El Alcornoquillo
El Alconcoquillo
El Alcornoquillo is a regenerative livestock farm undergoing a regenerative transition, managed from a landscape-scale perspective and grounded in the principles of holistic water management, biodiversity, and ecological processes. The transition began in response to soil degradation, the loss of hydrological functionality, and the simplification of the agroecosystem. Within this framework, more than 400 water ponds and 60 water-retention structures have been strategically implemented across the farm to slow runoff, increase infiltration, and improve water recharge. In parallel, the farm has committed to the recovery and management of endangered native livestock breeds, strengthening their adaptation to the territory and their ecological role.
Over a four-year period, the farm applied a regenerative approach focused on restoring water cycles and soil life. Interventions prioritized improved moisture retention, erosion reduction, and soil stabilization through adaptive grazing planning, the maintenance of permanent ground cover, and the restoration of natural landscape features, enabling the reactivation of hydrological processes at the farm scale.
Complementary actions were also implemented to restore functional biodiversity. These included the protection and successive sowing of field margins, habitat diversification, and the installation of biodiversity infrastructure for pollinators, birds, bats, and amphibians, reinforcing key ecological interactions essential for the stability of the production system.
As a result, the farm shows progressive improvements in soil structure and biological activity, increased water resilience, and greater plant and wildlife diversity. El Alcornoquillo has evolved into a more balanced system adapted to Mediterranean conditions, demonstrating the central role of holistic water and biodiversity management in long-term regenerative transitions.