How can we build a regenerative and disruptive agrifood brand? What precisely is the role of marketing and storytelling when it comes to scale regenerative agriculture? Listen to Kirsty Saddler on the third episode of the New Foundation Farms series.
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION ON:
Kirsty is the Chief Marketing Officer at the New Foundation Farms. She is also a strategist, marketer, and an advocate for impact based strategies in business. Together with Kirsty, we dive into the power of marketing to disrupt the agrifood world. At the end, we are also joined, yet again, by Mark Drewell as he discusses how the investors on their roadshow are responding to impact measurement and management.
THIS EPISODE IS PART OF THE NEW FOUNDATION FARMS SERIES. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT HERE!
The Role of Marketing and Storytelling
Telling a simple story that the market understands is an essential tool of marketing in terms of building a regenerative agrifood enterprise. A producer views regenerative agriculture as a powerful means, while a mainstream market understands only a little about it.
“I find myself seeing parallels between how to move from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture, and frankly, how to then move from commercial marketing and branding to something that feels more regenerative as a practice.” – Kirsty Saddler
The Role of Transparency
New Foundation Farms is maintaining its balance between digital and virtual transactions through the transparency by which they share their farming process. Moreover, they strive to encourage people to spend time on the land and play a more holistic role. New Foundation Farms aims to transparently present its produce, their mission aligned farmers on the same journey.
“There can be quite a disruption in being incredibly honest, transparent, and actually making food something that works as a system. In a way that is local, connected to people, and far more in tune with what they want and what they need.”- Kirsty Saddler
The Role of Meat
Kirsty discusses the role of agricultural produce from farm animals in the agrifood enterprise and how New Foundation Farms has developed a holistic view on diets. One of challenges in this role is the levels of investment in lab grown meat alternatives. These strip numerous amounts of energy and interest away from rural areas and nature in the countryside.
“I think, at the New Foundation Farms, we take a holistic view on diets, and we look quite closely at something like the EAT-Lancet report which does talk about how key plant base eating is, we do firmly believe that. But there is also a role for meat and I think that we have no moralizing view on meat either. That livestock and animals are also a key part on the regenerative food system.” – Kirsty Saddler
The Journey of Regen Ag, Not The Destination
Mark Drewell joins the conversation and shares the current journey of New Foundation Farms. He shares how they have been focusing on the question of understanding impact and how they aspire to change the journey between the field and the fork. New Foundation Farms is using the ecological health index to measure the impact of their journey.
“We are very specific, so everyone will know, seeing this as a journey, not as specific endpoints. I think it is also because we have got the agrifood model in the New Foundation Farms. This journey is also being able to think all the way through to human and social health.” – Kirsty Saddler
Other Important Points Discussed
Koen and Kirsty discussed these points in this episode:
- What Kirsty would do if he was given a magic wand that could change one thing overnight in the agriculture and food space
- What Kirsty would do if she were in charge of a one billion dollar investment portfolio tomorrow morning?
- What Kirsty believes to be true about regenerative agriculture that others don’t
To know more about Kirsty Saddler and New Foundation Farms, download and listen to this episode.
Bio:
Kirsty Saddler is the CMO of New Foundation Farms. She is a passionate believer in the potential of food to help us lead lives that are healthier and happier. She is really engaged in the challenge of realising that potential, through how we reconnect with the soil we live on, grow food on and ultimately depend on. In her soil research, she discovered regenerative agriculture and, in particular, an article by Mark Drewell and Marcus Link that so inspired her that she contacted them. Six months later, she joined New Foundation Farms to help pursue the mission to transform our food system.
Links:
- New Foundation Farms
- León Restaurants
- Article written by Mark Drewell in Responsible Investor
- Everlane Fashion Price Breakdown Moyee Coffee
- Everlane show the ‘true cost’ of their products and compare it to traditional retail:Scroll to the bottom half of the page to see the price breakdown
- Eat Lancet Report
- 3lm
- Dr Tim Spector, Professor of Genetics, recommends we eat 30 different plants a week for optimal gut health
- Semiotics is the the study of signs and sign-using behaviour. It was defined by one of its founders, the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, as the study of “the life of signs within society”.
Interviews:
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The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
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