Steward ’s Post

Julie Davenson, Loved your use of "#mycelium" as a metaphor -- an idea advanced by Paul Stamets in his book *Mycelium Running*. Your use of it to describe a collaborative agroecological social infrastructure is timely, and necessary, to ensure that all parts of such a system can develop and work together cohesively. Without it, efforts to address complex issues and long-term, scalable solutions in the age of climate-change are made even more challenging. Investing in such a network would mean creating platforms, programs, and policies that strengthen collaboration, resilience, and shared prosperity. In an upcoming book, I've developed a framework for institution-building with a focus on collaborative agroecological partnerships (CAP). In it, I propose the creation of value-chain regional economic networks of cooperative micro-industrial food production enterprises. The management structure of a CAP is grounded in democratic, cooperative, and participatory principles, with the following features: Production Units: Local autonomous enterprises, managed by individuals or cooperatives. Municipality/Town Councils: Representation from multiple production units. They manage local markets, resolve disputes, and plan activities at the local level. MTCs are gender-balanced and support community engagement. District Councils: Oversee MTCs, handle regional marketing and infrastructure, develop funding and training programs, and ensure coordination across a network. Regional Partnership Councils: The highest level of regional governance, which set policies, facilitate regional cooperation, and maintain the overall integrity of the CAP network. These partnerships handle strategic planning, public relations, and financial management. #Collaboration #RegenerativeAgriculture #FoodSystems

I'm an impact investor and aggregator of alternative funding models; here are key points to consider regarding supporting the transformation of regional regenerative systems with a focus on equitable outcomes: The regenerative agriculture investment landscape is growing, with $321.1 billion in managed assets integrating sustainable food criteria and $47.5 billion related explicitly to regenerative agriculture. (1) Emerging asset classes like farmland, cash, and fixed income are ripe for rapid development to enable regenerative agriculture. (1) As an impact investor, you can support the growth of these alternative financing models while also advocating for mechanisms that prioritize equitable access and community-led initiatives. (1,2) Partnering with local organizations, credit unions, and mission-aligned financial partners can help channel capital to the farmers and communities most in need. (1) Ultimately, transforming regional food systems requires a systems-level approach considering interconnected social, environmental, and economic factors. (2) As an impact investor, you provide patient, flexible capital and technical assistance to enable this holistic, equitable transition. (1,2) 1. https://lnkd.in/gM8GUu2x 2.https://lnkd.in/gvBibV4H

No catalytic capital = no change + the degenerative system prevails. Many are enamored with the promise of regenerative transformation but few have the guts to dive in head first to build! I often hear from investors “but regen is still in early stages, isn’t that risky?” I just say “look around at the state of the world, isn’t doing nothing even riskier?” For those of you with resources, please consider reaching out to David (below) to see how you can contribute to this movement financially and leverage some innovative ways of getting it done. There are SO MANY ways to do this: investment, loans, DAF, philanthropy and more….. they all play a role in building a better world 🌎 Happy Earth Day 🌱

