Christopher Gergen shares how his goal of bringing more capital to systems change led him to supporting the regenerative movement in his role as the CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. We talk about the growth of the movement, including the increase in consumer awareness and the in the number of certified brands, as well as all the new data on the benefits of regenerative agriculture. Chris shares how Regenerative Organic Certified® is different from other regenerative certifications, including their role as a Catalyst Partner in the Purpose Pledge. The conversation then shifts into the biggest barriers to growth that the regenerative movement is facing right now, like consumer confusion, lack of a common standard, the cost of farmer’s transitioning, and the cost of regenerative products. We then wrap up with Christopher sharing advice, his favorite regenerative snacks, and what a better world means to him.
Key Topics
- Christopher Gergen’s journey to becoming the CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance
- The growth of the regenerative movement
- Regenerative organic certification, and how it’s different from other standards
- Consumer demand and market trends for regenerative products
- Data that’s proving the value of a regenerative food system and products
- Strategies for scaling regenerative agriculture and overcoming barriers
- Advice for others wanting to pursue passion and joy in their life and career
Sound bites
- “Regenerative organic certification is based on the foundation of organic, and it has three additional pillars of soil health, social fairness, and animal welfare.”
- “We’re almost at 400 ROC® licensees. So within 18 months, we’ve gone almost double the number, bringing more ROC® products to shelf, which is super exciting!”
- “Customers are finding ROC® because now it’s in almost every category.”
- “When you have side-by-side comparison, you can just taste the difference in how much more complex the ROC® wine is to the conventional alternative.”
- “We’d like to be able to go from 22 million acres of regenerative organic certified land to at least 30 million acres in the next three and a half years.”
- “More consumer awareness, more retail engagement, more brand adoption. And you’ve got more demand, more supply, more impact, more demand. And therein lies the flywheel, right?”
- “I ended up co-authoring a book called Life Entrepreneurs that looks at how people have been able to create meaningful impact in the world and meaningful lives for themselves.”
- “Figure out a way that you can connect your strengths and your passions and go after something that you feel like you can dedicate a lot of time and energy into, but don’t lose sight of how you can also create a joyful, meaningful, loving life for yourself.
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Regenerative Organic Alliance
05:54 Christopher Gergen’s Background and Vision
08:48 The Growth of Regenerative Organic Certification
11:56 Consumer Demand and Market Trends
14:45 Nutritional Benefits and Flavor of Regenerative Organic Products
17:59 Understanding Regenerative vs. Organic Standards
21:03 The Future of Regenerative Organic Agriculture
38:41 Supporting Farmers in Transition
45:29 The Purpose Pledge and Supply Chain Integrity
46:05 Driving Demand for Regenerative Organic Products
55:37 Barriers to Transitioning to Regenerative Practices
01:04:11 Vision for a Better World
Links
Christopher Gergen on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophergergen/
Regenerative Organic Alliance & Certification – https://regenorganic.org/
Regenerative Organic Alliance on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/regenerative-organic-alliance
Regenerative Organic Alliance on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/regenerativeorganic
Regenerative Organic Alliance on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/regenerativeorganic
Regenerative Organic Alliance on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/regenerativeorganicalliance
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