About 40 kilometers south of the French town of Dijon in the heart of Burgundy lies the Beaune vineyards. But what’s so special about them, besides their famous wines?Harvest data for this region dates back to his 1354, making it the oldest vintage record in the world. As is well known, the 14th century marked the transition from the optimal climate of the Middle Ages to the Little Ice Age. Therefore, Beaune’s record is The relationship between agriculture and climateBeing a highly sensitive crop, fluctuations in wine production are a good measure of climate change. And for the same reason he in the first testbed became one. sustainable regeneration Or, more specifically, regenerative agriculture.
What is sustainable regeneration?
At the beginning of the 21st century, when anthropogenic climate change was still a subject of debate, the most optimistic estimates were that Global warmingSince the 2016 Paris Agreement, projections and targets have become more conservative, and keeping global warming below 2°C has become a problem. The latest IPCC report follows similar logic. This means that emissions reductions are limited to warming of at most 1.5°C.
Advances such as renewable energy are undoubtedly positive, but reflect a new philosophy. sustainable regeneration project It’s gaining momentum. for example, Moving from carbon neutral to net positive impact Concerning agricultural and industrial activities. Since the first industrial revolution, industry balance sheets have not taken into account so-called negative externalities. That is, social and ecological impacts in addition to economic impacts. Regenerative capitalism requires that the three categories are closely related and cannot be understood independently.this is Holistic approach.
In addition to climate change, sustainable regeneration A world of limited resourcesEssentially, industrial activity will begin to behave like a natural ecosystem, with all resources being used without upsetting the overall balance.
sustainable regeneration project
This new production philosophy has impacted many areas. From agriculture to energy to construction, more and more businesses are looking for positive impact.
Regenerative Agriculture: The Case of Viticulture
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, viticulture is sustainable regeneration project in the agricultural world. In fact, there is a foundation of regenerative viticulture involving some of the world’s most important wineries, including Spanish wineries Torres and Jackson Family Wines.In this way, the number of wineries adopting is increasing Sustainable regeneration practices like that:
- Soil regeneration by plant cover
- Improve nutritional balance with organic fertilizer
- Improving vineyard biodiversity
- livestock integration
At the foundation’s final meeting, Torres Winery announced a project to regenerate 500 hectares of vineyards. Part of the strategy is to promote plant cover previously considered ‘weeds’ to improve plant-soil balance and increase biodiversity in terms of insects and microbiota.
Animals such as sheep also graze among the vines, provide natural fertilization and surface tillage. These vineyards were already organically grown, but regenerative agriculture is more than just getting rid of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Towards a playback architecture
Construction, especially the production of cement and concrete, Highest greenhouse gas emissionsAs you can read here, the sustainable building movement has for decades promoted more energy-efficient construction through the use of innovative materials and new structural solutions. Similarly, sustainability has been supplanted by so-called regenerative design.
One initiative in this area is the International Living Future Institute. This non-profit organization living building challengewhich is a series of Playback design requirementsEach of these includes several categories, but we limit ourselves to the most important examples.
- Location: integration into the environment
- Water: water positive
- Energy: Energy positive
- Health and Happiness: Healthy Interiors
- Material: positive carbon footprint
- Equality: equal investment
- Beauty: the ability to inspire and educate
As you can see, some of these are very abstract, but they are roadmaps for building the future. A more concrete example is the use of self-healing, carbon-positive concrete, that is, concrete that can sequester carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
Sustainable revitalization of other industries
Construction and agriculture are not the only areas where sustainable regeneration projects are emerging. Today, several manufacturers are adopting strategies to make a positive impact from a social and ecological point of view. One example is Interface, the maker of modular he carpets. One of its pilot projects was A factory like a forest, built factories in Australia that clean air, purify water and sequester carbon. We have since applied our findings and design alternatives to other plants in the United States.
The company was already carbon neutral in 2018, carbon negative carpetThis means we employ manufacturing processes that reduce the total amount of carbon dioxide in the environment.
Infrastructure is another fertile ground for sustainable regeneration projects. One initiative that adopts the holistic approach to sustainability mentioned at the beginning is the Quito Metro. The influence of this new line underwritten by ACCIONA was felt at every stage.
First, in addition to creating jobs and providing training, we are committed to recycling the waste generated during the construction work itself. In this way, craftsmen in the city have made musical instruments and furniture from the remaining wood. Along with the archaeological remains, the trees in the working area were also protected. In addition, his 400,000 passengers on the line are expected to produce 67,000 tons less carbon dioxide each year than using private transport. In other words, Economic, environmental and social impact.
Along with the construction industry, the fashion industry also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This is both due to the production process itself and the philosophy of disposable clothing. Of course, the intensive farming required to produce fabrics such as cotton is one of the first areas that needs improvement. So companies like The North Face, Timberland and Burberry are investing in and working in renewable agriculture. with suppliers who share these practices.
In short, this is a paradigm shift that will affect many industries. We will continue to work on these projects over the next few months and years. Sustainable regeneration seems to be taking hold.
sauce: Research Gate, Forbes, Sustainable Brands, https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/07/09/soil-is-miraculous-how-regenerative-agriculture-could-transform-fashion
