Tag: brazil

Fernando Russo – From selling Playboy’s to growing coffee, cacao, credit and lots of cows

A deep dive conversation with Fernando Russo about the reasons why he is going deep into coffee and cacao without being a coffee drinker and how he turned from being a Playboy’s salesman and a travel entrepreneur to an impact investor in the regenerative agriculture and food. We also talk about fashion and heights, the Amazon, deforestation, reforestation, the role of cattle—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and, of course, the potential and why he is in the water camp, not the carbon camp.

What is driving one of the most active impacts investors in the regenerative space? What Fernando tells fellow impact investors when they ask him about this regen thing?
Getting credit and other finance into the hands of farmers and land stewards who want and can change is way more important. Let’s get to work.

Jonas Steinfeld – The many shades of green of agroforestry systems

A conversation with Jonas Steinfeld, a researcher and consultant based in Brazil specialising in agroforestry systems, about the many different levels of complexity in agroforestry. Does complexity lead to more or less work? Does complexity lead to more or less carbon storage, and why? And are complex agroforestry systems more profitable? The scientific world has been quite clear up until now that adding more complexity to agriculture, especially with perennials like trees, almost always makes massive environmental differences. So what is holding us back? Why aren’t we planting trees everywhere?

Sven Verwiel – How to unlock the potential of syntropic agroforestry in East Africa

A conversation with Sven Verwiel of ForestFoods, a Kenyan based premium produce brand, about the potential of syntropic agroforestry in Kenya, and what we can learn from the over 40 years of experience in Brazil and what is needed to apply it at scale in the local East African context as well as why is the African continent the crucial and most interesting place to apply regenerative practises.

Rafaela Gontijo Lenz – Stop focussing on plant based, the real blue ocean is in regenerative dairy and meat

A conversation with Rafaela Gontijo Lenz, founder and CEO of Nuu Alimentos Brazil, about small and medium CPG brands and how they can turn a company around in a matter of months or years, and the importance of focusing on regen meat and dairy.

Paula Costa and Valter Ziantoni, scaling agroforestry by complexifying growing systems using software

With Paula Costa and Valter Ziantoni of Pretaterra, an innovative way of thinking complex and regenerative ancestral production systems for a changing planet, we unpack the wonders of agroforestry, the opportunities, the challenges and why it is having its breakthrough now.

Fabio Sakamoto, growing large scale Brazilian regenerative organic agriculture

A conversation with Fabio Sakamoto, co-founder of Rizoma Agro, about bringing down the costs of producing regenerative organic grains and pulses and how to scale this to impact more acres.

Rufo Quintavalle, the impact investor poet of regenerative agriculture

How to take the plunge when wanting to invest in regenerative agriculture with Rufo Quintavalle, impact investor and poet.