Insects contribution to people: functional diversity and social welfare in regenerative agriculture social-ecological systems

The new agricultural policies demanded by the European Union recognize that biodiversity and agriculture are interdependent. Regenerative agriculture (RA) has emerged as a valuable alternative to conventional agriculture, creating multifunctional landscapes, promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as human well-being. In the largest area of almond farms in Spain, we studied the functional diversity of entomofauna in conventional and regenerative farms using a combination of active and passive trapping methods. In addition, we analyzed social perceptions towards ecosystem services provided by entomofauna and RA. The results showed that functional diversity was higher in RA than in conventional farms. Among other functional groups, pollinators predominated in RA, whereas omnivores were more common in conventional agriculture. Regarding the social perception of ecosystem services, no statistically significant differences were found between people related to RA (PRA) and people not related to RA (PnoRA), although the perception was generally higher among PRA, except for climate regulation. Food from sustainable agriculture, water for irrigation and drinking, food from livestock farming, beekeeping products, pollination and climate regulation were identified as the most critical services in the area. However, PRA considered local ecological knowledge, environmental education, the existence value of biodiversity and soil protection/erosion control as key services, while PnoRA highlighted local identity/place attachment and energy. The results underscore the importance of local ecological knowledge for the maintenance of RA as a sustainable agricultural approach. Overall, RA supports multifunctional landscapes that act as biodiversity reservoirs and contribute to a more sustainable agricultural future.