November 29, 2018, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 13:45 – the theater spotlight shines on Felipe. He is on stage for his TEDx time. It’s time to tell the world that changing is not about stopping, not about leaving, not about warnings. Change is about believing you can do something. It is about looking for new partnerships. It’s about going for opportunities and creating new models, business models.

Don’t be afraid of the P word.

Felipe Villela, a co-Founder of reNature Foundation, has been asked to step on stage and share his belief that with a business mind you can actually do something about the destruction of nature. The goal of restoring 1.000.000 ha of degraded land worldwide through regenerative agroforestry is within reach if you are not afraid of the P for Profit.

And profit comes in more than one way. Local farmers, communities, companies, and nature itself benefits from regenerative agroforestry. Farmer have bigger yields, communities have better food, companies face an improved brand and environment? Nature can show its ultimate power to restore.
By implementing new models with regenerative agroforestry, we are able to make farmers farm from nature without destroying it but using its power to regenerate. Thus slowly bringing back nature and restoring biodiversity.

A TEDx Talk that silences the audience

The best thing is to make your audience ooh and aah. Not an easy job with the highly educated and maybe even a bit spoiled crowd at TEDx Amsterdam. Watch the show and see how Felipe will bring some noise into the room. The story of (re)nature will make people gaze with excitement. The ooh’s and aah’s and an occasional snicker are assured.

“I will inspire you to see that you can make more money from growing raw materials from the forest than from deforesting. And I will show how we can use that knowledge to redefine our businesses models to a more nature inclusive one.”

A new eye on partnerships

In the past, businesses were single-minded only looking at the ‘plata’. They divided the forest, fenced it, exploit it and made the most of their own plot. This way the soil is quickly degraded and plants suffer from drought and pests. After some years slowly the yields drop unless we put time and more money in. Yet if we mimic nature, new alliances may occur that can be translated into new business models and global partnerships.

Going home with fresh ideas worth spreading

During the breakout sessions, reNature’s Marco de Boer will guide two round-table discussions with the question: How can we make agroforestry mainstream? Because it needs to become the preferred option of consumers, farmers, and companies. Who to ask, what to do and where to start. The public at TEDx is in charge. We want them to go home with fresh ideas and an action list.

Because regenerative agroforestry is worth spreading. Help us plant it.

Watch TEDx Amsterdam