Empowering farmers in the transition to a more regenerative agroecological farming


 Official Advisors:

orgo_logo_white_3

Farmers work with nature, and nature is complex. Soil, plants and animals are part of an agro-ecosystem, therefore there are no recipes or formulas that apply to all farms equally.

Orgo embraces nature’s complexity and each farm’s unique context to empower farmers on a successful transition to regenerative agriculture.

Orgo’s Approach

We believe the main drivers to scale Regenerative Agriculture are:

1. Farmer-to-Farmer

Experiences and know-how exchanges between similar contexts.

2. Leading-by-Example

Successful regenerative farms support neighboring farms transitions.

3. Quality-Driven

Focus on growing Quality, this leads to higher food nutrient-density, flavour, yields and land resilience. Opening new premium markets possibilities.

4. Inspiration: Bringing the FUN and LIFE back to farming!

Regenerative Agriculture adds more Life every year to our farms bringing more joy and will to share and inspire others.

Our Services

Empowering you in a low-risk and profitable transition to regenerative agriculture.

  • Farmer-to-Farmer Coaching: in-person & online/remote programs; farms visits

  • Interpretations & Recomendations: Plant Sap Analysis, Microbiology Analysis, Mix Cover Crops

  • Technical Trainings 1-to-1 & Workshops: Grazing (AMP), Plant Nutrition, Composts, Ferments, Extracts, Field-Application Methods

  • On-Boarding Ecosystem Benefits/Biodiversity Credits Program (soon)

  • Support adoption New CAP 2023-27

               1 min form

Measuring your land‘s regenerative progress to support more informed decisions.

Orgo provides a specially selected group of in-field monitoring tests and microbial analyses to empower you with practical information about your agro-ecosystem health, focusing on regenerating life above and below ground.

              1 min form

Creating collaboration bridges to exchange of knowledge and experiences across society.

We believe education plays a crucial role on empowering the current and next generations leading us to a more regenerative society.

             1 min form

Who is Orgo?

Sérgio Nicolau

  • Viticulture
  • Plant Nutrition
  • Biological Products

Francisco Alves​

  • Multi-species Livestock
  • Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing
  • Agro-Forestry

João Valente

  • Organic No-Till Row Cropping
  • Oliviculture
  • Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing

Francisco Telles

  • Soil and Plant Health
  • Monitoring
  • Research, Innovation & Partnerships

But what is
Regenerative Agriculture?

“Regenerative Agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services. It aims to capture carbon in the soil and above-ground biomass (plants), reversing current global trends of atmospheric accumulation of CO2 causing climate change. At the same time, it offers increased yields, resilience to climate instability, and higher health and vitality for farming communities.”

Terra Genesis International

Why a transition to Regenerative Agriculture?

Conventional/Industrial Agriculture 5 Major Risks
The conventional/industrial agriculture model is exposed to 5 major risks that will intensify in coming years:

  1. Exposure to high and volatile input costs

  2. Vulnerability to  climate change, especially extreme weather events

  3. Negative environmental externalities (such as pollution) that will be increasingly taxed or regulated

  4. Degrading natural assets such as soils and water reserves

  5. Shifting consumer trends, as people demand clean, green, healthy and tasty food
7 Reasons for a Regenerative Transition
There are a number of reasons why these types of systems can deliver superior risk-adjusted returns:

  1. Comparable or better yields in most cases
  2. Lower operating costs because of less reliance on external inputs
  3. Climatic resilience because healthy soils cope better with droughts and floods
  4. Positive environmental externalities and the chance to be paid for them, for example through carbon or ecosystem services credits
  5. Enhanced natural capital, with the opportunity to increase asset values by regenerating degraded land
  6. The ability to sell to higher value markets such as organic or grass-fed
  7. Higher profitability with less volatility


Full report stating the economical, social and environmental benefits of investing in agro-ecological/regenerative systems by SLM Partners:
 here

&

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) – The Case for Regenerative
Agriculture in Germany—
and Beyond: summary & study

Contact us

1 min form

Partners and Networks

Our supporting network

We are a member of the Restor Global restoration Network and are committed to science-based best restoration practices. Orgo is already participating in the platform managing restoration sites.

