Status: ongoing

Project duration: 09/2026 – 02/2027

Grantee: Climate Farmers

In collaboration with: Tenuta San Carlo

Location: Europe and Tuscany

The Challenge

Tuscany’s iconic agricultural landscape is facing severe threats from climate change, soil depletion, and industrialized farming practices. Within the Italian context, Tuscany stands out as a pioneering region: areas managed under organic farming methods currently account for approximately 36.5% of the regional agricultural surface, compared to a national average of 20.2% (CIA). However, while Regenerative Agriculture offers a proven solution to restore soil health, capture carbon, and boost biodiversity, access to high-level, practical training in these techniques is often financially prohibitive for young, passionate farmers and land custodians who want to lead this transition.

 

The Solution

To bridge this gap, TEF is funding a comprehensive 6-month scholarship for one dedicated individual from Tuscany to attend a transformative, intensive Regenerative Agriculture course. This initiative empowers a local change-maker with world-class, hands-on expertise in soil restoration, holistic management, and sustainable food production. The scholar will return equipped to implement these practices locally and train others, accelerating the regenerative movement across the region.

 

Project Objectives & Deliverables

• 1 Fully-Funded Scholarship: Covering 100% of tuition, accommodation, and course materials for the 6-month course
• Mastery of Core Regenerative Principles: Intensive training covering Soil Biology & Micro-organisms, Holistic Planned Grazing, Keyline Design, and Agroforestry.
• Knowledge Transfer Network: The scholar commits to sharing their acquired skills through local workshops, helping scale up regenerative practices within the Tuscan farming community.
• Empowering Future Leaders: Providing direct career acceleration for an emerging ecological farmer or land manager in Tuscany.

 

Project Update

The scholarship is now underway, with Elena Solventi, a 21-year-old Agricultural Sciences student at the University of Florence, selected as the scholarship recipient.

Over the next six months, Elena will combine hands-on training at Tenuta San Carlo, an international farming experience in Portugal, online technical sessions with Climate Farmers, and field-based mentorship with regenerative agriculture experts.

Following her training, Elena will spend 12 months supporting three Tuscan farms in their transition towards regenerative agriculture, through workshops, field visits and knowledge-sharing activities across Tuscany.

Follow Elena’s journey on our social media! 

The first month of this training has almost ended and I leave Tenuta San Carlo with a rich and memorable wealth of experiences. Arriving between September and October, I found the company bustling with many activities planned: rice harvesting, finalizing the crop calendar, preparing the land that will host future crops, and planting the first crops.
I was able to experience firsthand what it means to run a farm with regenerative goals, both in the field and in the office.
Comparison with workers and experts on cultivation and livestock aspects was valuable.
In this world, it’s essential to be flexible, contextualize goals based on available resources, and ultimately take care of the local area and your work.

– Elena Solventi

Long-term Impact

By investing in human capital, this project seeds a long-term agroecological transition across the region. The knowledge brought back by the scholar will ripple through local farming networks, leading to a measurable increase in Tuscan soil health, enhanced water retention, and carbon sequestration. Over time, this scholarship helps build a resilient network of climate-smart farms, ensuring the long-term viability of Tuscany’s rural economy and the preservation of its natural landscapes.