Iris Kühnlein

Born in Germany but raised in Brazil, I grew up surrounded by nature. My grandfather was a gardener and ecologist, in days when the topic wasn’t a hype yet. To do something for nature, I thought I had to study society, so I pursued a BA in Social Sciences and Sustainability in Maastricht (the Netherlands). 

Next, I did an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development at UCL, focused on development planning. After my studies, I was eager to get hands-on, and yet I studied more, but this time, something practical. I moved back to Brazil and did a Syntropic Agroforestry course with expert Ernst Gotsch. Deeply moved by his method and philosophy, I started experimenting with agroforestry on the coast of São Paulo, and got involved with neighbouring cacao farms. I took a special interest in agroforestry product processing and value addition. I started producing small quantities of cacao butter and initiated a natural cosmetics brand. This took me to India, where I worked for 6 years at the intersection of agroecology projects and product development.

As someone who likes to combine theory with practice, I am always making the connection between local solutions and contexts to broader global dynamics. Regenerative agriculture is the solution to many of the world’s problems, and it is an honour to help support reNature projects!