A 10-Year Living Laboratory for Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and the Future of Farming

After 23 years of ecosystem restoration and farm development, the Ferme du Bec Hellouin has reached a unique stage of ecological maturity. Across the farm, a rich mosaic of habitats now supports exceptional biodiversity and provides an unprecedented opportunity for long-term scientific research.

Building on this foundation, our Institut is launching a 10-year action-research program to investigate one of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture today:

Can biodiversity become a primary driver of crop health, productivity, and resilience in a rapidly changing climate—without relying on chemical inputs?

An Innovative Research Program

The project will generate a comprehensive dataset integrating three critical dimensions that are rarely studied together:

Long-term monitoring of biodiversity and especially auxiliaries of the crops;
Continuous assessment of crop health, diseases and pest pressure;
Climate monitoring through a network of on-site sensors.

To our knowledge, this will be one of the first long-term action-research programs in Europe to integrate biodiversity monitoring, crop health assessment, and climate data collection within a working organic microfarm.

From Scientific Evidence to Practical Solutions

The program is designed not only to produce scientific database, but also to deliver actionable tools for farmers, openly available.

To ensure robust and comparable results, the project will work alongside networks of both organic and conventional farms, using recognized, accessible, and reproducible scientific protocols.

Delivering Tangible Impact at Scale

We aim to tool as many as 100,000 French farms under 5 hectares, helping them reduce crop losses, lower plant protection costs, and strengthen their long-term economic resilience.

Through our communication channels and educational activities, we will mobilize our community of more than 170,000 followers to inspire at least 2,000 microfarms in France and internationally to increase the abundance of beneficial organisms and natural crop auxiliaries by 15–20% over the next 5 to 10 years.

This shift has the potential to generate an estimated €27–50 million in annual savings through reduced crop losses, lower pest-management costs, and improved farm resilience.

By building networks and sharing practical knowledge, we aim to improve farmers' well-being, engage a wider public in the challenges of food production, and contribute to the emergence of new narratives around agriculture—narratives that place biodiversity, regeneration, and climate resilience at the heart of our food systems.

Why Support This Project?

Financial support will enable us to:

Mobilize leading naturalists and scientific experts for long-term ecological monitoring and analysis;
Develop a network of pilot farms;

Build a unique ecological database spanning biodiversity, agronomy, and climate;
Disseminate reliable, field-tested knowledge to farmers, researchers, and policymakers.

At a time when climate disruption is accelerating and agricultural systems face increasing pressure, there is an urgent need for rigorous, long-term evidence on nature-based solutions.

Strong Foundations, Strong Partnerships

This initiative builds on more than 15 years of research conducted at the farm on living soils, bio-intensive market gardening, and regenerative agriculture.

Our multidisciplinary team already possesses expertise required to carry out the field observations and monitoring activities central to the program.

We are also supported by respected partners including the Agence Normande de la Biodiversité, the Groupe Mammalogique Normand, and the Natura 2000, helping us establish a rigorous long-term ecological observatory.

Invest in the Future of Farming

By supporting this initiative, funders and partners will help create one of Europe's most ambitious living laboratories for regenerative agriculture.

Together, we can generate the scientific evidence needed to scale biodiversity-based farming, strengthen food-system resilience, and accelerate the agroecological transition in the face of climate change.

This is more than a research project. It is an investment in the future of agriculture, biodiversity, and climate resilience of the territories.