#Regenerative #agriculture is going to succeed, but not without the input of more investors aside from accredited investors. With that said, I am by no means arguing that we need to eliminate accredited investing in regenerative agriculture practices. On the contrary, private equity, real assets, private debt and venture capital are a large and important aspect of the investing field. The 2019 "Soil Wealth" report by the Croatan Institute displayed findings that private accredited investing amounted for 8x the amount of strategies (15 vs 122), and 4x the amount of funds ($84B vs $232B). And this accounted only for sustainable agriculture themed investing. When that was boiled down to regenerative agriculture focused investments, the differences were greater: 15x more strategies in private accredited investing (4 vs 58), and a similar metric in the amount of funds ($8B vs $32B). The benefits of investing in regenerative agriculture go beyond the investors, but if we have limited investing opportunities that only accredited investors can partake in, we limit the impact. Clearly the 2019 report, five-years old now, likely has more favorable numbers but I highly doubt that the tailwinds of agriculture investing strategies has evened the playing field of opportunities. By my accounts, I can think of four or five opportunities for non-accredited investors, and dozens of accredited opportunities. Steward, Walden Mutual Bank, Harvest Returns, Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT. (Look there are more too, but way more on the accredited side). We need more opportunities directed at non-accredited investors to engage and pressure companies, or support them, to build a roadmap towards regenerative practices and operations. Are there tailwinds in engagement? Yes. Does our food system need more? Yes. Is this the only solution? No. But this is one that can open opportunity to investing the food system in order that become more regenerative. It's a shift from impact investing to regenerative investing. Tomorrow I present my capstone for my #MBA in #Sustainability at Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability. I've screened 204 publicly traded companies on an international level (it's a start) along regenerative agriculture commitments/practices and more. And all the data is out there, for free, for investors to use. Invest and engage. Change the system for the better because we are all on the same bus with food. https://lnkd.in/ew6Sq3SA Shout out to my advisors: Jesse Gerstin, Eban Goodstein, PhD and Hunter Lovins for pushing me forward on this. And lets unleash some stupid crazy solutions to increase and accelerate investment in regenerative agriculture. My classmates Alexandra Ritz, Sebastian Weeks, Gabriel Isaksen and I created just a few in order to increase access to regenerative agriculture investing: Regenerazilla RGZA REIT (why not????) and Regenerative Agriculture RGZA SPV Bond Fund (again why not????). #regenerativeagriculture #bardMBA

We are really interested in the theme of regenerative agriculture and its potential as an investment opportunity. We are members of FAIRR Initiative and used some of their fascinating research to help inform this article and a review of our portfolios! #responsibleinvestment #regenerativeagriculture #sustainability #lgps

💡 Feeling inspired after the Regenerative Food Systems Investment forum in Denver, CO. The theme was "Regenerative has arrived" and it was fitting that the event was sold out! A few takeaways: 🌎 Fresh off climate week in NYC, regenerative agriculture was reportedly a hot topic at that event. A data point that climate generalists are seeing the opportunity. 💸 Alternative financing structures will be key for derisking the regenerative transition for farmers. Models like longer-dated fund return structures, lower-cost lending tied to land appreciation upside, and blended financing stacks were getting airtime. 🤖 AgTech has to be designed to enhance farmers' work (safer, more efficient, easier) not replace people. It was a poignant moment when a panel of innovative, early-adopter regen farmers were asked what agtech they were most excited about and there was a long silence... 🦗 💹 Carbon Markets for Agriculture are still underdeveloped and the same challenges remain - durability, measurement, responsiveness and time scales. The returns for improving soil health pay through drought resistance, fertilizer efficiency, yield increases etc. and when a more robust carbon market develops that will be a bonus. 📕 Crop insurance and regulation are major limiting factors (particularly in the US) for the adoption of regenerative practices, which often make farmers ineligible for insurance. Innovative private capital will have to find solutions to derisking practice change until regulations catch up. Shoutout to Susterre who was a finalist in the pitch competition hosted by The First Thirty and generated a lot of interest from the audience!

In celebration of #WorldEarthDay we have taken a deep dive into Regenerative Agriculture, and why this matters for our investments? Investments in regenerative agriculture can yield long-term benefits, including; 🌾Improved crop yields 🌍Reduced vulnerability to climate impacts ✨Enhanced brand reputation among increasingly environmentally conscious consumers. Increased pressure from consumers, investors, and potentially regulators, means that there is a need for businesses in the food sector to transition to a more sustainable model, in line with global goals for a #netzero future.  🍫 Food accounts for around 1/3 of global emissions and is a primary driver of biodiversity loss! Our investments in the shares of companies in the food, drink and farming sectors (including things like fertilisers and farm machinery), currently amount to a value of just under £50m over 61 different companies! Click the link below to find out more about this intriguing area that we will be keeping an eye on. Managed well, it could play a role in improving food security and potentially provide better investment returns. It's a theme worth watching as it develops, offering a blend of environmental and financial benefits. Our hope is that, with careful attention, it can make a positive impact to both biodiversity and our investment portfolios. #WPF #LGPS #RegenerativeAgriculture #NetZero #WorldEarthDay https://lnkd.in/eEFbME_6

