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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