A Journey Towards Regenerative Organic
BY CHEF ERIK OBERHOLTZER
If agriculture is to play a role in shifting the direction of climate change we all need to play our part in the transformation towards a regenerative food system. This three-step process will help get you started on a journey towards better.
Step One: Getting real on current reality - What are your current practices based on purchasing records, third-party certification, and unique relationships? This will give you a snapshot of where you are today as it relates to organic. You can also add in other metrics like “local”, “certified humane”, “non-GMO”, to further refine your supply chain evaluation. What percentage of your purchases align with your values?
Step Two: Where do you want to be? This is the aspirational destination of your brand as it relates to the supply chain. This is important because it articulates a goal post to align with your stakeholders so everyone is clear on the mission and the steps necessary to achieve the groups goals.
Step Three: Prioritized strategy to shrink the link between one and two. This can be broken up into three phases
Low hanging fruit- these are the no brainers at low cost, complication and big impact. These transitions can be done relatively quickly and easily. An example might be switching from conventional sugar to organic cane.
Hard versus difficult choices - like so many decisions in business they can be broken down into two categories
Hard - this means it may cause some temporary discomfort in relationships, bottom line, team acceptance, etc but the path is clear. The sooner you pull the band aid the sooner you can move towards your destination defined in Two. An example might be the termination of a relationship that doesn’t align with the vision of the company.
Difficult - this is less clear. Will take collaboration, risk, partnerships and growing pains to get it right. In these moments it is important to stay adaptable and tenacious to set things up for success. An example might be packaging supplies where none of the options are perfect and choosing the right one requires education of both team and consumer.
Innovation - these are the moonshots that if successful make a huge difference not only for the operation but for the broader industry as a case study for what is possible. Be ok with failure while staying centered on why addressing the challenge serves the greater vision as articulated in Two. This example solves a problem that is currently unaddressed. The development of a truly closed loop system on packaging both from vendors and out to consumers would be an example. Huge problem that no one has successfully figured out yet. Though many are working on this very issue.
I promise that after running your business through this process you will better equip yourself and the team to transition your practices from where they are today to a more earth-centered version for tomorrow.
