Early findings from a large-scale European dataset released by Soil Capital indicate that regenerative farming practices may help reduce crop production losses during drought conditions, a major climate-related risk facing European agriculture.
The analysis is based on independently verified data from 1,262 farms covering 331,600 hectares across France. The dataset was developed through Soil Capital’s regenerative farming transition program and combines field-level information on farming practices, crop yields and soil conditions. According to the organization, the scale and level of detail of the data set it apart from previous research, which has often relied on individual farm case studies or modeling.
In the area where the most detailed assessment was conducted, yields of the crop most affected by the 2023 droughts declined by 22% on farms using the fewest regenerative practices. By comparison, yields fell by 8% on farms classified as highly regenerative.
The broader French dataset showed similar results. After accounting for factors such as soil type, the analysis found a statistically significant relationship between regenerative practices and reduced drought-related yield losses.
Among cereal crops, 82 of France’s 96 departments experienced significant drought during the study period. Within those regions, regenerative practices reduced drought-related yield losses by at least 10% in approximately 85% of cases.
Soil Capital said the findings represent one of the first opportunities to evaluate the relationship between regenerative agriculture and climate resilience using independently verified field-level data collected across a large geographic area and multiple growing seasons.
The organization said the results suggest regenerative agriculture could help lessen both yield reductions and profitability impacts associated with climate stress events such as drought. Soil Capital is continuing its analysis with academic and industry partners to further examine the findings and develop tools that support risk-based decision making.
One of the project’s first academic partners is KU Leuven in Belgium. Researchers there are collaborating with Soil Capital to combine economic and statistical analysis with agronomic and data science expertise.
According to project participants, the availability of large-scale, field-level data collected over multiple years creates new opportunities to study how farming practices influence resilience to climate stress.
Soil Capital said it is now working to convert the findings into practical metrics that can be used for agricultural sourcing, pricing and risk management. Additional industry partnerships related to the project are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Source: Soil Capital, "Drought Resilience — Farming, Risk & Measurable Outcomes"