A special interview with Arizona Muse, Greenpeace Oceans Ambassador, founder of the charity Dirt, model and advisory board member of the US Biodynamic Demeter Alliance.
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION ON:
Arizona’s journey started in the environmental bubble of Arizona in the US and led to a high-end fashion career with shows for Gucci, Prada, front covers of Vogue and more etc. Arizona was exposed to the incredible destruction of the fashion industry which awoke the activist in her. She dove deep into the issues and found solutions which all tight back to soil. Arizona continues to be a model for the high-end fashion industry where she uses her voice and position to push for more sustainable materials and practices. While at the same time acts as a global ambassador to promote biodynamic farming and explains time and time again why it holds the solutions to the issues we face around the climate crisis, biodiversity, water, health and more.
BIODYNAMIC FARMING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT
Biodynamic farming is one type of agriculture that can be used in any setting on land to forest an area, in ecosystem regeneration or to repair a mining scar. It is a richly nutritious way to farm soil. It centers around composting and you need animal manure in order to build the most robust compost which feeds the micro life under the soil. What’s special about biodynamics is the preparations, which are nine liquid tinctures that are made on the farm and sprayed across the farm for very specific uses. They’re all made of ingredients from minerals, plants and animals.
‘They work on the non-physical aspect of the plants, of the animals, of the humans and of the Earth. This is the medicine for the earth that biodynamics has, which is extremely special right now, in the face of climate change. And these preparations were developed in 1924 as a remedy for climate change.’ – Arizona Muse
THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS SO DESTRUCTIVE. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Cotton, for instance, is an enormous polluter because of the water irrigation and all the pesticides and herbicides that are used in order to make clothes that are sold for too little money and do not reward anybody along their supply chain. More than 65 people go in the background on every shooting, and the energy involved is extremely big. Fashion brands should take their biggest spending, whatever material that is and change that.
‘This industry is so enormous when it comes to energy, human energy, fossil fuel energy, and just in time, energy. It’s really, really a big deal, which is why it carries such tremendous importance in the face of climate change and the solutions. And there are incredible solutions that are being found in the sustainable fashion industry.’ – Arizona Muse
‘Organic cotton is a much better solution than conventionally grown cotton. There are restrictions on irrigation, and also there won’t be the use of heavy-duty chemicals.’ – Arizona Muse
‘Cotton is a thirsty crop but also likes hot weather. It’s a disaster for climate change, basically. So it’s grown all over deserts, and it’s irrigated with water that should never have been pulled out of the river nearby. So going to crops that replace cotton and that are grown in wetter climates where you don’t need to irrigate, such as flax and hemp.’ – Arizona Muse
HOW CAN WE PAY BIODYNAMIC FARMERS FOR THEIR AMAZING SERVICES
Those services include water absorption and retention, which is much higher on biodynamic farms than on neighbouring farms. The reduction in fire, because fires don’t burn on a farm that is absorbing so much water. This is another very good solution, and all these increase quality of life for farmers. Biodynamic farmers increase biodiversity on the farm, and farms act as a safe haven for endangered species because they can come and live on that farm without the spraying of chemicals.
‘The list goes on and on, I’ve been able to find about 10 or 15 Incredible services that farmers could be paid for. […] These biodynamic farmers deserve to be remunerated for the services that they are providing humanity and the earth. These farmers deserve to be at least recognized first of all, just recognize them for what they’re doing, then a later stage would be to actually pay them for what they’re doing. And maybe that needs to come out of subsidies, maybe taxpayer money could go there.’ – Arizona Muse
THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT CAME OUT OF BIODYNAMIC FARMING AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
Biodynamic agriculture is nearly 100 years old, and organic agriculture came out of Biodynamic Agriculture and as a simplification of it. Organic agriculture has served a purpose and has been amazing in marketing and changing the way we think about food, but another type of solution is needed. Organic can often be just a less toxic version of conventional agriculture. It is still about planting the seed, fertilizing it, harvesting the crop, and planting the seed again. The circle that follows isn’t really full of life and isn’t really regenerating soil nor biodiversity around it.
‘Right now, I think we need a more complex solution for nature, because nature is very complex, and actually can’t be simplified down into one specific formula.’ – Arizona Muse
THE CARBON TUNNEL
Carbon is a piece of a much bigger puzzle. Even if we sequestered all the extra atmospheric carbon tomorrow, we would still be in climate change because it is not only a carbon problem, it’s also a pollution problem. It’s also known as an ocean acidification problem.
‘People are only talking about carbon. And when you only talk about carbon, you don’t have time to talk about any of the other really, really, really important urgent aspects that we need to resolve in order to avoid a climate crisis.’ – Arizona Muse
OTHER POINTS DISCUSSED:
- Modeling industry;
- Sustainable Fashion Industry;
- Subsidies to support farmers;
- Climate change is a human behavioral problem;
- Indigenous secrets.
LINKS:
- Dirt Charity
- Arizona Muse finds beauty and wonder in dirt
- The Sustainable Angle
- 10th Future Fabrics Expo 28/29th June 2022 London
- Fibershed
- Biodynamic Farming
- Ryan Eisler on domination
- To speak for the trees – Book by Diana Beresford-Kroeger
- Using science and Celtic wisdom to save trees and souls
- Mary Magdalene – the Divine Feminine
LINKED INTERVIEWS:
- Annette Mueller on managing over 2000 hectares biodynamically and selling everything directly to the end consumer for more than 40 years
- Johannes Quodt on making the first regenerative and biodegradable luxury leather shoe
- Charles Eisenstein – Money or ecology: investors have to make a choice on which master they serve
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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.