Brooke Summers’ Post

Last week I attended the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity celebration event (thanks Sara Pais for the invitation). It was a privilege to listen to speakers such as Angela Merkel (president of the jury) and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (president of Portugal), but also exciting to see regenerative agriculture being at the core of the winners’ selection. Coincidentally (or not), the winning project of the Hult Prize Portugal 2024 (of which I was part of the jury) was also centred on sustainable agriculture. Many of the projects I was involved in for the last few years had a strong component of restoring ‘land-health’, posing important systemic questions: - How to create a climate smart forest economy that protects and supports nature and livelihoods? (with Marshall Clemens and Jess Hewitt from Nexial, and Robyn van den Heuvel and the CSFEP team) - How to best engage institutional stakeholders to drive equitable and sustainable agricultural development in Africa? (with Tess Russo from the Gates Foundation, Claire Vintiner from Fresh Futures, Titilope Fakoya and Soyome Alemayehu) - How to transform the fashion value chain in a way that regenerates the land where materials come from, involving local communities and creating a sense of identity between users and places of origin? (with Nick Keppel-Palmer and mandar jayawant from the Good Growth Company) - How to foster deep transitions from our current systems, with food systems being one of the pillars? (with Samantha Veide and the team at Forum for the Future). With the risk of stating the obvious, soil health is fundamental to producing good food, fibres, forests… and storing carbon. And we have all heard that monoculture and use of excessive chemicals are not good for the soil, in the same way that lack of variety in our diets and excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods are not good for us. So it’s encouraging to see these two prizes recognising projects that have been advancing regenerative agriculture, and working towards a healthier and more equitable tomorrow. #agriculture #regeneration #sustainability #systemchange

Regen10 brings together a number of leading change-makers in the field of #regenerativeagriculture and #foodsystems, including Systemiq and the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU). Find out what's making them 'one to watch' and how you can get involved...

It's been a while you saw some news from me, and it's high time I share what I've been holding back. Since the launch of the "LIVING CROPLAND" Initiative in May, my dedicated team has been on a relentless mission. We believe in the power of a responsible, regenerative approach to land use as a key to overcoming climate challenges. It's about taking voluntary responsibility for our collective future, transcending own business and national borders. Every action we take leaves an fingerprint on the land, and it's time to be mindful of that. The mission of the "LIVING CROPLAND" Initiative is to contribute to the creation of a sustainable future by implementing innovative regenerative approaches in agriculture, in collaboration with the agricultural sector. Our task calls for reducing carbon emissions, restoring soil fertility, and supporting biodiversity, while producing agricultural products in harmony with nature to achieve sustainable agriculture and preserve the health of the planet for future generations. Embarking on this international journey is an exciting venture, and I invite you to join the Group. Stay tuned for updates and announcements—there's a lot of fascinating developments ahead, I assure you! https://lnkd.in/dKxCGPiy

#REFOOTURE: Rethinking, Reshaping, Regenerating our Future Food Systems   Exciting developments from REFOOTURE were recently shared during the Keynote presentation at the launch of the Wageningen Global Sustainability program. 🚀   We are facing degraded landscapes, diminishing solidarity, and climate extremes. REFOOTURE took a proactive approach by establishing motivated Living Labs in Nakuru, Bahir Dar, and Arua to co-create with communities some inspiring innovative cases and youth initiatives while in the meantime exploring potential pathways for developing resilient food systems.   Key to success? We take emotions into account. This is key to create place-based innovations. We're eagerly looking forward to testing innovative ideas in our action research phase. 🧪   Excitingly, REFOOTURE has great opportunities to feed lessons learned into the start of Soil Valley - the Dutch Transition ecosystem aiming to regenerate soil health, water resources, and create sustainable living for future generations in Eastern Netherlands. 🌿 Explore more Soil Valley Foundation.   Let's continue the conversation, share insights, and build a sustainable future together! 🌎 #Sustainability #Innovation #FutureFoodSystems #REFooture #SoilValley #WageningenGlobalSustainability

