• A visit to the Eroc – European regenerative organic centre – dedicated to regenerative organic agriculture reveals the benefits of this farming practice compared to conventional methods.
• The centre is supported by Gruppo Davines, which, in addition to promoting awareness of soil health, grows ingredients here for the natural formulas used in its products.
• Every year the Group presents The Good Farmer Award to farmers under 35 who have distinguished themselves through regenerative, organic and responsible farming practices. Among the recipients is Marta Galimberti, the young owner of Cascina Bagaggera in the province of Lecco.

The first experiment is simple enough that even the children who come on school trips to this field can try it. All you need to do is run your hand through two wheat crops: one group of ears has a noticeably stronger, more flexible stem when bent by hand, while the other group is far less pliable. Even someone with no expertise needs only a few seconds to sense the difference between the effects of conventional agriculture and those of regenerative organic agriculture.

A visit to the Eroc field

Leading the brief experiment is Dario Fornara, a soil scientist at the head of Eroc, the European regenerative organic centre, a research centre belonging to Gruppo Davines, a company known for its shampoos and natural cosmetic products and for its commitment to sustainability. Eroc is the first training and research centre in Italy and Europe in the field of regenerative organic agriculture led by a cosmetics company, occupying a 17-hectare site opposite the Davines Group Village in Parma — the group's headquarters, which runs entirely on renewable energy.

Regenerative organic agriculture refers to a set of cultivation principles and practices capable of contributing to the mitigation of climate change through the improvement of soil quality and health. These practices are grounded in a number of core principles: minimal soil disturbance, cover crops, crop rotation, organic fertilisers and the promotion of biodiversity within agroecosystems.

From field research to cosmetic product ingredients

Agriculture and cosmetics might seem like two very different worlds, but the formulas behind Davines products are based on natural ingredients, and finding a more sustainable approach to cultivation has been a priority for the company for several years. "Protecting biodiversity and minimising the impact on soil means incorporating the principles of regenerative organic agriculture," explains Fornara. The Eroc field was established in 2021 in partnership with the Rodale Institute, the American institution responsible for the Roc – Regenerative organic certified standard, and comprises 188 research plots with 22 plant species grown in rotation, including wheat, maize, calendula, lemon balm and chamomile. Calendula itself is one of the eight Roc-certified ingredients featured in Davines formulas (it can be found in the We stand/for regeneration hair, body and face butter, which contains 93.25 per cent natural ingredients and 85.5 per cent biodegradable ingredients).

The Eroc centre cannot supply all the raw materials required for production, which is why establishing partnerships with trusted suppliers — farms across Italy and beyond that share these values — is a fundamental priority for Davines, as Mark Giannandrea, General Manager of Davines, explains: "To date, 20.3 per cent of the value of purchases made at the Parma headquarters comes from independent suppliers located within 80 km of our site. Since we are ourselves a BCorp, we try to spread this model to others. By the end of 2023, we were proud to have encouraged 19 suppliers at our Parma headquarters, 2 international distributors and 4 international salons to become B Corps."

The transition from traditional to organic and regenerative agriculture

In the same spirit, Fornara guides suppliers who are ready to make the transition towards regenerative organic agriculture, forging collaborations and promoting the model beyond Italy's borders. For example, the semi-permanent colour line The Present Time features a Roc-certified coconut oil sourced from Sri Lanka.

"More than 60 per cent of all biodiversity on the planet lives in the soil," Fornara continues. "In a teaspoon of healthy earth you find billions of micro-organisms that keep a living, complex system functioning — a system upon which our very lives depend, without us even realising it." While it may be easier to think of large endangered mammals as the things most worthy of protection — and they certainly are — a rich abundance of life is thriving beneath our feet, and we pay it far too little attention.

The Eroc centre aims to push forward research into regenerative organic agriculture by also promoting scientific studies — which are scarce in this field and could help justify better agricultural policies in Italy and elsewhere. Fornara and his team have just published one such study, comparing a range of existing research and demonstrating how regenerative organic agriculture has positive effects on many soil ecosystem services, including habitat provision, nutrient and water cycling, organic carbon sequestration and the maintenance of soil structure. The paper also shows that food quality in terms of nutrient content is higher under regenerative organic systems. Fornara notes, however, that further comparative studies are needed, particularly regarding long-term land yields.

Cascina Bagaggera: a virtuous example combining environmental and social commitment

The transition of a farm towards organic regenerative agriculture is well illustrated by Marta Galimberti, 33, co-founder of Cascina Bagaggera in the province of Lecco and winner of the The Good Farmer Award, which Gruppo Davines presents each year to farmers under 35 who have distinguished themselves through their regenerative practices. "We have been an organic farm since 1995, already by my parents' choice," explains Galimberti, "but at a certain point we realised that was no longer enough, and we began a transition towards regenerative practices, finding countless benefits for the soil. This also involves different grazing techniques for our hundred goats, for example. It is not a straightforward transition, and the financial support from the Gruppo Davines award has certainly been a great help," she concludes. Bagaggera adopts a range of practices inspired by the founding principles of agroecology and regenerative organic farming, and stands out as a social farm, committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities and offering a wide range of activities for children.

More than 4,000 people a year visit the Davines Eroc centre. Not only students, but also institutions, representatives of research bodies and other companies — above all from the Parma area — because building networks and collaborating is of fundamental importance. So much so that in 2020 Gruppo Davines also helped found the Regenerative Society Foundation, whose mission is to contribute to the transition towards a new regenerative society and economy by promoting the regenerative model to businesses, in order to achieve the greatest possible impact in terms of circularity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. A commitment that must begin with a different way of thinking about the soil beneath our feet every day.