Chile Archives - Food Planet Prize

Across Latin America’s sprawling grasslands, forests, and savannas, a new approach to livestock is gaining momentum—one that reimagines cattle not as a cause of environmental degradation, but as a tool for restoring ecosystems, storing carbon, and revitalizing rural livelihoods. Operating across Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and beyond, Ruuts is rapidly building Latin America’s largest network of regenerative livestock producers. The initiative’s vision is bold: to regenerate at least 5 million hectares of grazing land by 2035, restore critical ecosystems, sequester millions of tons of CO₂, and ensure that rural communities not only survive but thrive amid mounting climate and market pressures.

At the heart of Ruuts’ model is a multi-lever, systems-based approach that goes beyond training or certification. It integrates five interconnected components: hands-on technical support through regional «territorial nodes,» robust data and monitoring systems, direct ecosystem service finance, practical capacity building via the Regeneration School, and market development that links producers to premium supply chains and impact-driven investors. This structure enables the initiative to operate simultaneously at the grassroots and systems levels, thus scaling local solutions while aligning with global sustainability goals.

*_{Ruuts fields professionals working with farmers in the field, planning grazing rotations and regenerative management strategies based on Holistic Management.}*

Ruuts builds on over two decades of field-proven experience from Ovis 21, a B-Corp company founded in Patagonia, with a unique strength in working directly with producers. Their model centers farmers’ agency (programs are co-designed), ensuring practices are ecologically effective and economically viable. According to the initiative, to date, over 400 producers managing more than 1.3 million hectares have adopted regenerative practices through Ruuts programs. The results are tangible: increased soil organic carbon, improved water infiltration, reduced erosion, and measurable biodiversity gains—all while enhancing productivity and reducing input costs.

Crucially, Ruuts connects these on-the-ground outcomes to climate and biodiversity finance. Through verified carbon programs using VERRA methodologies, the initiative states that over 400,000 hectares are under signed contracts that generate real, traceable income for producers through carbon credits and ecosystem service payments. This financial model offers long-term incentives that align livelihoods with land stewardship.

Ruuts also invests heavily in knowledge transfer. It claims that its Regeneration School has trained over 1,500 producers, technicians, and rural youth in holistic management, equipping the next generation with the tools to lead this transformation. The initiative is now expanding into dryland and forest-edge ecosystems with plans to launch new regional nodes and deploy digital tools that enable real-time monitoring, adaptive grazing plans, and financial analysis.

In a sector often framed as a problem, Ruuts offers a compelling counter-narrative: that livestock, when managed regeneratively, can heal land, store carbon, and build resilient food systems. By restoring just 10% of Latin America’s grazing lands, Ruuts estimates the potential to sequester hundreds of millions of tons of CO₂, create biodiversity corridors at a continental scale, and enhance food sovereignty for millions.

Learn more about Ruuts.

Written by Sarah Souli
Photos provided by Ruuts

BioFiltro is an innovative climate tech company providing wastewater treatment solutions. BioFiltro sees the earthworm as the answer to several of the most pressing environmental challenges in sanitation, agriculture and food production, from water pollution and scarcity, to soil health and climate change.

At the heart of BioFiltro’s technology is the BIDA System, a patented vermifiltration system which harnesses the natural abilities of earthworms and microbes to clean organic liquid waste.

This ingenious approach features a biological reactor with a filter medium—usually wood chips—providing a home for earthworms and microorganisms that have numerous beneficial outcomes. Wastewater is intermittently sprayed onto the biomass, where it undergoes a remarkably efficient, low-energy purification process through natural filtration.

_{The BioFiltro BIDA System is highly accessible with container-sized units available for installation in sanitation and smaller food production applications like wineries.}

BioFiltro claims the BIDA System could eliminate 70% to 99% of total nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonia, and volatile solids, the organic matter found in wastewater, in just four hours. Its eco-friendly approach involves no chemical input.

The treated water can also be upcycled for agricultural reuse, including irrigation in certain applications. This is a crucial solution to global water scarcity and the increasing pressure on water resources due to climate change.

Vermifiltration dramatically cuts greenhouse gas emissions by over 90% compared to traditional wastewater management, according to BioFiltro. Strategically installed upstream, the BIDA System removes volatile solids and diverts methane production from anaerobic lagoons before it can be created.

For livestock farms, this innovative system could also reduce their greenhouse gas footprint by as much as a third. With vermifiltration, less land is needed for manure management, reliance on synthetic fertilizers is reduced, and soil health, water quality, and crop yields are increased.

The capacity to create new revenue streams from the work of the humble worm could be life-changing for the poorest farming communities; worm castings are a valuable coproduct as a soil amendment which can be sold or used to improve crop yields. BIDA’s ability to generate high-quality verified carbon credits also provides an additional income source.

According to BioFiltro, the controlled environment of the BIDA System guarantees consistent performance regardless of external weather conditions in tropical, temperate, and cold weather regions. As a result, its innovations already span the globe, boasting over 200 installations in nine different countries, tackling environments as varied as the icy expanse of Antarctica and the arid Atacama Desert in Chile.

Country: Chile

Country: Chile

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