A scalable hands-on experience in Sardinia and Calabria, and the promotion of regeneration to rural communities in several Countries in Africa: a geographical distance but a convergence of spirit in the words of Paolo Frigati, Founder & CEO of Persea S.p.A_Società Benefit, and of Michele Sofisti Co-Founder & CEO of Nzatu Europe SA Nzatu Food Group.
Why joining the Regenerative Society Foundation?
Paolo: Of the Regenerative Society Foundation, I appreciate the power of the network. To be able to compare ourselves with other companies that -like us- want to regenerate the business model, for a transition that starts from the companies’ mindset and front lines, with the goal of making the business regenerative, overcoming the old extractive model.
Michele: We joined RSF because we share its vision: we need to move away from extractive and destructive models and toward regenerative practices.
Regeneration is crucial to finding solutions to the two major problems that are threatening our survival on Earth: biodiversity loss and climate change. These are interconnected and closely related problems, and only by starting to spread regenerative practices will we be able to find concrete solutions.
What makes a business regenerative?
Paolo: A “regenerative” business is an organization that goes beyond simple sustainability: it does not just reduce its negative impact on the environment and society, but actively generates positive effects, helping to regenerate natural ecosystems, communities, and collective well-being.
In my opinion, there are three main aspects that make a company regenerative. First of all, its relationship with nature, because a regenerative company considers the environment as a partner and not just a resource. It uses circular models, regenerates soil, water, and biodiversity, and minimizes waste. It is not content with being “neutral”: it aims to repair the damage already done.
And, of course, value for people: a regenerative business promotes the well-being of people throughout the supply chain, valuing decent work, equity, diversity, and the active involvement of local communities. It invests in human, cultural, and relational growth, without neglecting the importance of economic sustainability and business profitability.
The third fundamental aspect is long-term vision: a regenerative enterprise acts with a systemic logic, thinking about future generations. Instead of maximizing short-term profits, it seeks to create a lasting positive impact by reinvesting in the local area, innovation, and collective resilience.
Michele: A regenerative business progressively adopts solutions from circular economic models and regenerative practices in both production and sales.
The linear economic model must be replaced by a circular model, where raw materials, after becoming products and undergoing commercial and usage phases, return to being raw materials ready to be used again in a different form, and so on, in a life cycle that is much longer than the linear model.
How does your company contribute to regeneration?
Paolo: Persea is an Italian agri-tech project that focuses on large-scale organic and regenerative avocado production. We want to show that it is possible to do agriculture on large extensions by following an approach that regenerates the land, that nourishes it day after day, with the goal of producing a better, healthier product, respecting the ecosystem.
We cultivate in Sardinia and Calabria following regenerative production models. We started our project on degraded land, coming from years of under-pivot cereal farming, by nourishing that land, just to regenerate it and be able to start the production of our avocado. But we have gone further, as Persea today is an agri-tech project with regeneration at its core. We produce Biochar to enrich our lands, we have included zootechnics as it is functional to the agro-ecological and regenerative approach. We raise insects and reintroduce all our by-products within the farm cycle, in a zero waste and circular perspective.
We want to leave a positive impact on the environment and demonstrate that regenerative agriculture can be done on a large scale.
Michele: Nzatu works in Africa promoting organic farming and regenerative practices in various countries and with thousands of rural communities. We promote beekeeping and create an impact on the economic model of rural communities, while also impacting wildlife conservation and biodiversity.
We seek to mitigate climate change as much as possible through reforestation projects and to become a scalable model for other companies and organizations, offering a triple impact: social impact on rural communities, protection of wildlife and biodiversity, and mitigation of climate change.
Why participating in the Regeneration 20|30 Forum?
Paolo: The Regeneration 20|30 Forum will be an important time of meeting and exchange. It will be a stage for different stories, experiences that are seemingly distant from each other, but all linked by the desire to change the way big business thinks. We are happy to take part in it.
Michele: One of the most important needs today is not only to communicate the increasingly evident loss of biodiversity and climate change, but also to make people understand that solutions exist.
One of these is represented by regenerative practices. Dramatically, despite the fact that these two issues are affecting us more and more, both directly and indirectly, I still see a lot of resistance to taking action. The political class is incapable of making the necessary decisions and enacting the necessary laws, partly because uninformed or inattentive voters choose leaders who are not attentive to science (if not outright opposed to it). The only real solution, therefore, is to communicate, and to do so clearly and comprehensibly, offering solutions and actions, so that we have political leaders who are obliged to make decisions to develop an economy in harmony with nature.
I would like the Regeneration 20|30 Forum to make it clear to the general public, without any doubt, the importance of joining forces to fight and solve biodiversity loss and climate change.
We need everyone—citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians—to come together to promote the right solutions that can guarantee a future for future generations. If it succeeds in this, the Forum will be of immense value.
Find out more about the Regeneration 2030 Forum: https://regeneration2030forum.com/
