In February 2022, SLM Silva Europe Fund completed the acquisition of its first property in the southeast of Spain, near Murcia. The farm is growing a diverse set of crops and different varieties of almonds, pistachios and olives over 300 hectares.

For the management of this property, we partnered with leading regenerative farmer Alfonso Chico de Guzman. Alfonso also manages his family farm totalling 1,800 hectares growing cereals, almonds, pistachios, aromatic plants, honey and more. He used to be the Chairman of AlVelal, a large-scale landscape regeneration initiative in southern Spain funded by Commonland, a Dutch non-profit organization. 

All operations on this farm are in transition to be certified organic under the EU-Organic label within 3 years. The production models also following sound regenerative practices, including soil health and fertility management (using compost, pruning biomass as organic fertilisers, growing cover crops), water management (using cover crops and improving soil water holding capacity), pest and disease management (integrated pest management, insect trads, reducing herbicide and insecticide use) and minimising tillage and other soil disturbances. 

Over 70 hectares are set-aside for biodiversity. On this land, we work with local ecologists and NGOs to protect High Conservation Value areas, create nature corridors,  and restore degraded riparian zones, shrub and forested areas. We have also starting planting biodiversity island, pollinator strips and hedge rows within the productive areas of the farm to enhance ecosystem services, such as pollination and erosion control.