Regenerative Agriculture is booming – but can we scale it?  

Interest in Regenerative Agriculture is booming – but can we scale it?  

The Land Group is an independent, fully integrated manager of real assets and natural capital that assists institutions and family offices in making large-scale investments in regenerative farming, delivering tangible, measurable impact.  

Since co-founding the company in 2015, Joaquín Labella and I have developed a robust model for scaling regenerative agriculture across diverse regions. Today, we manage 40,000 hectares of farmland in Uruguay and Paraguay, and we are expanding our reach into Argentina and Portugal.  

What is regenerative farming?

Regenerative farming is gaining traction; however, many initiatives remain small in scale, fragmented, and difficult to replicate.  

Over the past decade, we have successfully implemented adaptive grazing across our farms, demonstrating that large-scale regenerative livestock production is both economically viable and environmentally beneficial.

Unlike organic farming, which has been formally certified since 1972 and adheres to globally recognised standards, regenerative agriculture is a more recent and evolving concept. The absence of standardisation has resulted in multiple definitions and interpretations, raising concerns about greenwashing.

For The Land Group and our clients, regenerative agriculture means harnessing natural processes to maximise resource efficiency and produce healthy, nutrient-rich food in a financially and environmentally sustainable way.  

Our farming practices are based on the five core principles of regenerative agriculture: (i) we minimise soil disturbance to preserve soil structure, microbial life, and organic matter; (ii) we cultivate a diverse range of crops to enhance biodiversity and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs; (iii) we grow cover crops to protect our soils from extreme weather and erosion; (iv) we maintain living roots in the soil to promote microbial activity; and (v) we integrate livestock to fertilise and rejuvenate pastures.  

In contrast to conventional agriculture, which is extractive and prioritises short-term yields, our approach emphasises long-term land stewardship, creating resilient systems capable of withstanding environmental and economic challenges.

We use Adaptive Grazing to produce healthy, nutrient-rich beef  

We implement Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing, or Adaptive Grazing*, throughout our farms to produce high-quality, nutrient-dense meat from ethically raised grass-fed cattle.  

Adaptive Grazing is a rotational system that mimics natural herbivore grazing patterns. Instead of permitting livestock to roam freely over extensive areas, we move them frequently through smaller paddocks for short durations.  

This method prevents overgrazing, encourages pasture regeneration, and builds resilient ecosystems. It optimises natural resources such as forage and water, thereby increasing productivity and allowing us to raise 50% more livestock on natural grasslands and up to three times more on sown pastures.

Crucially, Adaptive Grazing improves soil health, pasture quality, and water retention, restores the small water cycle, and boosts biodiversity. It also increases farms' resilience to extreme weather while sequestering atmospheric carbon. Additionally, it promotes animal welfare by reducing stress and supporting healthier livestock compared to feedlots or poorly managed pasture systems.

These fundamental improvements translate into higher yields and long-term capital appreciation for investors.

Can regenerative agriculture be scaled? The answer is yes.

Scalability is a common concern, as many regenerative efforts remain small-scale, artisanal, fragmented, and difficult to replicate on a larger scale. However, certain regenerative practices, such as Adaptive Grazing, are inherently scalable when implemented with the right infrastructure and expertise.

Adaptive Grazing can be applied wherever access to land, water, and livestock exists. It requires only basic infrastructure, think flexible electric fences, stakes, energisers, and mobile water troughs, and a skilled team capable of making real-time adjustments based on pasture conditions, livestock needs, and climate variability. The cost of transitioning from conventional livestock systems is relatively modest, making it an accessible and scalable approach.

At The Land Group, we have successfully deployed Adaptive Grazing at scale across seven of the eight farms we manage in Uruguay and Paraguay, covering areas from 200 to 20,000 hectares. The results speak for themselves.

What about ethical considerations?

A key concern in discussions around agricultural scalability is the concentration of land ownership. We are acutely aware of these ethical considerations, particularly those related to land access and tenure security.

To address these concerns, we operate exclusively in regions with clear, well-established land ownership and transfer laws. In Uruguay, for instance, all land transactions must be reported to the Instituto Nacional de Colonización, which has the right of first refusal to ensure land remains accessible to small-scale farmers and rural workers.

Furthermore, we are committed to responsible land stewardship. Unlike certain investors seeking to extract short-term value from land, our model prioritises long-term ecological and economic sustainability. By improving soil health, biodiversity, and resilience, we create enduring value while supporting local economies through job creation and skills development.

Are there barriers to growing?

Despite the relatively low cost of transitioning from conventional farming, convincing lifelong traditional farmers to adopt new methods remains challenging.  

In practice, scaling up regenerative farming requires starting from scratch and acquiring land and livestock, making it a capital-intensive proposition. We believe regenerative agriculture today is at a stage similar to that of renewable energy in the early 2000s - gaining recognition but not yet fully embraced by institutional capital. While investor interest is increasing, securing funding remains a labour-intensive process. This is why we dedicate significant effort to engaging with prospective investors.

Building a reliable, skilled workforce takes time. Effective regenerative management requires hands-on experience, not just theoretical knowledge. To bridge this gap, we have developed a structured training programme. Experienced team members oversee newly acquired properties while new hires gain practical exposure on established farms under the guidance of seasoned agronomists. This approach has been instrumental in ensuring smooth transitions to Adaptive Grazing without compromising operational quality.

Where do we go from here?  

Regenerative agriculture is not an aspirational ideal for The Land Group; it is a practical approach to fulfilling our fiduciary duties to our clients. By managing farmland more productively and efficiently while being ecologically responsible, we create financial and environmental value for our investors.  

We also see it as a tangible solution for the future of food production. With the right strategies, regenerative systems can be applied at scale to drive profitability, resilience, and sustainability in agriculture.

Our success in implementing Adaptive Grazing across tens of thousands of hectares is proof of concept. As we continue refining our approach, we aim to expand our reach and apply these principles to new regions, further demonstrating that regenerative agriculture is not just viable but the future of farming.

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* Also known as Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing, Mob Grazing, Strip Grazing, Holistic Management, Rotational Grazing, and Management-Intensive Grazing (MIG)

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