Regenerative agriculture is increasingly emerging in Serbia as a response to soil degradation, climate change, and rising fertilizer and pesticide costs. This approach is based on the protection and restoration of soil, biodiversity, and crop resilience through reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, and the integration of livestock. Unlike organic production, however, the regenerative approach still lacks clearly defined standards and institutional support, which hinders its wider implementation. To ensure that this approach truly takes root in practice, it is also important that women—who make up a significant share of the agricultural workforce—receive equal opportunities to participate in its development and application. Although formal incentives exist, such as additional points in applications for subsidies under the EU’s financial instrument for rural development in candidate countries (IPARD) and national grants, their effectiveness is limited by the lack of education, mentoring, and practical assistance. Practical examples, such as the farm of Anabel Vlček, demonstrate that combining organic and regenerative production increases crop resilience and reduces the need for chemical treatments. International experiences from Slovenia and the Czech Republic confirm that financial support and institutional recognition of regenerative practices still lag behind, but also that this type of agriculture can contribute to strengthening the position of women through new income sources, cooperation, and community leadership. In the EU, regenerative agriculture is gradually gaining recognition as a key sustainability strategy, but its broader integration is slowed by the absence of a unified definition and standards, even though the EESC and new legislative initiatives (such as the Nature Restoration Law) call for its support and incorporation into policies. In Serbia, moreover, the gap between formal measures and actual opportunities for women clearly shows that the future of regenerative agriculture depends on investments in knowledge, resources, and support networks. The article by Vanja Velisavljev was originally published with the support of the project Enhancing the Capacities of Serbian Independent Media in Informing about the Green Transition Challenges by Agrosmart.
