Savills held the inaugural edition of “Rural Mente – Conversations about the future of agriculture in Portugal”, an event created to promote debate around the main trends and transformations shaping the rural world.

The opening session, focused on the theme “Regenerative Agriculture: the future of sustainable production”, brought together national and international experts who shared insights on the current role of regenerative agriculture and the trends that will shape the sector in the coming years.

The event took place at Savills’ headquarters, in the MB4 Office Building in Lisbon, and began with remarks from Bruno Amaro, Rural Business Developer at Savills Portugal. He emphasized the importance of bridging technical knowledge with investment strategy in the rural sector, highlighting that “regenerative agriculture represents an opportunity for Portugal to lead a positive change in the way we produce and manage our land.”

Presentations followed by Ed Horton, Regenerative Agricultural Specialist at Savills UK, and Friso Abbing, CEO of Edafos, highlighted complementary perspectives on sustainable agriculture. Horton shared practical case studies on the economic and ecological value of regenerative land management, while Abbing presented Edafos’ circular model for the large-scale transformation of agricultural by-products into regenerative soil improvement solutions. Both emphasised the vital connection between land, capital, and nature, showing that improving soil health not only supports biodiversity and carbon capture but also boosts farm profitability and long-term land value.

The discussion panel, moderated by Isabel Martins, journalist at Vida Rural magazine, included David Carvalho (CEO of Veracruz), Mafalda Evangelista (Director of Natural Capital at NBI), and Ricardo Zanatti (Director of Agribusiness at Caixa Geral de Depósitos). They were joined by Ed Horton and Friso Abbing, enriching the debate with an international perspective on the implementation of regenerative practices.

During the discussion, participants highlighted the need to harmonize certification criteria within a still highly diverse agricultural landscape, as well as the role that retailers can play in establishing a regenerative agriculture category — one that reflects the true value of these products and allows for fairer distribution across the food chain.

The participants also stressed that education and training for farmers are essential to accelerate the transition toward regenerative practices, fostering a deeper understanding of the environmental and economic benefits of change. It was further acknowledged that, although the future of regenerative agriculture is promising, its expansion will depend on overcoming practical, economic, and institutional barriers - particularly in a context where European policy has progressed slowly and profitability without public support remains one of the main challenges, especially in a country with low soil organic matter levels.

“Through ‘Rural Mente’, we aim to create a space for dialogue among the various stakeholders in the rural sector - from producers to investors, including financial and technical entities. Regenerative agriculture is an opportunity for Portugal to lead a positive shift in the way we produce and manage our land. I thank everyone who joined us for this first edition and contributed to such a rich and inspiring discussion,” said Bruno Amaro, Rural Business Developer da Savills Portugal.