#WeRestor
#GenerationRestoration

Sérgio Nicolau

Born and raised in a family of several generations of farmers, Sérgio studied agronomy and worked as a winegrower and consultant on several projects in various regions of Portugal.

In 2018, Sérgio started a new personal project with the family’s vineyards to produce organically certified grapes and wines.
In their project, they farm based on the principles and practices of Regenerative Agriculture, which aims to increase the health of plants and soil working with the full ecosystem as a holistic system.

The outcome of these practices is a product that is, not only more nutritionally balanced, but also richer in aromas and flavours which fully expresses its unique terroir at the same time that restores ecosystem processes and increases life biodiversity.

Speaks: Portuguese, English and Spanish

Francisco Cidade Alves

Since 2005 that Francisco is the farm manager of his family farm in Montemor (Portugal) where he grew up and from a very early age he realized that this was what he wanted to do for a living.

The name Porcus Natura comes from the unique system of maternity wards developed by his Father in 2002, where the main focus was already animal welfare and soil regeneration.

After decades in conventional management, where they have always been careful with soil management (e.g. never using pesticides or tilling), it was a natural transition for them to adapt their management to the principles of regenerative agriculture in their ancient Portuguese agro-silvo-pastoral Montado landscape.

This regenerative journey started in 2017 when he took several courses in holistic management and regenerative agriculture, after which they started applying the principles and practices in the field, even introducing two more species to the ones already on the farm. Currently, Francisco produces and sells four species of Portuguese indigenous breeds of sheep, goats, cattle and pigs.

Creating a rotational grazing dynamic with the four different animal species, with the objective of making the business more efficient as well as regenerating the Montado ecosystem, is Francisco’s main focus thus obtaining meat products with a positive impact on the environment and human health.

Speaks: Portuguese, English and Spanish

João Valente

João was born in Castelo Branco (Portugal), he studied farming management in Lisbon and soon after finishing his studies he returned to his roots and to his family farm.

His family farm started the transition to organic already in the year 1999, leaving conventional intensive monoculture productions behind. Observing the immediate response of the ecosystem to the new practices, they realized that this was the right way.

After a work trip to New Zealand, João had his first contact with regenerative agriculture and they realized, without knowing it, they were already using some principles of Regenerative Agriculture.

João manages around 1000ha with a wide range of (bio)diversity. The farm includes agro-silvo-pastoral Montado landscape, olive groves, cereals and legumes. Animals are also part of the system using adaptive-multi paddock grazing rotations focusing on plant and soil health.

João’s farm goal is always to recover, care for and understand the ecosystem as a whole respecting the principles of soil health.

Speaks: Portuguese, English and Spanish

Francisco Telles Varela

Francisco grew up in close connection with nature and animals during his childhood spent on his family farms in Alentejo (Portugal). This passion for nature, animals and global environmental fragility led him to study forest engineering and later to pursue a career in the field of biofuels, both on the research and business sides. Only a few years ago, after an aha moment about soil and regenerative agriculture, he decided to dedicate his life to regenerating agro-ecosystems.

Francisco works as a researcher and innovation manager in the regenerative agriculture on-farm research project KUHproKLIMA (Cow for the Climate) in Germany. His main research work aims to bridge the gap between science and practice. He works directly with farmers to create cost-effective solutions for practical farming challenges with a special focus on soil and plant health monitoring, microbiology analysis, composts/ferments and liquid extracts applications.

In Portugal, he is now also co-managing the conversion to regenerative organic of his family’s olive tree groves in the Avis region.

Francisco holds a BSc. Forest and Natural Resources Engineering (ISA-UL) and a MSc. Energy and Bioenergy (FCT-UNL). He is a Certified Lab Technician by Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web. His professional and personal interests led him to work with international and diverse teams in several countries like Malaysia, Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.


Speaks: Portuguese, English, Spanish and basic German.