Do you smell the rain? Regenerating business through regenerative practices
One of my favourite smells is the smell of the rain. And we've had a record amount of it in January. I was determined to savour the smell on one of the days, a smell I often enjoyed in childhood. I tried sniffing the air as dark clouds gathered. Then again after the storm had passed. But was left disappointed with not much of a whiff!
A quick search revealed a few possible reasons: The smell (that scientists call Petrichor) is strongest when rain and ozone mix with oils or chemicals released by plants and bacteria after a dry spell. So given the continuous rain we've been having, there wouldn't be much smell "left". The smell might also be weaker in urban environments, or less pleasant.
Apparently, my love for the smell of rain is shared by many. According to HowStuffWorks:
"Some scientists speculate that humans may have developed an affinity for the smell of rain because it signaled the end of drought and the potential availability of fresh water.... On a more intimate note, some people often have specific experiences and associations with rainy weather that can shape their perception of the smell of rain. It may call to mind pleasant childhood memories, cozy days spent indoors or romantic moments, all of which make it easier to understand why some people think of rain as such a pleasant smell."
Regenerative Design for Climate Positive Cities
Smells are something we take for granted when shaping our work environments where we spend most of our waking hours. But it's not just smell, I found out from Ramboll 's Global Design Director and President's Design Award Recipient Dr Hossein Rezai that there were 16 drivers of Regenerative Design, including nature sounds, air, and colours -it's not just about planting more greens. These can make us subconsciously more productive and happier at work.
Regeneration is no longer a good-to-have, but an imperative, if we are to maintain a liveable planet within our lifetimes. According to Dr. Rezai, even with the most optimistic net-zero targets, we are on track to a significantly hotter planet of a 2.9°C increase by 2100, way past the "safe" 1.5°C threshold. As he put it:
Disruption is happening whether we like it or not. We either disrupt how we live now voluntarily, or disruption will be forced upon us.
I met Dr Rezai at the event "Carbon Conscious Construction - Building the Future, Preserving the Past", jointly organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore and the SwissCham Climate Tech subcommittee co-led by good friend of the Center for the Edge Laurent C. in conjunction with the opening of the refurbished Swiss Embassy, which rejuvenated this 1984 bungalow to fit more offices and update the ageing building.
Establishing Regenerative Systems
But what does that mean for businesses? Is it purely a costly obligation? Or can there be a profitable, financially sustainable business that can be generated from it? As part of our latest Edges of Southeast Asia, we uncovered a few companies embarking on business models based on regeneration.
Discover the Edge: ‘A Little Wild’?
In this newsletter, we zoom in on the story of A Little Wild, a groundbreaking example of how innovative farming practices can restore ecosystems, combat climate challenges, and empower local communities.
Modern farming has taken a heavy toll on the planet, degrading 75% of the Earth’s land through industrial farming practices like monocropping. Planting the same crop over and over drains the soil of nutrients, requires loads of pesticides and fertilizers, and pushes out natural ecosystems, causing a 60% drop in vertebrate species richness compared to natural forests. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Regenerative farms show that it’s possible to restore the land while staying profitable—78% more profitable than traditional farms, even though they produce 29% less, thanks to lower costs and higher-value products.
That’s exactly what A Little Wild (ALW) is doing. As Southeast Asia’s first commercial Syntropic Agroforestry farm, ALW has turned 10% of a 138-acre oil palm plantation into a lush, thriving ecosystem since 2020. Their restored plots now capture twice as much carbon as the areas still planted with oil palms. By planting diverse trees that mimic natural forests, covering the soil with organic matter, and creating closed-loop systems through permaculture, ALW combines traditional knowledge with science to bring nature back to life—even in tough climates.
Compare and contrast: Non-regenerative oil palm plantation
Compare and contrast: Regenerative Farm at A Little Wild
But ALW is more than a farm. It’s becoming a vibrant fruit forest that also helps local communities thrive. Partnering with the Global Peace Foundation, ALW works with Malaysia’s Orang Asli community to move away from monocropping to resilient, diverse farming. The result? Better food security, stronger local economies, and a more sustainable future for everyone.
Interestingly, its resident farmer was a former senior public servant who found himself in need of regeneration and rejuvenation himself, which led him to the farming life at A Little Wild! We found ourselves on a very eye-opening learning journey to the farm last year thanks to Dr Chaik Ming Koh , meeting other curious minds on the journey to discover regeneration like the team from OCTAVE Institute Limited .
领英推荐
Highly recommend a trip to the farm! Just an hour away from Singapore.
Featured Guest
Jun Ning Wee is the co-founder of A Little Wild, Southeast Asia’s first commercial Syntropic Agroforestry farm, and I’m inspired by her vision for regenerative farming. After seeing how industrial agriculture harms both people and the planet, Jun Ning and her team launched A Little Wild in 2020 to show that farming can restore the Earth instead of depleting it. They’ve transformed degraded land into thriving ecosystems, proving that food production and environmental restoration can go hand in hand. What amazes me most is Jun Ning’s belief that we can heal the planet by blending traditional wisdom with scientific methods. Her commitment to sharing knowledge and empowering communities shows that we can all become better stewards of nature for a sustainable future.
The Interview?
The Center for the Edge got a few words of wisdom from Jun Ning, listen or read the transcript below:
Share the groundbreaking idea behind your unique product / business approach
The problem with modern day farming is that we are hurting future generations chances of survival to feed ourselves now. A big reason for this is that we are farming with a huge dependence on fossil fuels.?
How do we farm in a way that does not use non-renewable resources??
Our idea is that we should capitalize of what nature already gives us for free... sunlight, rain, and natural processes such as nutrient cycling.?
Our goal is no longer to maximize the yield of one crop, but to have a wide range of crops so that there is natural resilience and stability in the ecosystem.
From a farming lens, the most sustainable way of feeding ourselves comes from growing a forest. A forest does not need external inputs to increase in fertility, and it also gives us fresh air and clean water!?
So far, we have converted 20 out of our 138 acres. Results have been promising - our 4 year old food forest already stores 3 times the amount of carbon than land that has been planted with oil palm for the past 40 years!
You can do it too!
I hope you were as inspired by A Little Wild's story as I was, showing how simple yet powerful practices can transform degraded land into thriving ecosystems and spark extraordinary change for both the environment and communities.
Reflecting on your organization, how can you establish regenerative systems to unlock their full potential?
Edges of Southeast Asia?
Michelle Khoo co-leads Deloitte's futures thinktank Center for the Edge.? This story is part of a Center for the Edge publication, the Edges of Southeast Asia, where we featured A Little Wild among other beacons of innovation in the region.??If you found A Little Wild’s demonstration of establishing regenerative systems interesting, check out the report for other strategies to innovate your business model.