Regen is located in southern Italy, nestled in the Apulian countryside in the village of Palombaio (Bitonto, Bari). The name of the region, Apulia, is said to derive from Apluvia, meaning land without rain. The region’s Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, presents both challenges and opportunities for regenerative agriculture. The local landscape consists mainly of olive groves with some almond orchards and vineyards with soils historically degraded by monoculture and overuse.
In July 2023, a devastating fire swept through Regen’s agroforest, destroying over 7,000 trees and plants. However, thanks to the hard work of their team, volunteers and supporters they replanted in 2024, replacing the trees and shrubs lost to the fire.
Regen sits on a plot of more than 2.5 hectares, once an almond orchard but now a diversified agroforest with more than 150 species, with more still to be integrated.
Their long-term vision includes expanding regenerative agroforestry practices across 20 more hectares to restore degraded farmland into biodiverse, self-sustaining ecosystems. Regen is also committed to educating people in agroforestry and permaculture, transforming their place into a thriving hub for ecological restoration.
In July 2023, a catastrophic fire ravaged Regen’s agroforest, destroying almost all the plants and five years of hard work. The fire, which advanced silently from a nearby field, consumed their irrigation system, compost and a colony of bees. It took four days for the fire to be completely extinguished. Nevertheless, a remarkable testimony of resilience emerged. Thanks to the dedication of their team, volunteers and global supporters, Regen were able to recover. The renewed agroforest now thrives with increased biodiversity and complexity, symbolising the strength of interconnected communities and unwavering commitment. This collective effort has turned disaster into a beacon of hope and regeneration.
To date, 2024, Regen has restored over 2.4 hectares of degraded land, transforming a former almond grove into a flourishing agroforest with more than 8,000 trees and shrubs replanted and 8,000 more herbaceous plants in addition to the wild ones, representing over 150 different species. They have successfully implemented sustainable water management techniques like mulching, increased organic matter, reduced bog density with appropriate machinery, improved soil water retention and reduced evaporation – all key strategies in addressing the hot, dry climate of Puglia. This has contributed to the return of greater biodiversity, biomass production, shading and cooling off of soil, with an increase in pollinator populations and small wildlife.
Regen partners with Fais-le toi-même (Belgium0, Amadeco (Italy), MadreTalea (Italy), Micomondo (Italy), The Southern Lights (Greece), Regenerative Farming (Greece), Cob Greece and Permalab (France).
Compost making
Water retention
Tree planting;Food growing
Erosion control;Soil building
Cover cropping
Habitat creation
Agroforestry
Community building
Fire prevention
Regenerative entrepreneurialism
Natural building
Syntropic Farming
Permaculture Design
Please select one skill and explain in the message field why you would like to volunteer at this ERC.