Eat More Trees

The UN estimates that 90% of our agricultural land will be depleted by 2050 if we continue current farming practices. But there is an alternative. In drought-stricken Spain, Alfonso and his wife Yanniek are trying to save their farm from desertification by switching to sustainable agricultural methods. We follow them and other pioneers from around the world as they transform their masia into one of the largest regenerative farms in Europe.

“This farm was so degraded 15 years ago, we were thinking that probably we would have to sell,” says Yanniek. To turn things around, they switched to regenerative farming, growing perennial crops like almond trees with deep roots, and planting in rows that follow the contour lines of the hill. They dream of restoring the river Quipar, that dried up eight years ago, and restoring the whole valley. But with water inspectors bribed to look the other way, the odds are against them.

Louis, an expert in regenerative agiculture, travels the world to find crops resistant to soil erosion and climate change while engineers, Jeremy and Harrison, have designed software that maps out the exact financial risks and break even points of planting different crops. “It takes all the risk off the table for them — making that big transition possible.” Their paths cross when they decide to collaborate and share their knowledge. The farmers and experts address universal themes of regeneration, environment, sustainability and humanity’s connection to the earth.

We witness their daily struggles, triumphs and setbacks, and the growing impact of their work on their communities.