I love this, and I agree with all the points, and there is a giant data gap at the farmland level. Without consistent measurements how can we turn healthy soil into a food company's balance sheet asset?
For the record, I don’t think ‘basic human right’ is a law, either. That’s one framework. Another framework would encompass basic rights of all organisms with humans being one little part of the picture, though I don’t think that’s so likely. But it’s just as logical.
To me, the other big gap is that companies are made up of people. There are millions of people, including me, who allow the organisations they work for to do what they know is wrong, for a variety of reasons including greed, fear, apathy… If most people did what they know is right…but they can’t.
Another thought…one way to keep human systems in check is balance of power. We have political parties with different leanings and swing back and forth between them being in power. Theoretically, government balances capitalism/business, except the balancing we need is in regard of the environment which govts may be interested in or not. So there is no swinging balance in regard to environmental protection vs damage other than a rather indirect govt control. If you try to embed environmental control within business, you have no balancing at all between different entities. Where else could the balancing role reside?
I love this, and I agree with all the points, and there is a giant data gap at the farmland level. Without consistent measurements how can we turn healthy soil into a food company's balance sheet asset?
For the record, I don’t think ‘basic human right’ is a law, either. That’s one framework. Another framework would encompass basic rights of all organisms with humans being one little part of the picture, though I don’t think that’s so likely. But it’s just as logical.
To me, the other big gap is that companies are made up of people. There are millions of people, including me, who allow the organisations they work for to do what they know is wrong, for a variety of reasons including greed, fear, apathy… If most people did what they know is right…but they can’t.
Another thought…one way to keep human systems in check is balance of power. We have political parties with different leanings and swing back and forth between them being in power. Theoretically, government balances capitalism/business, except the balancing we need is in regard of the environment which govts may be interested in or not. So there is no swinging balance in regard to environmental protection vs damage other than a rather indirect govt control. If you try to embed environmental control within business, you have no balancing at all between different entities. Where else could the balancing role reside?
We wrestled a bit with huge challenges of private equity and regen brands, why it almost always fails and what to do about it @martinreiter on the podcast https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2026/01/27/martin-reiter-2/