From Corporate Marketer to Regenerative Farmer

Andrea Abad started working in marketing for major corporations like Apple and Exxon Mobil. An introspective awakening pushed her to quit her profession and move to Australia, where she lived in permaculture communities while learning how humanity can be reintroduced into the cycle of nature.

Upon returning to her homeland of Spain, Andrea decided to settle in Ibiza, drawn by the island's potential for sustainable tourism and agriculture. Her vision was to revitalize abandoned farmlands and promote regenerative practices that harmonize with the island's ecology. As she says, “I went from advertising to hospitality and then regenerative farming. My career is living proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.”

Founding Terra Viva Ibiza

In 2022, alongside three other partners from diverse backgrounds, Terra Viva Ibiza established the first pilot project, a 20-hectare regenerative farm in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza. The land was secured through a 20-year lease facilitated by the Association of Organic Farmers of Ibiza’s land bank. At the end of the lease, the farm will be gifted back to the local landowner and his daughter, with the aim of inspiring local communities to reconnect with and reclaim their agricultural heritage.

Terra Viva operates on the principles of syntropic agroforestry and regenerative animal rotation. Over 16,000 trees and 8,000 shrubs have been planted, forming layered biodiversity corridors that harmonize with Ibiza’s dry seasonal rhythms. Productive species such as peach, pear, plum, olive, apricot, citrus, and pomegranate are interspersed with a wide range of supporting varieties—carefully managed by agroforester Joshua Andersen.

Terra Viva is also the first certified organic pasture-raised chicken producer in Ibiza with meat available in markets, restaurants, and through direct sales. Each morning, lightweight mobile coops are shifted to fresh patches, allowing chickens to scratch and forage in living soil. Their presence enriches the land with natural fertilization and keeps insect populations in balance. This impact is evident in the soil: annual analyses consistently demonstrate that these practices have a direct, positive effect on soil health.

Educating the Next Generation

One of Andrea’s biggest challenges in shifting from corporate marketer to regenerative farmer was accessing training and support as a new entrant. To help others overcome these barriers, Terra Viva is the leading partner of TerraCert, an initiative co-funded by the European Union's Erasmus Program that offers micro-credential educational programs, providing accessible training for farmers across Europe.

“Our work is about healing the land while building livelihoods. Every new tree planted, every soil test improved, and every farmer trained is part of a bigger shift,” Andrea explains. “As farmers, we are stewarding an interconnected ecosystem. Understanding that everything is connected is one of the biggest mindset shifts I have experienced and continues to motivate our work today.”