We all love Badlands as one of the world's wildest and most revered races. For those unacquainted with southern Spain’s gravel mecca, the route traverses 800 km of undulating paradise, winding through the Andalusian countryside and the only official European desert, The Tabernas. Yet, this unique classification is at risk. Climate change and industrial farming have increased droughts throughout the region, propelling the surrounding farmlands towards further desertification.

Nearby, the Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Baza mountain ranges, sculpted over millions of years by soil erosion, now stand as hillscapes dominated by arid gullies and the infamous dried-out 'badlands'. A fate the local farmers want to avoid for their own neighbouring grounds that depends solely upon optimal water retention and profitable (yet sustainable) crop yields.

Badlands Rewild is a groundbreaking initiative from the race organisers to promote partners who positively impact the land through regenerative farming techniques and ecosystem restoration. This initiative collaborates with the local association AlVelAl, which strives to create self-sufficient practices through ecological agriculture, reducing soil erosion, and enhancing biodiversity. In effect, creating better soil for a richer and more prosperous environment.

One of the most pressing issues is the mass supermarket chains favouring a monoculture mass production line of crops like lettuce and broccoli that drain the land faster than more diverse rain-fed cereals. European agricultural subsidies further exacerbate the problem by encouraging large-scale farming and indirectly, the malpracticing farmer's choice of chemical fertilisers to meet production quotas, ultimately leading to quicker soil degradation and poisoning of the land. Sustainable agriculture requires a simple equation: put as much love back into the soil as one draws from it. Ecology and economy working together, not in conflict.

In our latest recon ride in the Help Wanted series, Alberto Viciana, Millie Gibbons, and Laura Garcia traced a section of the Badlands route, documenting the stunning topography while underscoring the importance of supporting the communities making a living off the land.

For Alberto, the endeavour is a personal one: "I am originally from Malaga. I used to travel to Almería and Murcia every summer and I was always amazed by the natural beauty of the countryside. I didn't realise the wider impact climate change has on communities in the area, even though I've ridden through it many times before. It's crucial to highlight how the races we love can foster a greater appreciation for those trying to positively impact the future of the environment we can sometimes take for granted."

To learn more about the issues facing the region, look out for an upcoming Help Wanted community ride mapping the ecological protection zones along some of the Badlands route. Alberto and crew will leadout a ride to witness first-hand the critical work happening across Andalusia famed for some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on the planet.

And if you find yourself racing through Badlands a few weeks from now, take the time to appreciate the delicate balance of the earth on which you travel. Go one better by visiting AlVelAl today to learn more about their sustained efforts and how you can partner with them to protect the area. Sadly, this phenomenon is not localised to Andalusia, but by sharing these issues, the hope is that regeneration practices can be championed the world over.