Tag: storytelling

Anat Shenker-Osorio – Why climate messages don’t land and how to rewrite the regenerative narrative

A conversation with Anat Shenker-Osorio, founder of A.S.O. Communications, a progressive political communication bureau known for slogans such as “Don’t take the temperature, change it” and “A great message doesn’t say what’s already popular; a great message makes popular what needs to be said”.

We try so hard in the regenerative (and probably any other progressive) space to work on our messaging, how to communicate, how to reach people inside our bubble and beyond. We try to speak to those within the agrochemical and food industry, to make them see how environmentally sound, healthy, and economically interesting a different food and agriculture system could be. But somehow, we haven’t gotten very far. We’re constantly out-lobbied and outsmarted by the very well-organised extractive ag industry. (No, this isn’t an evil conspiracy, but it is definitely well-organised.)

With Anat we dive deep into the world of effective campaigning, messaging, and communication. Because we’re always going to be up against a much higher budget, but let’s at least use the airspace we do have as effectively as possible.
One example: the pioneers, the activists, the “pioneering species”- which all of you listening, following and reading this probably are- love a challenge against all odds. You love the David vs. Goliath stories. You’re fighting for the currently losing team. That’s why you’re in this space.

But we’ve got news for you: most people don’t want to join the losing team. So, stop communicating like we’ve already lost. Start getting people to join the small but winning team. Don’t deny reality and never lie. But do understand what makes people listen, and more importantly, what makes them take action: consume differently, protest, organise, vote (if you can).
Because in the end, this is all about who has the power.

Anthony James – Learning from the legends how to become a positive keystone species

A conversation with Anthony James, host of The RegenNarration podcast, a Prime Ministerial award winner for service to the international community and Honorary Research Fellow at UWA. He has had many legends at his microphone and joins us to share what he’s learned, what he sees, and what he thinks is coming next in regenerative food and agriculture.

The pioneers who spent decades developing innovative approaches to land stewardship won’t be around forever, but they’re actively passing their hard-earned wisdom to a new generation eager to accelerate positive change. Anthony shares how his own journey from business student to regeneration advocate parallels the transformative experiences many have when connecting deeply with the land.

We dive deep in issues of land access and ownership, how health concerns provide a universal entry point for engagement with regenerative principles, as people experience the immediate benefits of nutrient-dense food grown in living soil. Finally, we explore how finding ways to bring communities together, resolve conflicts, and see each other’s humanity may be the essential ingredient in catalyzing the regenerative transformation our world urgently needs.

Louis De Jaeger – Eat More Trees: a Masterclass with thé storyteller of the Regen Space

A conversation with Louis De Jaeger, international keynote speaker, author, award-winning filmmaker, and landscape designer, about dreams, action, and storytelling—how to reach and touch people. We discuss why storytelling is highly underrated and underfunded, and why he is organizing a festival—not the next Burning Man, but a regeneration festival.
He shares his excitement about small water cycle restoration, the biotic pump, and much more. And in the end, it all boils down to one simple message: Eat More Trees.

During his 5-year sabbatical that turned into a lifelong mission to regenerate landscapes, Louis’ revelation came during world travels where he witnessed environmental degradation firsthand—monoculture landscapes so depressing “you want to drive against a tree, but there are no trees.” This observation sparked his mission to regenerate 550 million hectares of land globally, potentially cooling our planet by two degrees Celsius.

Beyond the environmental benefits, Louis paints a compelling vision of a regenerative future characterized by abundance rather than sacrifice. “We’re going to have an even more luxurious lifestyle, we’re going to have better food that tastes fantastic” he assures us. His approach isn’t about shaming people into environmentalism but showing how regenerative practices create healthier, more desirable lives.

Kadir van Lohuizen – Walking the museum full of Food for Thought

A conversation with Kadir van Lohuizen, Dutch multimedia photojournalist, filmmaker, and a co-founder of NOOR, while walking his exhibition Food for Thought at Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam. We talk about the power of photos and videos, how disconnected we are from nature and how our current food system works. We talk while walking though photos of large dairy facilities in Mongolia, farms in Saudi Arabia, beef operations in the US and onions farms of the Netherlands and vegetables and fruits plantations in Kenya, with produce cut in pieces and packaged ready to fly overnight to Amsterdam, London, etc.

A deep dive and a reality check of the current food and agriculture system and the power of visual storytelling.

Fireside Chat with John Kempf & Koen van Seijen @ Groundswell ’24

Ever wondered how podcasting can transform the field of regenerative agriculture? This fire side chat with John Kempf and Koen van Seijen, hosts of the most followed and longest existing podcasts in the regenerative agriculture and food space, was recorded live at Groundswell 2024.

This is an intimate conversation where we dive deep in the the long-term dedication needed to engage an audience genuinely, the nerve-wracking journey of publishing the initial episodes and the relentless effort required to build a loyal listener base. We highlight the importance of mentors, the art of storytelling and how digital platforms can amplify critical ideas and drive change.

We uncover how the overuse of nutrients like nitrogen and potassium can actually harm crops, making them more susceptible to diseases and pests, and ultimately reducing yields. We explore the research on plant nutrition, plant health and fertilizer use and questions traditional agronomy practices. John shares about Advancing Eco Agriculture’s fundraising experience within the farming community and the strategies for reaching wider audiences, including turning our podcast episodes into books. Plus, a sneak peek into the shared upcoming projects focusing inputs from innovative companies.

Peter Byck – Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there)

A conversation with Peter Byck, filmmaker and a wrangler of scientists, about regenerative vs conventional grazing and his new 4 part documentary series Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there).

Stijn Markusse – Raising €4M in 72 hours to scale boring distribution and storytelling

A conversation with Stijn Markusse, founder of Boerschappen together with his partner Stéphanie Vellekoop, about distribution, packing boxes, telling amazing stories, paying the farmers’ invoices on time, and making sure you also do that in 2-, 5- or 10-years’ time so that the farmer can invest in long term regenerative practices.

Kirsty Saddler, using the power of storytelling and marketing to disrupt the agri food world

How can we build a regenerative and disruptive agrifood brand? What precisely is the role of marketing and storytelling when it comes to scaling regenerative agriculture? Join me and Kirsty Saddler, on the third episode of New Foundation Farms series.