Why Regenerative Growing Matters

"Knowing means understanding there are things we can never know.
All knowledge is limited by relationships.”
- Ambelin Kwaymullina, Living on Stolen Land

Food is not just the plants and animals we consume for sustenance, medicine and joy. Food - what we consume - is actually the relationship between each element in our food web, and our relationship with it All. 

The same is true for the raw materials grown to go into our soap and self care products. 

Since the invention of chemical fertiliser and the industrial revolution, food & raw materials have been reimagined as commodities for exploitation rather than as medicine and the threads which weave us into relationship with all beings. Today, food and raw materials continue to be abstracted from their earthly matter and sacred significances; instead, they are most commonly used as transactional pawns in business models and international trade agreements. These models are designed towards infinite growth on a planet with finite resources, and in actuality, the resources exist not as singular units but as beings within intricate systems. Their abstraction, and the exploitation it allows, has led to the disruption and destruction of the fundamental intelligence, innate resilience, diversity and abundance that these intricate systems naturally hold. 

From soil to sky, Western science is repeatedly finding that we are at tipping points in planetary boundaries and humanity. Observed changes in ecosystems worldwide and the lived experiences of communities who are most connected to caring for Country - First Nations Custodians and farmers - corroborate this. As the realities of the anthropocene reveal themselves in wilder, faster and more uncertain ways than predicted, we human animals - alongside all animals - face a present and a future of cascading challenges.

According to a report by the United Nations FAO in 2015, there were approximately 60 years of top soil remaining on planet Earth to grow our food. That’s about sixty crops before we have no more top soil left to feed the Earth’s population. This document, titled “Status of the World Soil Resources”, was based on peer-reviewed research, outcomes from projects and expert knowledge.

Meanwhile, in a follow up report, ‘The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture 2021 – Systems at breaking point’, it was stated that “agriculture bears great promise to alleviate these pressures and provide multiple opportunities to contribute to global goals”. 

This is an indication towards one of many solutions we need. And medical doctors, resilience experts and Indigenous Knowledge Holders worldwide all agree ~ transitioning our ways of growing food, medicine and raw materials is one of the fastest ways we can collectively cultivate resilience for the future, heal ourselves and heal Earth. 

Regenerative agriculture is about listening first, listening to the stories of care that exist here since Time Immemorial and listening to what Nature tells us. Then we can come into new ways of being - with ourselves, with Country and with what it means to be Custodians, consumers and citizens. Revitalising ourselves as growers, graziers and generators of new story. Truly regenerative ways of growing leave behind modes of domination and depletion and move towards a future where the intelligence of our natural systems is uplifted and harnessed, cultivating harvests that benefit All beings - now and into the future. 

But what actually IS regenerative agriculture? Well like any health system in nature, it’s diverse. It includes a whole bunch of ways of doing things. Some people say it’s not about the cow, but the how. I like that. 

I can’t explain every type of regenerative ag, but here’s a little regenerative glossary - some words to listen out for if you're looking for local growers who are practicing regenerative ways of growing near you: 

• First Nations Custodianship
• compost
• minimal to no pesticides or insecticides
• spray free farming
• minimal tillage
• inter cropping
• cover cropping
• Syntropic farming
• mixed farming
• Agroforestry
• closed loop
• buying local
• reciprocity
• community
• food justice
• food security

The list goes on!

And in spirit, regenerative growing to me is:

• deep listening
• curiosity
• the humility to let go of what we think we know
• asking, observing, more listening…
• reciprocity, reciprocity, reciprocity 

I’m grateful to say that in 2020, I was introduced to the Dr Bronner’s family and brand (yeh, I was a bit late to the party!) and I found out that regeneration means the same thing to them. They understand that all knowledge, all goodness comes back to relationships. They understand that deep listening to original Custodians of land is where we start.  They get that we keep listening. They believe all thriving is mutual and future generations matter.  And best of all, they take action on these attitudes. In fact, I’ve come to see that Dr Bronner’s are an incredible example of how business can be a driving force for regeneration in action as well as attitude.

See, the Bronner family and Dr Bronner’s brand have always been a soap and soul company. But in 2005, Emanuel’ Bronner’s grandsons, David and Mike Bronner asked a good friend, Dr. Gero Leson to help shift the company’s supply of agricultural raw materials to certified organic and fair trade sources - to ensure equitable and just conditions for all involved in the growing of their raw materials. Gero became the head of the Special Operations Team which has achieved an unimaginable transformation of their supply chain. To take a deep dive into Dr. Bronner's supply chain, head here.

Now, in 2025, Dr. Bronner’s sourcing of organic and fair trade raw materials benefits some 35,000 farmers, employees, and their families, worldwide—improving livelihoods while simultaneously regenerating soil. From Sri Lanka to Palestine and Israel, Samoa to India, Ghana to South Africa and beyond, they are global in scope yet deeply personal in their enactment of care.

“Healthy crops and healthy food is a product of healthy soil. The way we approach money is as energy to create a better world and we want to make sure our local partners have that same philosophy... They’re excited by regenerative organic; they’re excited like we are to be a steward of the land”- David Bronner telling the story of the farming communities in Bareilly, India who supply the mint oil used in Dr. Bronner’s iconic peppermint soap. The Mint is regeneratively grown and organic and Fairtrade certified. Mint is key to Dr. Bronner’s legacy product and lends that cool, refreshing, and tingly sensation that the top-selling natural soap in North America is known for. In Bareilly, mint crops are key to the livelihoods of over 1,500 farmers and their families. These farmers are using regenerative organic agricultural practices that increase yields and soil fertility while fostering resilience in the face of a changing climate. Fair wages and a democratically managed fair trade fund for development projects help to regenerate local communities. As Gero Leson (head of Special Operations for Dr Bronner’s worldwide) says, “We don’t really differentiate so much between regenerative, organic or Fairtrade. To us, it’s all one”

When we choose to buy from a brand that treats us as a citizen, rather than reducing us to a mere consumer, we are taking a small act of faith towards what matters to us. That’s why I would choose Dr Bronner’s over and over. 

On every level, quality and collective care are sewn into the fabric - and let me tell you, I've looked really close-up! The brand goes beyond "good intentions" (which can often do harm) and brings to life action based on deep listening. Dr Bronner's shows me that business can be an enduring force for coliberation. They don't just shine a light; they empower communities to light their own flames no matter how dark our times are. 

Want more? To get to know the Dr. Bronner’s family on a deeper level, check out Maree’s 2-part blog about her trip to California, USA here.