Regenerative consumerism

South Dakota – Patagonia is on a mission to restore and conserve America’s mismanaged and overgrazed grasslands.

• Buffalo Jerky is the latest addition to its Patagonia Provisions range
• Wild Idea Buffalo has helped to restore over 100,000 acres of grassland

To produce its Buffalo Jerky, Patagonia Provisions partnered with Wild Idea Buffalo, a meat company that specialises in ranching and harvesting grass-fed, free-roaming Bison while improving the eco-system of the Great Plains.

‘American bison are indelibly linked to the survival of our prairie eco-system and the communities that depend on them,’ says Birgit Cameron, director of Patagonia Provisions. ‘We believe that by eating humanely raised and harvested bison, we protect them and the sensitive prairie environment.’

Wild for all intents and purposes, the buffalo help nurture the grasslands back to health by recycling nutrients and tilling the soil as they roam. They are slaughtered humanely in the grasslands, bypassing the need for a crowded and stressful slaughterhouse. As a result, the meat is low in cortisol, a stress hormone believed to cause cardiac problems, impotency and fatigue in humans.

The Big Picture: We have passed the point of no return. Brands need to employ Whole-system Thinking to make consumerism work for the planet rather than against it.