A Sustainability Now Interview with Josh Farley

What if our metrics for economic health are simply upside down? How can a “healthy” economy—measured by rising GDP—coexist with ecological collapse, mental health crises, and widening inequality?

Josh Farley, ecological economist, isn’t just rethinking economics—he’s redesigning it. A professor at the University of Vermont and Fellow at the Gund Institute for Environment, his work bridges economics, ethics, and ecology, challenging the very foundation of how we think about money, nature, and our collective future.

With clarity and a sharp eye for absurdity, Farley unpacks the dangerous delusion of GDP as a measure of well-being—revealing how our systems reward depletion and call it growth, while sidelining equity, health, and ecological integrity.

Instead, he offers a new paradigm: one that prioritizes regeneration over extraction and collective stewardship over unchecked consumption. It’s not just a critique—it’s a grounded, hopeful invitation to redesign economics for a world that actually works.

If you’ve ever sensed that the numbers aren’t telling the whole story—this conversation is the deeper math you’ve been waiting for.

A Sustainability Now Interview with Food Forward Founder, Rick Nahmias

In a world where millions go hungry while billions of pounds of food go to waste, Food Forward is proving that abundance, not scarcity, is the problem—and the solution. Founded in 2009 by our guest, Rick Nahmias, what started as a backyard fruit-picking effort has grown into one of the most effective, large-scale food rescue operations in the country. With a laser focus on fresh, plant-based food, Food Forward moves an astonishing 100 million pounds of produce annually—more than even the LA Food Bank—directly into the hands of those who need it most. Their work isn’t just about feeding people; it’s about restoring dignity, health, and access to nutrient-rich foods while solving one of the most overlooked contributors to climate change: food waste.

The key to their impact? Precision, partnerships, and logistics at scale. Food Forward operates at just 7 cents per pound—one-third the cost of a traditional food bank. By leveraging deep relationships with wholesalers, farmers, and volunteers they’ve made food donation seamless, cost-effective, and even financially beneficial for suppliers.

Yet Food Forward is more than an organization—it’s a movement built on the principle of shared abundance. Inspired by a gifting ethos, their work empowers individuals to become stewards of food justice in their own communities, whether through volunteering, replicating food rescue efforts locally, or supporting policy change. And for those wondering if this model could work elsewhere? Rick and his team have made their tools and expertise open-source, to help support the development of food recovery efforts nationwide. Tune in to hear how Food Forward is reshaping food access, reducing waste, and proving that a well-fed world is within reach.

A Sustainability Now Interview with Water Stories Founder, Zach Weiss

What if the key to impacting climate change isn't as much about carbon as it is about water? In this episode, we are delighted to welcome back Zach Weiss, visionary water restoration expert and founder of Water Stories, for an exploration of how and why healing the water cycle can regenerate the planet. From extreme weather events—droughts and wildfires to catastrophic mudslides and floods—our planet's most pressing climate crises are symptoms of a broken water cycle—a situation that we have the ability to heal. Zach shares why water cycle restoration is the most effective, immediate, and scalable solution to stabilizing our climate, cooling landscapes, reversing desertification, and restoring thriving ecosystems.

Drawing from real-world success stories, Zach shares how farms, cities, and even entire river systems are being revived through simple, nature-based interventions. In Montana, a parking lot became a thriving wetland in just two years, providing habitat for a rare and endangered salamander species. In India, through the work of Rajendra Singh, communities restored 13 rivers that had been dry for decades. These projects aren’t just theoretical—they’re proof that by working with nature, rather than against it, we can restore balance to the planet.

With a community of 6000 and growing, Water Stories is spreading the word through education and action, providing extensive resources for individuals, professionals, and policymakers alike. They also offer a once-a-year six-month training that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to get involved in this regenerative work—work that has been successfully implemented by everyone from individual land stewards to government agencies.

Join us for a conversation with Brett and Kira Belan of Solarrolla, a company reimagining transportation with fully solar-powered electric vehicles. Drawing on Brett’s mechanical engineering expertise from Ford and Jaguar, their journey began with a bold experiment—a solar-powered VW bus that carried their family 1,400 miles on sunlight alone. Now, they’ve built everything from solar camper vans to electric tractors, embodying a vision for a future untethered from fossil fuels.

More than an alternative to gas-powered travel, these vehicles invite us to embrace a slower, more attuned way of moving—where nature, rather than deadlines, dictates the journey. With solar arrays generating up to 100 miles per day, they double as mobile power stations, supplying electricity during grid failures, natural disasters, or remote work setups.

Solarrolla’s vision is transformative. Imagine a world where solar-powered highways create roaming energy grids, and transportation becomes a tool for freedom and planetary stewardship. They’re not just building vehicles—they’re rethinking how we move, live, and connect with the planet.

Resources and links from this episode: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/03/15/092-solarrolla-vehicles-powered-solely-by-the-sun/.

Double board-certified physician Kristin Reihman invites us to rethink everything we know about healing. Drawing on her extensive expertise in integrative medicine and brain injury treatment—as well as her own remarkable recovery from chronic illness—she challenges conventional medicine’s tendency to mask symptoms rather than address their root causes. When it comes to brain health, and a deep insight into neuroplasticity, she reveals how the brain’s ability to heal is far greater than mainstream medicine typically acknowledges.

