FROM SUSTAINABILITY TO REGENERATION — A NECESSARY TRANSFORMATION FOR THE FUTURE OF TERRITORIES
The growing complexity of environmental, social, and economic challenges has highlighted the limitations of traditional sustainability approaches in addressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation. In this context, regenerative transformation emerges as a conceptual and practical evolution that seeks not only to reduce negative impacts but also to restore and strengthen the capacity of socio-ecological systems to generate favorable conditions for life (Wahl, 2016; Storm & Hutchins, 2021).
Regenerative innovation has become a key mechanism for driving this transition by promoting the design of solutions that integrate human well-being, ecosystem health, and territorial resilience. This approach recognizes the interdependence among natural, social, and economic systems, fostering processes of adaptation, learning, and shared value creation that contribute to the regeneration of territories (Fullerton, 2020; Sanford, 2022).
The application of regenerative principles has gained relevance across different productive sectors. Regenerative agriculture incorporates practices aimed at improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, optimizing the use of natural resources, and enhancing carbon sequestration, thereby contributing simultaneously to agricultural productivity and ecological restoration (FAO, 2024). Similarly, regenerative livestock farming promotes management systems that support grassland recovery, animal welfare, and the restoration of essential ecological processes, generating environmental, economic, and social benefits in rural territories (Savory Institute, 2024).
Furthermore, regenerative tourism represents an evolution beyond conventional sustainable tourism models by creating experiences capable of generating positive impacts on both ecosystems and host communities. This approach seeks to strengthen cultural identities, stimulate local economies, and actively contribute to territorial restoration, promoting more conscious and reciprocal relationships among visitors, communities, and nature (Pollock, 2023; Regenerative Travel, 2024).
This symposium reflects on the role of regenerative innovation as a central driver of transformation processes in agriculture, livestock farming, and tourism, highlighting its potential to promote development models capable of restoring ecosystems, strengthening communities, and generating sustainable prosperity. It concludes that the transition from sustainability to regeneration represents an opportunity to build more resilient, inclusive territories that are better prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.
