Ep 16: John Roulac on Regenerative Agriculture

John Roulac is a hemp innovator, serial entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, writer, and champion of regenerative agriculture.

As the founder of the organic brand Nutiva, he has sourced and formulated close to $1B in retail sales of organic superfoods in the past 20 years.  John is also an executive producer of the regenerative agriculture film Kiss the Ground, which is narrated by Woody Harrelson. He is an investor, supporter, and advisor to various companies and organizations in the “better for you and planet” sector.

Over his career, John has founded six non-profit organizations, including Great Plains Regeneration and GMOInside. His passionate hemp advocacy brought him to sue the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. This long legal battle culminated in a historic 2004 federal court victory to keep hemp foods legal. He is a pioneer of the modern home-composting movement and has authored four books on hemp and composting.

Topics Discussed:

John's start in business and the environmental movementThe difference between environmentalism and conservationHow learning from indigenous cultures can positively impact our environment The importance of being open to learning and losing our egoHow we're losing 1-2% of winged insects per year Are cows bad for the environmentHow "Nox" (Nitric Oxide)  is the fastest growing greenhouse gas in the world today & 380 times more impactful than C02The social and economic control by large organizations Are meat and saturated fat to blame for health issues John's experience as a Vegetarian How humans are trying to connect and find their tribeWhy 50% of the Plankton in the ocean and 98% of Pacific Sardines have been lostPositive environmental changes to make on a micro levelHow 500,000 people focused on regenerative agriculture in the next fives years will change the countryJohn's biggest lesson from nature and the outdoors

Quote:

"The future of plant-based is animal-based"

Resources Mentioned:

Documentary: Kiss the GroundGreat Plains RegenerationNutivaFuller Field SchoolAudubon SocietyContour Lines CorpParadise PermacultureSoil 4 ClimateDr. Bronner's12 TidesCooks VentureTanka BarBook: The War on BugsBook: Backyard Composting: Your Complete Guide to Recycling Yard ClippingsBook: The Art of WarBook: The Mists of AvalonBook: The Way of WyrdBook: The Ecology of CommerceArticle: Making America's Rivers Blue AgainJohn's websiteInstagramFacebookLinkedIn