Summary of the 2025 Activity Report of Fundação Terra Agora

This document constitutes a summary of the 2025 Activity Report of Fundação Terra Agora (FTA), covering the period between January and December 2025. The year 2025 represented a phase of institutional consolidation, strategic reorganisation and preparation for future growth. While 2024 was primarily dedicated to the legal and operational formalisation of the Foundation, 2025 focused on building the institutional foundations required for the programmatic and territorial expansion planned for the coming years.

Throughout the year, the Foundation deepened its operational model based on territorial guardianship, seeking to create institutional mechanisms capable of protecting strategic ecological assets while supporting local guardian entities in the regeneration of ecosystems and rural communities. In October 2025, FTA approved its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, establishing six key priorities for the coming years: building a network of protected lands and guardian entities; supporting the Idanha-a-Vida project as a demonstrator model; launching training and capacity-building programmes; developing a sustainable financial model; positioning FTA as a national reference in landscape regeneration; and obtaining Public Utility status.

The Foundation’s mission became increasingly centred on the ecological and social regeneration of landscapes through collaborative models of intergenerational stewardship. FTA seeks to promote a renewed relationship with land, oriented towards ecological restoration, community resilience and the development of long-term regenerative economic models.

During 2025, the Foundation concentrated significant efforts on institutional consolidation and governance. Administrative matters inherited from the start-up phase were resolved, and responsibilities between governance bodies were clarified. Between December 2024 and April 2025, important leadership transitions took place. Ivan Sellers assumed the Presidency of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, strengthening the connection between strategic vision and operational execution. Paulo de Carvalho became President of the Council of Curators, while Francisco Neves joined the executive leadership team, contributing extensive experience in impact organisations. Susana Carvalho also reinforced the Foundation’s links with the international ecosystem associated with the Presencing Institute.

Additional changes occurred within the Foundation’s governance bodies. Michelle Hausler transitioned to the Council of Curators, and António Araújo joined the Board of Directors, contributing relevant expertise in nature conservation and territorial management. Within the Supervisory Board, Samuel Lucas replaced Telma Curado following her retirement. These changes contributed to stronger technical capacity, improved oversight and reinforced accountability mechanisms.

From a strategic perspective, 2025 marked the transformation of FTA’s founding vision into a clear operational roadmap for the coming years. The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan established concrete objectives related to ecosystem protection, support for guardian entities and the creation of a national regenerative network. Among the targets defined is the approval of 25 guardian entities by 2030, supported through training, mentorship and long-term accompaniment.

Three major structural initiatives were also designed to support this vision: the Regenerative Entrepreneurship Academy, focused on training future guardians; Terra Agora Lab, dedicated to applied research and collaboration between researchers and practitioners; and the Regenerative Action Network, intended to promote advocacy and policy dialogue around ecological regeneration and territorial stewardship.

Financial sustainability also became a major area of focus. During the year, the Foundation explored financial models combining philanthropy, impact investment and long-term financing mechanisms. Initiatives under development include the creation of a Guardians Endowment Fund and the expansion of “The Grove” donor circle. Simultaneously, compliance structures and impact monitoring systems began to be developed in order to evaluate the ecological, social and economic outcomes generated by the Foundation’s activities.

Human resources and organisational development were another central priority throughout 2025. The Foundation recognised that its ability to generate meaningful impact depends on the quality of its team and collaborative networks. Ivan Sellers assumed full-time executive responsibilities, ensuring stronger focus and coordination across the organisation.

Several strategic hires were made during the year. Francisco Neves joined as General Manager, bringing significant experience in managing impact-driven organisations. Raquel Rodrigues joined the Foundation in fundraising and communications, while Inês Rebelo supported the development of the Foundation’s institutional narrative. Daniel Mendes contributed to communications, design thinking and the structuring of digital systems.

FTA also invested in strengthening its internal capabilities and collaborative networks. A Dragon Dreaming session facilitated by Virgílio Varela was organised to align the team around common objectives and reinforce the Foundation’s regenerative vision. Meetings and exchanges with the national regenerative community were promoted throughout the year, involving potential guardian entities and partners in several regions of Portugal, including Tomar, Manteigas, Sintra, Vila de Rei and Idanha-a-Nova.

In parallel, six specialised working groups were launched focusing on critical areas for the Foundation’s development: strategy, guardian training, fundraising, regenerative systems, communications and events. Each group was led by recognised specialists and generated contributions later incorporated into the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.

Communications and brand development also played an important role in 2025. The Foundation recognised that its capacity to mobilise guardians, partners and supporters depends on a clear, coherent and credible narrative. As a result, FTA initiated a digital repositioning process through the development of a new website aligned with its renewed strategic direction.

Institutional materials, strategic presentations and communication assets were developed for different audiences, including donors, guardian entities, institutional partners and the general public. The Foundation also refined its narrative to communicate more clearly its purpose, its vision for ecological regeneration and its stewardship-based territorial model.

