Familia Torres reinforces its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the wine industry by participating in the research project Regenera.cat promoted by CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Forest Applications) with the support of the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR). This project has a double objective: on the one hand, valuing the potential of regenerative agricultural practices to combat climate change and improve crop resilience to drought, and on the other hand, expanding these practices throughout the Catalan territory.
Mireia Torres, Director of Research and Knowledge at Familia Torres, comments: "We want to promote an agricultural model that puts the health of the soil and nature at the center of the production system. We currently own 1,100 hectares of organic vineyards in Catalonia, and we are already implementing regenerative viticulture in about half of them. Our intention is to extend these practices to all of our vineyards by 2030."
On their historic Mas La Plana estate, in the heart of Alt Penedès, Familia Torres has been applying regenerative viticulture for three years and has already experienced improvements in soil quality and biodiversity. It has been observed that the soil is becoming more fertile and alive and that makes it capable of absorbing more water, storing more CO2 and hosting more biodiversity, such as pollinators. Among others, this agricultural model is based on eliminating tillage, chemicals and heavy machinery, preserving cover crops and, in some cases, including herds of livestock to fertilize the soil and manage these covers.
Sheep grazing was introduced at Mas La Plana in 2021 and just one year later, the own herd was expanded to 40 heads. Currently, up to three flocks of sheep graze in a planned manner among the vineyards of this estate, in the period from the end of the harvest in October until the appearance of the vine buds at the end of March. "Livestock work to improve soil fertility in a natural way and help maintain homogeneous cover crops," explains Eva Bertran, manager of microbiological research and development at Familia Torres. "Establishing this new model is a slow process; the first few years are complicated, but in the long run it will be more beneficial and is part of our commitment to tackle climate change," says Bertran.
Regenera.cat should allow Familia Torres to share experiences, data and best practices with other producers and at the same time, combine these observations with CREAF's scientific knowledge. Regenera.cat not only focuses on the vineyard, but also includes three other Catalan producers who have been practicing regenerative agriculture for years: Planeses, a horticultural and livestock farm in La Garrotxa (Girona); the family farm of Pomona fruit trees in Ivars d'Urgell (Lleida) and VerdCamp Fruits, different horticultural crops that are grown throughout the year in Cambrils (Tarragona).
