Ryan Slabaugh: Building Resilient Food Systems Through Regenerative Agriculture

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Regenerative by Design

Joni Kindwall-Moore

54 episodes

3 months ago

Regenerative by Design Podcast where we get to the root of health, climate, economics and food. Host, Joni Kindwall-Moore, is an RN, an Ethnobotanist and the founder of Snacktivist Foods. Join us on this journey as we explore the ideas, stories and personalities behind the regenerative food system movement including climate change, human health, economics and food as well as other deeply interconnected topics. In this podcast, we will be “going there” and leaning into topics that might make you squirm… just a little. We want to challenge ourselves to think outside of the box and to discover the deeper side of our world’s problems so that we can better understand how to solve them. We aim to unpack some of the most dynamic issues of our day with some of the most inspiring minds who are pushing the boundaries of our current norms and thinking paradigms. We have seen incredibly disruptive events in the past few years like pandemics, climate events, disasters and war. These often trigger system changes that are reactionary and have short term gains. When these are practiced over the long term, they often have a degenerative effect on health and the environment. Regenerative design thinking is the opposite, and is an intentional, premeditated process that involves a high level of observation, analysis, creativity, and looking beyond reductionistic principles while embracing systems thinking and additionality to create regenerative solutions. Regenerative agriculture has become a powerful force for positive transformation and hope in todays world. And no discussion about agriculture is complete without a conversation about food. Food is the connection between people and the planet so grab a cup of coffee or your favorite running shoes and get ready to take a mental and philosophical leap into the future of food and our planet.

All content for Regenerative by Design is the property of Joni Kindwall-Moore and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Society & Culture

Health & Fitness,

Nutrition

Ryan Slabaugh: Building Resilient Food Systems Through Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative by Design

43 minutes

1 year ago

Ryan Slabaugh: Building Resilient Food Systems Through Regenerative Agriculture

In this episode of The Regenerative by Design Podcast, Joni hosts Ryan Slabaugh from Think Regeneration to discuss the importance of systemic thinking in building resilient and healthy food systems. The conversation begins with Ryan sharing his background in regenerative agriculture and the challenges that come with promoting regenerative practices in a world where industrialized and globalized food systems dominate.

Ryan emphasizes the importance of community-based decision-making in establishing regenerative systems, highlighting that real change occurs when local communities prioritize supporting farmers and sustainable practices. He shares anecdotes from his experience, such as working with AcresUSA (www.acresusa.com) and witnessing the backlash farmers faced when the public began blaming them for environmental issues. This experience underscored the need for systemic approaches rather than finger-pointing.

Joni and Ryan delve into the challenges posed by large-scale industrial agriculture and the loss of human connection in food systems. They discuss how the dehumanization of farmers and the consolidation of food production have distanced consumers from the sources of their food. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of this dehumanization, drawing parallels with other societal issues like law enforcement.

Ryan shares examples of innovative community-driven projects, such as the work being done in Tucson by an organization called Flowers and Bullets (www.flowersandbullets.com), which revitalized a vacant school for urban farming. This project not only improved the local food supply but also addressed social issues like rising rents in the area. The discussion highlights the importance of maintaining local ownership of farmland to ensure that communities retain their resilience and volunteerism.

The conversation wraps up with a discussion on the challenges of engaging large corporations in the regenerative movement. While Ryan and Joni acknowledge the efforts being made by some companies, they stress the importance of grassroots leadership and the need for these companies to genuinely commit to improving human health outcomes through regenerative practices.

Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of systemic thinking, community involvement, and the need for a more human-centered approach to food systems to create a truly regenerative future.

Think Regeneration (thinkregeneration.com): This is the website for Ryan Slabaugh's organization, which focuses on accelerating changes in the food supply through community-driven regenerative agriculture practices. The site provides information on their programs, events, and how to get involved.

Regenerative by design is hosted by Snacktivist.

Snacktivist Is an innovation company that helps bring regenerative and organic supply chains to life through product development, ingredients sales and market building. Visit snacktivistfoods.com to learn more.