Terra Genesis

?? A brand can buy regenerative ingredients and still be an extractive buyer. I will shout this from every rooftop. A brand can purchase regenerative or sustainable ingredients in a way that continues to perpetuate extraction within the food system. But how? We know the adage "you can't solve the world's problems with the same mindset that created them," yet the sustainable and regenerative ag movements both risk mirroring the mentalities that created patterns of conventional, colonial, commodified agriculture today. So what do we do about this? Check out my recent podcast with RegenCircle! The generous host Page Faye Mitchum invited me to explore this topic, and I am excited to share that it was launched earlier this week! We talk about my path into the work I do today, how to decommodify the food system (oof!), the opportunity and risk of certifications, examples of regenerative buying at both the individual and brand levels, and a sweet story of emergence in regenerative agroforestry to wrap up. This is the first podcast I have recorded, and I just have to say that despite my nerves going into it, I am really proud of how this piece begins to capture some important nuance within the risks and opportunities of the regenerative marketplace. Thank you for taking a listen ?? The Web We Weave: How Regenerative Buyers Transform Supply Chains - just released! You can check it out at the links below: - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eRa4_BiM - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ei_u4JzH - Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/eS_aCmVq #regenerativeag #regenerativeagriculture #decommodify #regencertifications #certifications #cpg #csa

I am humbled and excited to share that I have recently stepped into the role of CEO at Terra Genesis. Ever since I first read the Regenerative Enterprise vol. 1 back in 2014 I have been inspired by the work of Terra Genesis. Over the last 5 years since the merger with TK.DesignLab in 2020 it has been a time with many accomplishments to celebrate, challenges overcome, and great global unrest and change. The work of Terra Genesis must adapt to the world we find ourselves in while rooting more deeply into the lineages of thought that have shaped Terra Genesis’ way of working. In this role I look forward to advancing the cause of regeneration as a paradigm that is necessary and must make sound business sense: not only for corporations but for farmers. In doing so I will be leading Terra Genesis in our work with the ethos program which directly compensates farmers for use of their farm data, expanding our partnerships with civil society organizations who are financially catalyzing and de-risking the transition to regenerative agriculture, expanding our work with corporations who are investing in their supply systems, and continuing to advance regenerative thinking in agriculture, business, and beyond. I am deeply honored to be inheriting this role from Luke Smith who led us in guiding the company with integrity to the principles of regeneration and developmental ways of working.? Luke will be remaining in his role as partner and developing the infrastructure for cooperatively governed brokerage of commodities with Origins Co-op. It is my hope that in the coming months and years we are able to build on that foundation not only as a regenerative enterprise in our own right but as a member of numerous ecosystems of enterprises that have shaped us as we have helped shape them. I look forward to sharing more details as we move into this new era.? More to come. https://www.ethosrov.com/

Dear Friends & Colleagues, Today marks a milestone: I have stepped down as CEO of Terra Genesis and am stepping into a new chapter of my career. It has been an honor to lead this company since our merger in 2021 and truly a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work alongside such an amazing team of designers and practitioners. I will continue as a partner at the company redoubling my efforts supporting smallholder farmer cooperatives, landscape-scale regeneration initiatives and the development of ethical trade networks, and I will remain on as Chairman of the Board. In my new capacity I’m looking forward to having more time to dedicate to the development of the Origins Co-op brokerage platform to enable our farmer partners better access to markets that value both their agricultural goods and their regenerative stewardship; and to enable our brand partners access to robust and efficient pathways for procurement of outcome-verified ingredients and materials. Origins has been quietly developing in the background for a little while and is now picking up momentum - more on that soon! My partner Tim Tensen will be taking the helm as Terra Genesis’ CEO to guide our transition into the next exciting chapter of our company’s development: the full launch and expansion of the Ethos, Regenerative Outcome Verification program. Tim has been the primary architect of Ethos since its inception and, as we move this into the core of our regenerative development approach, he will be leading the way. I have full faith in Tim's leadership and I am happy to support him in his new role. Looking forward! Please DM me if you would like to catch up or if you are interested in discussing the transformative potential of cooperatives in the development of regenerative economies.

Who’s working on grazing & soil carbon data-sharing? We’re putting together a guide highlighting the key technologies and organizations that help to move data on soil carbon (and calibration datasets) from the field to key data users. Who should be included? ?? If you or your organization are working on: ?? Data collection (sensors, remote sensing, field apps) ?? Data aggregation (platforms, repositories, APIs) ?? Data interpretation (AI, modeling, analytics) ?? Decision-making & Data sharing (advisory tools, dashboards, policy applications) We want to spotlight brands, tech, and contributors shaping the ecosystem of data sharing in the grazing and soil carbon landscape. If your work fits, we’d love to feature you. This effort is supported by OpenTEAM & Terra Genesis and aims to map the ecosystem, identify gaps, and strengthen data-sharing for grazing systems. ?? This phase runs through April 2025—help us make sure no key players get missed! Drop the organization, your organization’s role, and geography / scope below in the comments. ?? We want to make sure the right people and organizations are included in this landscape assessment. #soilcarbon #grazingmanagement #dataflow #datamanagement #datagovernance #datasharing

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