agriculture in Practice: Experiences and Challenges.” The session is now available on video on the official YouTube channel and, for the first time, in podcast format on Spotify*.

This debate brought together Professor David Fangueiro, coordinator of LEAF – Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food and member of TERRA (session moderator), Professor Gottlieb Basch, Full Professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Évora and President of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation, and Engineer João Coimbra, farmer and manager of Quinta da Cholda, three speakers with scientific and practical experience in the field of regenerative agriculture.

The conversation addressed the principles of regenerative agriculture, the challenges of its implementation in Portugal and Europe, and the role of science and agricultural practice in the transition to more resilient and sustainable systems.

agricultura regenerativa labterra 1 — Professor Gottlieb Basch

agricultura regenerativa labterra 2 — Professor Gottlieb Basch

Professor David Fangueiro, moderator of the session, opened the debate by emphasizing that regenerative agriculture “goes far beyond sustainability — it proposes the ecological restoration of agricultural systems, seeks to restore the soil to its maximum productivity, and promotes increased biodiversity.”

In one of his speeches, Professor Gottlieb Basch explained that “the fundamental starting point for regenerative agriculture is always soil health” and that the success of the system is measured more by outcomes and objectives achieved.

Engineer João Coimbra, based on his experience at Quinta da Cholda, highlighted the need to reduce dependence on energy systems, which make agricultural production vulnerable to crises. He also stressed that “using nature to reduce inputs” represents a concrete opportunity to build a more resilient model, less dependent on synthetic products and with less impact on soil degradation.

This episode inaugurates the first cycle of debates entitled “TERRA Viva – Diálogos para Políticas Públicas” another TERRA initiative that aims to strengthen public dialogue on structural issues related to sustainability in conjunction with support for public policy. The next debates will be announced in the coming weeks, focusing on environmental health and ecosystems.

Watch the video (in Portuguese):