Regenerative Agriculture and Carbon Farming in European Mediterranean Agroecosystems: A Focused Review

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Researchers can use this review as a synthesis of evidence for carbon farming practices in Mediterranean systems, highlighting knowledge gaps for long-term field experiments.

🏢実務担当者:Practitioners (farmers, agronomists) can gain insights into which combinations of practices most effectively increase soil organic carbon in Mediterranean agroecosystems.

🏛政策担当者:Policymakers can note that integrated management is key, and that monitoring frameworks are needed to support carbon farming policies.

Mediterranean agroecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change, soil degradation, and declining soil organic carbon (SOC), threatening long-term agricultural sustainability. Carbon farming and regenerative agriculture have emerged as complementary approaches to restore soil functionality while contributing to climate change mitigation. This review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 to assess the agronomic effectiveness of key regenerative and carbon farming practices in Mediterranean systems. A structured bibliographic analysis using Scopus and Web of Science evaluated practices influencing SOC dynamics, erosion control, water regulation, and associated ecosystem services. Evidence indicates that the introduction of cover crops in the crop rotation and reduced or no-tillage are the most consistently effective practices for enhancing SOC stocks, particularly when combined with organic amendments and diversified rotations. Crop diversification, intercropping, and agroforestry further support SOC accumulation and erosion control, especially in perennial systems such as vineyards and olive orchards. Organic inputs stimulate microbial-mediated carbon stabilization, while regenerative grazing contributes to nutrient cycling under context-specific conditions. Across practices, integrated management consistently delivers greater and more stable benefits than single interventions. Regenerative agriculture thus provides a systems-based foundation for carbon farming in Mediterranean agroecosystems. Long-term field experiments and improved monitoring frameworks remain essential to quantify carbon persistence and support policy implementation.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.3390/earth7040114first seen 2026-07-28 05:01:21