Presented by Timberland

FUTUREVVORLD is back with the fourth episode of Progress Over Perfection, an ever-evolving podcast that explores Earth-friendlier projects and environmental responsibility in fashion, footwear, design, and culture.

This week, FUTUREVVORLD’s Co-founder Daniel Navetta and Executive Editor Bob Marshall explore regenerative supply systems, including what they mean, how they work, and why they’re a necessary component to sustainable design. The hosts are first joined by Sarah Archibald, a Senior Program Manager at PUR Projet, and then Luke Smith, the CEO at Terra Genesis International, each offering a unique perspective on regenerative agriculture.

PUR Projet works with companies to help regenerate the ecosystem they depend on. The certified B Corporation aids local communities in operating long-term socio-environmental projects and helps companies strengthen their supply chains through agroforestry, land restoration, and sustainable agriculture practices. “Think about a product that you use on a daily [basis], and learn about the growers, where it’s grown…because there’s a lot of inspiration that you can get,” said Archibald when discussing the importance of community in our purchase decisions. “By looking into that, you can decide where want to put your vote and your dollar to make sure you’re supporting organizations and supply chains that are really supporting the empowerment of those growers.”

Terra Genesis International is a regenerative design consultancy focused on the growth of healthy, equitable, and lasting partnerships between farming communities, ecosystems, and businesses. Among its many projects, Terra Genesis is currently working with Timberland to build a regenerative rubber supply system for its footwear The system, as Smith explains, enables the company to differentiate its products by validating claims of quality and impact on the ground while helping grow consumer awareness and trust. Plans for a pilot collection focused on regenerative rubber is set to release in 2023. “I believe that, right now, we’re seeing a huge shift in consciousness taking place. People are waking up to the severity of the conversion crisis that we’re facing and they want to do something,” said Smith. “I think this is particularly true of younger people.”

In its mission for products to have a net positive impact on nature by 2030, Timberland has also developed a regenerative leather offering, seen in the Greenstride Solar Wave EK+ Collection, which also features GreenStride comfort soles made from a 75% combination of renewable sugar cane and natural rubber from trees. The brand recently applied the lightweight, comfortable GreenStride eco-innovation to a brand-new FW21 boot collection.

Sit back and enjoy Episode 4: Regenerative Practices of Progress Over Perfection. You can listen above, as well as on Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

A special thank you to Timberland for helping us produce this episode.