Land to Market

Let’s start with the basics, what does Land to Market do or represent?

Land to Market is a product verification program that helps companies source raw materials from farmers who are regenerating their land through livestock management. We work closely with the Savory Institute, which is responsible for verifying that the land is in a state of improvement through the deployment of their ecosystem and land health monitoring protocol. The Land to Market team then connects those farmers to supply chain actors and processors to offer verified regenerative products to Land to Market brand members.

There are different names and terms related to Land to Market, such as Allan Savory and holistic land management. Could you please describe them in a few lines?

Allan Savory is a co-founder of the Savory Institute. He developed, has implemented, and advocates for a way of managing land called holistic land management. Managing holistically means considering the context of the land and the people managing it, rather than following a prescriptive approach. Holistic Planned Grazing is a process of placing livestock in the right place for the right amount of time in order to maximize ecosystem functioning and photosynthesis and preventing, and even reversing, signs of desertification.

There is a lot of talk about “Regenerative” or “Regenerative agriculture”, how would you define either of them?

We define “regenerative” as long-term, measurable improvements in an ecosystem. Measuring the health of a complex system is challenging because there are so many variables, all intricately linked and connected to one another. This is why we rely on empirical observation of both leading and lagging ecosystem indicators of health to assess land. Indicators such as the amount of ground coverage versus bare soil, signs of biodiversity, and proper mineral and water cycling.

Is there a way to measure how soil and land regenerates?

By evaluating indicators of a healthy ecosystem, you can begin to understand how the health of the soil is changing overtime - is it degrading or regenerating? For example, one of the measurements we use is the water infiltration rate, which indicates how much water the soil can hold. Soil that is healthy, which has good structure and plenty of organic matter, will have the ability to hold more water. Why is the water holding capacity of the soil so important? When soil can hold more water, rainfall is more effective, reducing runoff and flooding. And in times of drought, the soil will be able to tap into its reserves of water more easily than soil that has a lower water holding capacity.

When discussing agriculture there are different perspectives regarding the impact on the environment. What would you say are the key factors that someone interested in environmental welfare should take into account in order to evaluate if a certain establishment has a positive or negative impact?

(Note: for example in the case of wool there are arguments pro and against regarding the environmental impact)

When considering the impact on an environment, especially in the context of agriculture where humans must manage the environment, it’s important to think about the whole ecosystem functioning at a high level. This means lots of diversity within the plant species, grazing animals, predators, birds, insects, bacteria, and fungi, all contributing to the complex food web that makes up a healthy and regenerative ecosystem. It’s these interactions and contributions of each species that creates a constant flow of minerals and nutrients between organisms both above and below ground, maximizing photosynthesis through robust plant growth, and allowing living soil to hold on to water to support the life in that system, even in times of drought.

So we have a picture of a healthy, robust, and diverse ecosystem. Now let’s consider the grassland ecosystem. Grazing animals are a key species for this ecosystem because grasslands evolved in the presence of ruminant animals and are therefore dependent on them for mineral cycling. When cattle, sheep, or other grazers are removed from the grassland, or if their predators are removed from that land, the herd effect - that is the impact of trampling, eating, and dunging - is disrupted and the ecosystem functioning begins to diminish. So are sheep creating a positive or negative impact on the environment? The answer is: it depends. If the flocks are managed holistically by mimicking how the sheep would move naturally in the presence of predators, then yes, those sheep are having a profoundly positive impact on that grassland. Sheep, or any livestock, not managed in accordance with nature can have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Environmental credentials are fundamental for any fashion brand, however there is a lot of confusion regarding their meanings. What does it mean when a product is “Land to Market verified”?

Land to Market is a verification program that speaks specifically to the health of the land from which the wool or leather was sourced. A Land to Market product means that an ecosystem is in a regenerative state - measured and quality assured using the Savory Institute’s protocol - through proper context-driven livestock management.

In Engraw we have recently become a member of Land to Market. How could we explain what this means in a few words to our clients?

Land to Market partners are mission-aligned supply chain actors who have demonstrated their ability to contribute to the forward momentum of verified regenerative agriculture. Creating an apparel or footwear product means creating a long, complicated, and often global supply chain. Add to that the demand for traceability, segregation of product and materials, and sustainability attributes such as sourcing from a regenerative farm, and the task of creating the supply chain becomes even more difficult. This is why we need strong supply chain partners who are willing to do business differently and take on more risk and responsibility in order to serve the high demand for regenerative agriculture from the Land to Market brand members. Simply put, without the supply chain partners, there would be no verified products on the shelves.

A few years ago sustainability was a differential value a company could offer, today it's mandatory. In 5 years what do you think the scenario would be?

Corporate sustainability programs and initiatives have come a long way. With that progress however, we’ve also seen more greenwashing, burdensome administrative exercises rather than real impact, and a myopic obsession with counting tons of carbon dioxide emissions. What I’d like to see in the next few years is progressive companies acknowledge that carbon accounting is a distraction and that sustainability should not be a marketing line item but rather a raw materials sourcing strategy to support high-quality fiber and leather that contributes to ecosystem regeneration. Farmers build resilient ecosystems through holistic livestock management and a byproduct of that land restoration is healthy food and beautiful fiber. That’s what I want to see companies advocate for and support.