A few themes we explore in this session:
- How does creating markets for regenerative ingredients rather than trying to conform ingredient production to market trends promote regenerative agriculture?
- What are some strategies for companies that want to build strong relationships with their farmers and producers, and how does this contribute to a more resilient supply system?
- What role does data play in scaling a regenerative food system that ensures economic benefits for producers and consumers?
Regeneration to me is the concept of land revitalization. It’s not just thinking about farmland differently from an “inputs and an outcomes” perspective, but thinking about the communities that are around that farmland and bringing, not just biological diversity, but economic and social outcomes. What kind of on-farm, value-added activities need to happen to make sure we’re breaking the commodity cycle?
If consumers are going to care, we need to make data-driven decisions, make our impact easy to understand, and share that with our partners. And we need to do that now. So we’re investing heavily in understanding everything from end to end–from seed all the way to finished food and what that means to the environment.
One of our farmers in Uganda has been growing a food forest, not because it’s hip and regenerative agriculture is “in”, but because it makes sense for his business in terms of improving soil health, product diversification and generating multiple revenue streams. One of the things that we’ve been thinking about a lot is how can we as a business innovate with impact in mind rather than trendy terms or ingredients.
