REV On Air: Can We Actually Finance Regeneration With David Leon
This podcast episode is a part of the REV x Farmer’s Footprint Regenerative Podcast Series! Today in the thirteenth episode of our regenerative podcast series in collaboration with Farmer’s Footprint, we are speaking to David Leon, co-founder of Farmer’s Footprint and Biome Capital! David shines a light on the side of regenerative agriculture that we often wonder about don’t always get a full understanding of – the economics of regeneration. We are so grateful to be able to talk to David and have him help us understand the truth of how climate change and the cost of living crisis are affecting farmers and how, during these desperate and dire financial times, it is possible to take steps towards regeneration. David speaks of fascinating and debatable concepts such as placing monetary value on ecosystems and animal species in order for insurance companies and large corporations to take notice and account for them. As well as not working against but empathising with conventional farmers to turn what we already have into something positive and generative for all. So just a little bit more about the work of Biome Capital and David’s role there. Biome invests capital in farmland equity in a model that allows growers to acquire new land or retain both an ownership interest in their land and the ability to manage their operations with relative autonomy. They meet a grower wherever she or he is along the spectrum of transition to regenerative management, and partner in a way that is supportive but not prescriptive. Biome Capital Partners also invests additional capital outside the farm gate to benefit farmer partners (for example, in processing infrastructure or relevant AgTech). They seek to build regional regenerative ecosystems, and part of our investment mandate is to improve the economic and emotional health of their farmer partners and their community. Merci To Our Sponsor For This Episode! EcoCart The average customer lacks access to information that could help them estimate the carbon footprint of the items they purchase, even though 4 out of 5 consumers say climate impact is a factor in who they decide to purchase with. Dane Baker and Peter Twomey recognized this missing information and created EcoCart as a solution. EcoCart has already empowered over 2,000 brands to embark on their climate-positive journey. Their innovative carbon-offsetting tool seamlessly integrates with ecommerce brand’s checkout pages to calculate carbon emissions, and then enables either merchants or shoppers (or both!) to pay to offset those emissions, based on the brand’s budget. EcoCart firmly believes that companies should reduce carbon emissions in addition to offsetting, and also provides brands with insightful Life Cycle Analysis to further enhance their environmental impact. Ecocart exists to lower the barrier to entry for ecommerce brands wanting to become more climate-friendly. We here at REV believe hugely in the power of reducing carbon at every step along a brand’s journey and this is a tool that can help with that whilst helping educate consumers at the same time. EcoCart helps companies transparently tell their sustainability story to align with their customers’ values. Go to ecocart.io to book a demo and if you hop on a call with EcoCart they’ll cover the cost to offset a day’s worth of carbon emissions from your online store if you mention Rêve En Vert!