Chile

Project overview

Agriculture and livestock play a central role in Chile’s economy, food security, and rural livelihoods. The sector is a major contributor to national exports and employment, and spans diverse production systems including crops, livestock, fruit, and viticulture. At the same time, conventional agricultural practices have placed increasing pressure on soils, water resources, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, pressures that are being intensified by climate change.

Chile has experienced land degradation, soil erosion, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions linked to agricultural expansion and intensification. Livestock production and crop systems are often located in ecologically sensitive landscapes, where unsustainable practices can undermine long-term productivity and ecosystem resilience.

At the same time, Chile has a strong institutional framework and growing experience with sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, supported by public policies, research institutions, and private sector initiatives. However, these efforts remain fragmented and have not yet been scaled across food systems and value chains.

The project supports a system-level transition to regenerative and circular food systems by strengthening enabling conditions, improving access to finance and markets, and supporting producers to adopt practices that restore soils, protect biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, and increase resilience to climate change—while maintaining productivity and rural incomes.

Read More on Scaling-up regenerative practices for the recovery and improvements of soils, biodiversity, and associated ecosystem services in the Chilean agricultural sector

Our approach

The project supports the transition to regenerative and circular agricultural systems that improve soil health, protect biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, and increase resilience to climate change. It works across cropping, livestock, and mixed farming systems, promoting practices such as improved soil management, diversified crop rotations, and circular use of nutrients.

Activities focus on strengthening governance and policy frameworks, improving access to finance and markets, and supporting producers, particularly family farmers, women, and Indigenous Peoples, to adopt regenerative practices. The project works across food value chains to promote sustainable production, responsible consumption, and improved recognition of regenerative products.

Knowledge generation, innovation, and capacity building are central to the approach, supporting learning, replication, and long-term sustainability.

Sites

Project activities will be implemented across selected agricultural landscapes in Chile, covering diverse ecosystems and production systems, including cropping, livestock, horticulture, fruit, and viticulture. These areas offer strong potential for scaling up regenerative practices and delivering environmental and socio-economic benefits.