From a technological perspective, FTA invested in systems capable of supporting organisational growth and operational complexity. Digital storage and access systems were reorganised, Slack was implemented as the internal communication platform, and project management and collaboration tools were introduced.

The Foundation also began exploring the use of artificial intelligence tools to support internal operations. Among the tools adopted were Gamma for presentations, Notebook LM for document analysis and Perplexity for in-depth research. At the same time, work progressed on the development of a CRM system intended to manage contacts, donations and guardian relationships in an integrated way.

In the area of capacity-building, 2025 was primarily dedicated to preparing the programmes scheduled for launch in 2026. The Regenerative Entrepreneurship Training Programme began to be designed as a modular educational programme focused on ecological regeneration, governance, entrepreneurship and conflict resolution. The purpose of these programmes is to support the emergence of new generations of land guardians capable of restoring ecosystems and strengthening rural communities.

In parallel, conceptual development advanced for Terra Agora Lab as a collaborative research hub and for the Regenerative Action Network as a platform dedicated to promoting regenerative transformation in Portugal.

One of the most significant moments of 2025 was the strategic event held at Vivid Farms in July, marking the beginning of the Foundation’s broader positioning within the Portuguese and international regenerative community. The gathering brought together researchers, emerging guardians and thought leaders connected to socio-ecological regeneration.

The programme included site visits, expert presentations, collaborative workshops and regenerative networking activities. Discussions focused on topics such as scaling regenerative practices, sustainable finance, stewardship models and community resilience. The event expanded the Foundation’s network and generated important learnings for the future Fórum Regenerar Portugal.

Work with the Idanha-a-Vida project remained one of the Foundation’s highest priorities throughout 2025. The project is regarded as a demonstrator landscape for socio-ecological regeneration, where solutions related to ecosystem restoration, soil regeneration, biodiversity enhancement and community strengthening can be explored and implemented.

FTA supported trust-building and organisational development processes with the local team. The Foundation also supported the engagement of consultancy group Lúcida to facilitate regenerative processes and regional collaboration. FTA participated in the second edition of the “Pela Terra” festival together with the local community.

Throughout the year, visits by experts and strategic consultations were organised to support the project’s development. Simultaneously, alignment was strengthened with major funders regarding the implementation of significant territorial investments.

Beyond Idanha-a-Vida, progress was made with other potential guardian projects. In Vila de Rei and Tomar, relationships were deepened with landowners interested in donating land to the Foundation. A joint application with Movimento Ação Ecológica was also submitted to an international funding call focused on regenerative communities.

Strategic partnerships represented another important dimension of FTA’s work in 2025. The Foundation initiated exchanges and learning processes with national and international organisations and experts working in ecological regeneration, regenerative finance and stewardship.

These contacts included organisations such as Commonland, Climate Farmers, Landscape Finance Lab and Fundación Terra Austral. In Portugal, pro bono legal partnerships were developed with Deloitte Legal Telles and other specialised collaborators, including support related to proposals for a future private conservation law.

FTA also initiated discussions with organisations such as Biovilla and Lúcida to explore possibilities for co-creating guardian training programmes.

In the field of monitoring and impact assessment, the Foundation recognised the importance of developing robust systems capable of measuring and communicating the ecological, social and economic value created by supported projects. As a result, work began on the development of a holistic impact framework combining the 5 Capitals framework from Regenesis, the 4 Returns framework from Commonland, UN-SEEA metrics and the digital platform Value Flow.

The objective is to establish a transparent and auditable monitoring system capable of tracking indicators related to soil health, biodiversity, water retention, climate resilience and community strengthening. This system is intended to support internal management while also strengthening communication with donors, investors and guardian entities.

From a financial perspective, the Foundation maintained a relatively stable structure. Financial statements primarily reflected expenditures associated with external services, team development and institutional structuring. The Foundation’s main asset continued to be Herdade Marrocos, linked to the Idanha-a-Vida project.

FTA also reinforced its commitment to transparency and good governance by presenting the main financial statements for the reporting period, including the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Statement of Changes in Equity and Notes to the Financial Statements.

The report concludes by recognising 2025 as a year of strategic consolidation and preparation for future growth. The Foundation considers that it has built a more resilient organisation with a clearer vision, stronger leadership, more robust operational systems and an expanding network of partners, experts and potential guardians.

The document also expresses gratitude to the team, pro bono partners, donors, emerging guardians and thought leaders who supported the Foundation throughout the year. Finally, it highlights the ambition for 2026 to mark the beginning of a new phase characterised by the public launch of training programmes, expansion of the network of lands and guardians, implementation of monitoring systems and a stronger public presence for the Foundation.

The work carried out in 2025 therefore established the institutional, strategic and operational foundations necessary to support the ecological regeneration of landscapes and the development of guardian communities committed to the long-term protection of land in Portugal.

Note: This summary is intended solely as an overview of the Foundation’s activities during 2025. The official PDF version of the 2025 Activity Report and Financial Statements should be considered the primary and authoritative source of information.