In a fascinating shift of brain health paradigm, Kristin explains how natural movements from infancy—such as tummy crawling and creeping—can reawaken the brain’s regenerative capacity at any age. As unconventional as it sounds, these innate patterns can help adults and children alike recover from inflammation and injury, sharpen cognitive function, and unlock deeper healing potential. This insight is especially critical as conditions like ADD, ADHD, autism, and dementia continue to rise, requiring solutions beyond pharmaceuticals and long-term care.

Kristin links this more holistic approach to healing to the broader challenge of sustainability, making the case that vibrant brain health is not just a personal necessity, but a key to resilient communities and a thriving planet.

Join us for an inspiring and grounded conversation that offers a vision of hope for healing—by honoring the profound connection between physical, emotional, and environmental wellness. A conversation that goes beyond conventional medical wisdom to establish holistic health as a cornerstone for a sustainable, thriving future.

A Sustainability Now interview with Co-Founder, Maddie Hamann. PACHA’s mission is centered around regenerative agriculture, leveraging the power of buckwheat—an adaptable, nutrient-dense crop—to provide delicious nutrition, enhance soil health and foster long-term ecological restoration. In contrast to conventional farming methods that rely heavily on synthetic chemicals and tilling, regenerative practices like those championed by PACHA enrich the soil, sequester carbon, and promote biodiversity. More than just a bread product, PACHA is part of a movement to heal the planet, one loaf at a time.

But sustainability doesn't stop at the farming. PACHA Bread’s commitment extends to every aspect of its operation, from using 100% home compostable packaging to minimizing food waste. In a bold move away from petroleum-based plastic, PACHA's bio-based packaging not only aligns with their eco-conscious values but also champions a circular economy where waste is reduced and resources are repurposed. Even the byproducts from their grain, like buckwheat hulls, are upcycled into new products like their upcoming sourdough buckwheat tortillas—making PACHA a true innovator in the quest for more sustainable food systems.

In a landscape where environmental responsibility often takes a back seat to profit margins, PACHA Bread stands out as a business that seamlessly integrates ecological stewardship with entrepreneurial creativity.

Join us for our exploration of PACHA's truly regenerative business model which incorporates regenerative agriculture, reducing plastic waste, and producing nourishing, allergen-friendly food, exemplifying the potential for sustainable, values-driven business to serve both people and the planet.

Resources and links from this episode can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/02/16/090-pacha-bread-of-life-nourishing-people-and-planet/

#Sustainability #RegenerativeAgriculture #EcoFriendly #PlasticFree #FoodInnovation #ClimateAction #OrganicFarming #CircularEconomy #HealthyEating #ZeroWaste

A Sustainability Now interview with Founder, Adina Popescu—a groundbreaking AI-driven predictive platform that integrates global oceanic and satellite data to map and monitor ocean health.

Starting with the oceans, ÆRTH’s bold mission is to eventually build a real-time, dynamic digital twin of the planet—to uncover global ecosystem patterns, predict ecological impacts, and drive sound restorative interventions. The importance of this work cannot be overstated as illustrated by the cautionary tale of a proposed project to cover the Saharan Desert with solar panels. Predictive modeling revealed the fact that such a project would disrupt the flow of nutrient-rich Saharan sand to the Amazon, potentially causing the rainforest’s collapse. ÆRTH’s mission is to make visible the hidden connections within Earth’s ecosystems to guide responsible environmental stewardship.

Having been an advisor to organizations like Apple’s Media Arts Lab and Conservation International, Adina brings an audacious vision founded in science and technology to creatively address the intricate web of our global environmental challenges.

Links and other resources from this interview: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/02/02/089-aerth-meets-earth-mapping-our-planets-delicate-web/

#SustainabilityNow, #OceanConservation, #DigitalTwin, #ClimateAction, #EcoInnovation, #AIforGood, #GreenTech, #EnvironmentalStewardship, #SustainableFuture, #TechForGood

Featuring Neal Spackman, Founder and CEO of Regenerative Resources Co. and globally recognized pioneer in ecological restoration and sustainable design. Through his work, Neal showcases the power of nature-based regenerative practices to restore ecosystems, revitalize economies and build cultural and environmental resilience.

We discuss Neal’s groundbreaking Al Baydha Project, a prime example of regeneration in action. In the heart of the desert, he collaborated with semi-nomadic tribes to turn barren, unproductive land into a thriving ecosystem. By employing techniques such as watershed management, reforestation, and agroforestry, and scalable solutions like check dams and silvopasture systems, the project restored the land, revitalized the local community and reintroduced life to one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Neal’s current project, RAFT (Regenerative Aqua-Forestry Technology), reimagines aquaculture through a circular economy lens. By integrating sustainable shrimp farming with mangrove restoration, RAFT addresses global challenges like habitat loss, food insecurity, and climate change. Spackman discusses how this closed-loop system creates symbiotic relationships between aquaculture and coastal ecosystems, restoring biodiversity, improving water quality, and sequestering carbon—all while producing economic value.

At the heart of Spackman’s work is the concept of regenerative systems, going beyond conservation to rebuild the relationship between people and planet. His projects illustrate the profound potential of working with natural processes to align human and ecological interests to foster human well-being along with planetary health.

Resources and links from this episode: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/01/04/88-sustainable-synergy-where-ecology-meets-economy/