Model wearing plain white basic tee.

Sobraes

Land information

€ 140 per Ha per year

329 hectares

Reviews

Climate
Biodiversity
Risk Management

José Sinfrónio

Landowner

Description

Regenerative farming to improve soil health, restore biodiversity and make the place cooler and more humid

Highlights

  • Introduction: I am José, father of five kids and the family representative of a long lineage of several generations managing this land. We came to a situation where desertification is a real concern: every year, the land becomes drier, and the soil looser. We took a decision: getting back to a more natural land management approach can boost the soil quality and bring back a more biodiverse landscape.
  • Challenges: Climate change brought more irregular rainfall with high-intensity rain during a short period, accelerating soil degradation and premature tree death. The soil has also lost most of its fertility due to past poor livestock practices. That has allowed pioneering bushes to expand, making it difficult for pasture and forest areas to thrive.
  • Opportunities: The land is the habitat for threatened species such as the imperial eagle, making it a vital wildlife spot of the Natura 2000 European network. The forested area is home to autochthonous species like the holm and the cork oak. The whole place has an excellent sun exposition, and water is available in the ground and on its pond system that was previously created. The landowner has a solid technical background in land management and a personal motivation to operate the change he wants to see.
  • Goal: My goal is to have the whole land completely green year-round. That means we will have bioactive soil supporting biodiversity and increasing carbon stocks to happen.
  • Roadmap: The intervention steps are: (1) to improve livestock management, mimetizing nature; (2) to improve the water retention system for more water to infiltrate the soil and (3) to increase the trees' density and diversity, allowing other wildlife species to thrive; and (4) to reintroduce wildlife species.

Joāo Salgueiro

Expert review

Sobraes is at a turning point where non-action will certainly drive to desertification and bush encroachment. José is offering the possibility to use the herbivores to shape a more natural landscape and showcase to other farmers the potential they hold to accelerate nature regeneration at scale.