🇧🇷 On the blog today - a retrospective of our first Community Event in Brazil! Last September, our team gathered from around the world for our first Offsite in Brazil, and to host our first Community Event. 🌎 It was an enriching and festive gathering that deepened relationships with the regenerative agricultural community of Brazil and amplified everyone’s resolve to create a lasting impact. 🚜 Founders Niklas Kluger and Felix Harteneck presented a brief introduction to the company, about the need for carbon removal, and the crucial role that agriculture in Brazil plays. 🚜 The agricultural stakeholders who presented following this were united in their commitment to take the ideas of carbon removal and soil remineralisation to their neighbours and friends. These specifically were:  🇧🇷 ABREFEN / BK Mineração - Wellington Dal Bem 🇧🇷 Agrobizão - Antonio Bizão Junior 🇧🇷 Quanticum - Diego Siqueira 🌱 Siqueira 🇧🇷 Grupo Bandeirantes - Augusto Leopoldinho (was not present at the event though - we missed you) 🇧🇷 SOZO Britas - Vilmar and Eduardo Sozo ➡ Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gD6_X6qP

Today we have a special date - the day when we should say thank you to our beautiful planet! (though, actually every single day is good enough to do so). But still - 🌍✨ Happy International Mother Earth Day! 🌱🌎 At UAB Fertis, we understand the vital importance of sustainable agriculture and the responsible use of our natural resources. As a global distributor of mineral fertilizers, we recognise the significant role that agriculture plays in shaping the health of our planet. That's why we are committed to providing innovative, environmentally friendly fertilizer solutions that promote soil health, increase crop yields and minimize environmental impact. Therefore - today and all other days, let’s not forget that this is everyone’s responsibility to work for a sustainable future, as only together we can make a difference. Happy International Mother Earth Day from all of us at UAB Fertis! 🌿💚 #EarthDay #Sustainability #ProtectOurPlanet

🎯 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥: Recently, AVEBIOM AVEBIOM organised the 4th Spanish workshop, with a focus on aquatic systems, in Galicia, widely known for its fishing and seafood production. 📌 Hosted by OPMEGA, the association of over 500 mussel producers, in Villagarcia de Arousa, the event brought together more than 40 participants, including OPMEGA members, mussel processing plants, and providers of disruptive innovations. 🔗Learn more in our fresh blog post 👇 #bioeconomy #circulareconomy #biobasedsolutions #researchimpacteu

World Environment Day may be just one day in a year, but it's really about all the days, present and future, and how we can act today to preserve the planet for a long, long time. 🌍 🌱 At Veracruz Almonds, we're proud investors in regenerative agricultural practices. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and trust us—our almonds taste even better because of it. 👉 Check our website (link in bio) to learn more about our sustainable practices and follow us to keep discovering all the ways the environment can be celebrated every day. . . . #veracruz #almonds #veracruzalmonds #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativeagriculturemovement

Be a part of the Plan! The theme for International day of Biological Diversity, 2024 celebrated on 22nd May revolves around the opportunities for cooperation and partnerships among diverse actors. The theme for this year urges all people to take action to stop and reverse biodiversity loss. Each and every individual is encouraged to highlight the ways in which they are supporting the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan. Everyone has a role to play and therefore can be part of the Plan. At Enactus CVS, our mission is to drive societal change through various projects. Project Ehtiyaat focuses on upcycling single-use plastic to preserve nature. Project Ikhtiraa aims to curb the environmental hazards caused by release of microplastics into the environment. Project Abyaan aims to address the conundrum caused by disposal of untreated Used Cooking Oil into river bodies harming aquatic life. On this International Day for Biological Diversity, we urge you to actively contribute to the preservation and celebration of our planet's vast biodiversity—your efforts make a difference.

Looking back at the incredible training session on vermiculture! 🐛🌿 As part of their commitment to sustainability, Enactus (Central University of Technology)organized a hands-on workshop\training where we gained valuable knowledge on the art of vermicomposting. During this training, we had the opportunity to: 1. Discover the principles and benefits of vermiculture. 2. Learn about the significance of worms in composting processes. 3. Acquire practical skills in setting up our own vermiculture projects. 4. Understand the importance of reducing organic waste and its impact on the environment. The experience was nothing short of amazing. #Sustainability #FarmingWithWorms #vermicompost