🚜 In recent months, talk of regenerative farming in the grocery industry has spiked, as many leading brands and retailers have unveiled new sustainable schemes. 🌱 Two notable examples include FMCG giant Nestlé, which earlier this year teamed up with drinks giant Diageo, and grocery retailer Waitrose & Partners, which just last week debuted its new scheme. 🌾 We caught up with #Nestlé regenerative lead Matthew Ryan and #Waitrose senior agriculture manager Jake Pickering to discover exactly what regenerative farming is, why companies are joining together to invest in it, and how such initiatives will impact consumers. Read on 👇 https://lnkd.in/eHffQhXE

Launch of €30 million Regenerative Innovation Portfolio Hub in Europe Regenerative Agriculture can play a crucial role in meeting global climate goals and ensuring we can provide affordable and nutritious food for generations to come. To transition to regenerative forms of agriculture, we need to take a systemic practical approach. This approach must prioritise farmers and deliver benefits to all stakeholders, from supporting farmers to aiding corporate businesses in their journey towards more sustainable sourcing. To this aim, EIT Food and Foodvalley, supported by the Food Collective, have launched the 30 million Regenerative Innovation Portfolio as a FIH Europe initiative. The Portfolio takes a landscape-level approach, going beyond individual farms to consider collaborative approaches among a diverse group of stakeholders that span multiple sectors, working at a larger scale.   Marjolein A.J. Brasz, CEO Foodvalley said: “We have already seen significant efforts and initiatives from farmers and cooperatives in the shift to regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Innovation Portfolio will be crucial in helping to practically scale and expand these approaches.”   💵 Richard Zaltzman CEO EIT Food - the world's largest food innovation community - will match partner contributions of €5 million per year for 2023-2025, building up to a potential total investment of €30 million.   🌍 To date, the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio has already identified five potential priority landscapes throughout Europe where multiple stakeholders – such as regional governments, investors, and retailers – have mutual interests and complimentary sourcing needs and are willing to collaborate. More information: https://lnkd.in/ea3EdR5G Do you want to get involved with your business? DM Jolijn Zwart-van Kessel   #shapingthefuture #circulareconomy #regenerativeagriculture #circularagrifood 

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 2 weeks since Regenerative Food Systems Investment Europe - my mind is still buzzing from all of the inspirational panels and conversations. Many many thanks to Sarah Day Levesque and Rachel Ringle for cultivating such a welcoming, action-oriented community. 🌎🌱 I was happy to lead a workshop to share the in-progress outputs from the Regenerative Agriculture Working Group convened by Proof and Trailhead Capital. Farmers and founders are facing increased regulatory and investor pressure to report on their impact, without adequate measurement support. We had an insightful discussion on regenerative impact measurement filled with questions and feedback from farmers, founders, funders, and researchers. It was an amazing chance to hear from people like Loekie Schreefel, who is leading research on regenerative impact measurement at Wageningen University & Research, and Casper Zulim de Swarte from the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development. My key takeaways on regenerative impact measurement from RFSI include: 1. Importance of both practice and outcome metrics 2. Need to balance standardization and customization 3. Making the connection to systems change 4. Providing support to farmers and founders 5. Linking financial and impact outcomes Read my full RFSI Europe recap and download the workshop slides here: https://lnkd.in/gprkj78N One of my favorite quotes from RFSI was by Anouk Schoors of The Nest Family Office: “The more we insist on how complex the thing is, the more people will say ‘oh, it’s not for me, I don’t have the money, I don’t have the time.’ You need to have a big vision… then it’s a very practical approach of small steps in a day.” Small steps might look like: 🌱 learning where your food comes from 🌱 shopping at a local farmers market 🌱 asking farmers about the kind of support they need 🌱 listening to educational podcasts like ReGen Brands with Anthony Corsaro (AC) and Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food with Koen van Seijen I am eager to continue the momentum from RFSI - don’t hesitate to reach out to join the working group, get involved with the Proof Sustainability Community of founders and funders, or just to talk about all things RegenAg. 🌎🌱