With 10 demonstration sites currently in operation, training programmes and an innovative monitoring system, the Gran Chaco Foundation is driving a pioneering initiative that combines regenerative production, community empowerment and the generation of evidence for climate adaptation.
The Argentine Gran Chaco is one of the largest and most biodiverse regions in South America, but also one of the most affected by environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, the impacts of climate change, and the social and economic vulnerabilities affecting rural and indigenous communities. Against this backdrop, the Paisajes Futuros project is driving a strategy for regenerative productive development that seeks to strengthen local areas and conserve ecosystems through nature-based solutions.
The initiative promotes an approach based on Regenerative Agriculture and Livestock (R2A) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), integrating production, environmental restoration and community empowerment. By strengthening four strategic value chains — livestock farming, beekeeping, carob and handicrafts — the project aims to demonstrate that it is possible to produce, conserve and generate economic opportunities simultaneously, drawing on local knowledge, ancestral wisdom and deep-rooted ties to the land.
A regional laboratory for regeneration
Paisajes Futuros combines productive investment, training, technical support and the collective development of knowledge. The project comprises a productive laboratory based on 10 demonstration sites, a train-the-trainer programme, methodological materials, an impact monitoring system and an ongoing process of co-design with indigenous communities, local organisations and producers.
Through this process, more than 2,500 people have been trained in regenerative agriculture and livestock farming practices, climate adaptation and territorial empowerment. Furthermore, more than 500 producers are actively involved in the implementation and monitoring of regenerative practices, contributing information and lessons learnt that strengthen decision-making and the continuous improvement of production models.
The proposal recognises that regeneration cannot be measured solely by productive outcomes. For this reason, a system of indicators has been developed to comprehensively assess the environmental, social and economic changes brought about by the practices implemented. This monitoring framework, developed through a co-creation process involving technical teams and community leaders, provides the rigour and evidence needed to validate and scale up these initiatives.
The indicators cover environmental, social and productive dimensions, incorporating data disaggregated by gender and age and highlighting the leading role played by women and young people in territorial transformation processes. They also make it possible to measure key aspects such as the regeneration of native woodland, the restoration of ecosystem functions, the transmission of traditional knowledge, community participation and the improvement of production systems.
Pilot sites: spaces for learning, innovating and demonstrating
The regional roll-out is being implemented through demonstration sites spread across Salta, Formosa and Chaco. These sites function as open-air laboratories, combining productive investment, technical support and collective learning processes to validate regenerative practices and generate evidence of their results.
Each site addresses a priority value chain and takes into account the ecological and socio-cultural characteristics of its respective territory. The initiatives include livestock farming, beekeeping, the use of carob, and handicrafts.
Participating communities and organisations play a central role in the design and implementation of the initiatives. Collaboration between technical teams and local stakeholders enables the combination of scientific knowledge with ancestral wisdom, leading to the development of solutions tailored to each specific context.
In artisanal production chains, Wichí, Qom and Pilagá women are driving initiatives to add value to chaguar, carandillo and natural dyes, whilst simultaneously promoting the conservation of the scrubland and generating income. Beekeeping strengthens biodiversity and provides resilient economic alternatives in the face of the climate crisis. The carob, an ancestral food of the Gran Chaco, is establishing itself as a strategic resource for food security and local development. Meanwhile, regenerative livestock farming promotes management systems compatible with ecosystem conservation and soil restoration.
The project currently has 16 intervention plans underway, forming a network for learning and experimentation that aims to generate replicable models for other areas of the Gran Chaco.
The initiatives are being carried out in Lote 8, Las Lomita, Vaca Perdida, Tatane and El Quebracho, in Formosa; Miraflores, Nueva Pompeya and Fortín Lavalle, in Chaco; and Los Blancos and Los Baldes, in Salta.
Building evidence to scale up regeneration
One of the key contributions of Paisajes Futuros is the development of open knowledge on regeneration and climate adaptation. The project develops methodologies, tools and evidence that enable the assessment of the impacts of the practices implemented and help strengthen future territorial development strategies.
Paisajes Futuros seeks to strengthen local capacities, promote the inclusion of women and young people, and create the conditions for communities to develop their own responses to climate challenges.
Experience shows that regeneration is not merely an environmental practice, but a comprehensive strategy for strengthening local economies, restoring ecosystems and building a future from the ground up.
Agromonte: a tool for regenerative production
Agromonte is a production model that integrates native woodland, agriculture and livestock farming, demonstrating that it is possible to produce food and generate income whilst conserving the ecosystems of the Gran Chaco. Drawing on experiences developed in the region through the Paisajes Futuros initiative, the handbook “Agromonte: a strategy for safeguarding life in the American Chaco” was produced; this publication brings together methodologies, lessons learnt and recommendations to facilitate the adoption and replication of regenerative production practices in different contexts across the region.
About the project
This project in Argentina is implemented by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with its implementing partners, the Gran Chaco Foundation and the ProYungas Foundation, and is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The IKI is an important part of the German Government’s international climate finance commitment. Since 2022, the IKI has been administered by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).