Europe's farms are reeling from the Iran war. Regenerative farmers saw it coming

Key Points:

• The war on Iran and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted global fertiliser and fuel supplies, causing price spikes that threaten European conventional farms reliant on synthetic fertilisers.
• Regenerative farms use natural methods like compost, animal manure, rotational grazing, and nitrogen-fixing plants to build soil fertility, making them less dependent on synthetic inputs and more resilient to supply chain disruptions.
• Despite similar yields to conventional farms, regenerative agriculture reduces costs significantly by cutting synthetic fertiliser and pesticide use, while also enhancing biodiversity, reducing pollution, and improving public health.
• Adoption of regenerative farming in Europe remains low due to labor intensity, delayed benefits, limited access to funding and training, and market pressures favoring volume and uniformity; existing EU subsidies and policies offer limited support and face budget cuts.
• Initiatives like the Regeneration Academy and Commonland provide education and holistic support to farmers transitioning to regenerative practices, emphasizing the need for policy changes to incentivize sustainable farming and build long-term resilience.