Preview: Regenerative Consumption

By Kasia Maciejowska 21 : 03 : 2016 Patagonia : Patagonia Provisions : Harper Macaw

Global – Ecological consciousness is inspiring new products that feed back to their sources in a cycle of regeneration.

Brands are using Regenerative Consumption tactics to create sustainable production systems
New food and beauty brands sacrifice neither style nor quality in their drive to shape new business models

In the spirit of Whole-system Thinking, people are recognising that although consumption is part of our ecological problem, it can also be the solution. Brands are creating products that paradoxically invite customers to consume seemingly finite sources in order to regenerate those sources. Patagonia Provisions’ Wild Buffalo Jerky, for example, is made from free-roaming bison that are an essential part of the grasslands eco-system in the US.

In Brazil, where irresponsible production of cacao has led to rapid deforestation, new brand Harper Macaw is creating sustainable chocolate farming practices that facilitate biodiversity and help restore the rainforest.

The Big Picture

For more on how brands are creating products that encourage customers to consume for the benefit of the planet, see our Regenerative Consumption microtrend.