A conversation between Giancarlo Fonseca, Country Head Italy of Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Executive Vice President of Regenerative Society Foundation, and Massimo Mercati, Aboca’s CEO.
Why joining the Regenerative Society Foundation?
Giancarlo: I am deeply proud of being part of the Regenerative Society Foundation. We have chosen not just to imagine a better future: we have decided to leave a concrete mark. The mark of those who believe in an economy that regenerates; of those who believe in a society that puts values, social justice, respect for the planet and its biodiversity at the centre; where businesses, institutions and citizens can work together to transform the system instead of adapting to it. Being part of this vision, helping to make it concrete, is what drove us to embark on this journey.
Massimo: Aboca is one of the first founding companies of RSF because it shares its values and objectives, promoting a development model that goes beyond the CSR approach and sees the active regeneration of natural resources and social capital as the only way to support sustainable development.
What makes a business regenerative?
Giancarlo: A regenerative company doesn’t just minimize harm: it actively restores. It regenerates natural systems, creating lasting value for both people and the planet.
This represents a new business mindset, where growth and sustainability move forward together.
Lombard Odier promotes this approach with its investment strategies, supporting companies capable of transforming their linear economic model (“take-make-waste”) into a more virtuous, circular and regenerative model.
Massimo: The regenerative company is an evolution of the concept of sustainable enterprise. According to this model, the company does not just reduce negative impacts, but aims to generate positive impacts for the environment, society and the economy.
For Aboca, the creation of shared value (not only economic, but also social and environmental) is the founding premise of its business model. The adoption of the legal form of a Benefit Company in 2018 has also legally sanctioned this commitment.
A regenerative company aims to actively improve the systems of which it is a part.
How does your company contribute to regeneration?
Giancarlo: At Lombard Odier, regeneration means transformation. Reducing impact is no longer enough: we must rethink the economy from scratch. That’s why our investment approach is guided by an economic model that we call CLIC®: Circular, Lean, Inclusive, and Clean. This framework embodies our vision of a regenerative and sustainable economy, in contrast to the traditional linear model of “take, make, waste.” With this approach, we invest in companies that are innovating their core business by combining competitiveness and regeneration, often through advanced technologies.
This is more than a shift in strategy. It’s a deep transformation. And it’s already underway.
Massimo: From managing over 13 experimental hectares dedicated to agroforestry in collaboration with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, to evaluating how production waste can be used as an agricultural soil conditioner to improve the microbiological fertility of soils, Aboca has numerous active projects in the field of regeneration. Moreover, in 2025, we presented the Aboca Biodiversity Strategy 2030, bringing together all the company’s activities in favour of biodiversity. The two central elements of this context are the 100% natural logic that guides all company processes and the adoption of organic production methods on all surfaces since the company’s foundation.
Why participating in the Regeneration 20|30 Forum?
Giancarlo: The Forum will be a real moment of confrontation, where companies, science and institutions come together to build real solutions to the systemic crisis we are experiencing. It is the place where real change can come about. And where we can choose to be part of it.
In addition to updating us on the increasingly dramatic social and economic impacts of the climate and nature crisis, I am confident that we will succeed in defining a measurable action plan that can evolve into business method and discipline over time.
Massimo: Meeting other like-minded companies is always important and it lays the foundation for developing new goals and ambitions and for sharing experiences and ideas. Today, in particular, I find it appropriate to convene at the Forum. The term “regenerative” is increasingly being used in marketing, often inappropriately, and since it is not currently regulated, there is an abuse that results in greenwashing, which is detrimental to companies that are genuinely committed to having a positive impact. This is the case, for example, of “regenerative agriculture”, a term that is gaining more and more interest but is often used as a synonym for conservation agriculture (with massive use of non-biodegradable synthetic herbicides).
It is necessary to stem this phenomenon by actively participating in the definition of regeneration and the accreditation of recognized standards that protect the meaning of the term and also ensure its compliance with the requirements of the Greenwashing and Green Claims Directives.
Find out more about the Regeneration 2030 Forum: https://regeneration2030forum.com/
