A Feasibility Analysis of Regenerative Land Practices & Reciprocal Social-Ecological Impacts: A Case Study from Madeira Island

Abstract

The lack of resilient socio-ecological systems in a 1.5°C world, will result in significant agrosystem loss and, land degradation for highly vulnerable tropical, coastal, and geographically isolated island regions (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2018). Such loss and soil degradation would have catastrophic effects on vegetation, animals, and humans in their interconnected ecosystems (Lennon, 2015). Sustainable land use in agriculture (SLUA) and regenerative agriculture systems could play an impactful role in contributing to buffering against extreme weather events, specifically in vulnerable island regions, by restricting soil erosion, facilitating water infiltration, and improving soil physical properties, thereby preparing for a warming world. However, while SLUA practices are of international interest and global need, it is unclear which financial analysis tools are appropriate for measuring and modeling impact assessments, and which regenerative agriculture standards and frameworks are effective measuring tools (Ferguson & Lovell, 2013). Additionally, there is a lack of clear and dependable models for assessing the impact of community benefits from regenerative agriculture (Vitari & David, 2017). The main objective of my thesis was to investigate the financial feasibility of regenerative agriculture and agritourism on existing marginal land by comparing different hypothetical agroforestry scenarios and an agritourism enterprise for a specific family-owned site on Madeira Island. Agroforestry scenarios included alley cropping, silvopasture, and permaculture. The foundational research question for this study was: Are regenerative agriculture options financially feasible for the Madeira Island site, and do they contribute to community livelihoods? I hypothesized that silvopasture practices would yield the most net ecological restoration gain, while permaculture practices would yield the most beneficial net present value economically. I evaluated these scenarios through a comparative cost-benefit analysis based on establishing regenerative standards and building hypothetical agroforestry and agrotourism designs for each scenario. Interestingly, alley cropping with agrotourism emerged as a promising approach to achieving both economic prosperity and ecological restoration. Additionally, I assessed which enterprise model strengthens the relationship between the community and agroecological systems from a design approach like regenerative agriculture. I hypothesized an enterprise model including agritourism is more likely to provide sustainable community economic prosperity. Agritourism concluded to add to community economic prosperity. Furthermore, I hypothesized that when paired with an agritourism enterprise model, permaculture practices will amplify financial, environmental, and community benefits most, concluding to be false. Through impact assessments, I aimed to determine the interdependent relationships between the community and agroecological systems and validate such findings by testing agritourism against each agroforestry scenario within the cost-benefit analysis. I predicted the impacts on environmental, economic, and community benefits through various regenerative agriculture systems would likely vary significantly which proved true. This research helps provide a framework for evaluating options for transforming marginal land to be resilient and profitable for both agroecological benefits and community livelihoods. This framework may aid in providing farmers with accessible knowledge and education for implementing regenerative agriculture practices.