Best Greenbusiness Podcasts (2024)

1
For Ken Pucker, circularity is just another win-win fantasy & distraction for the fashion industry. 1:02:48

10M ago1:02:48

1:02:48

Ken Pucker, former Timberland COO and current Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, recently published a series of pieces critiquing the circular agenda for fashion. In this content rich interview, Ken explains the history of how market-led voluntary solutions became the norm and the rise of what he calls Sustainability In…

1
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Climate & The 1 Trillion Dollar Question 58:35

2y ago58:35

58:35

Now that climate action has rapidly moved to the top of the apparel industry's agenda, it is crucial that the industry moves from intention to action - and fast. The latest analysis indicates what we need to do, but the 1 trillion dollar question is how much capital will be required to do it. Enter the Apparel Impact Institute (AII) and Fashion for…

1
023. 4 Enterprises, 3 Kingdoms, 2 Families, 1 Farm 1:02:45

2+ y ago1:02:45

1:02:45

For the past decade, two families have settled on a rolling 120 acre property in Henry County, KY under the name “Valley Spirit Farm”. Together the the Fiechters and Monroes have partnered in the care of the land, and the building of a business that sustains their way of life. In this conversation we discuss their unique partnership, the ways they’…

1
022 Farm Marketing with Ginger Shields 41:43

3y ago41:43

41:43

Ginger shields of Pastured Life Farm joined me to discuss her extensive knowledge and experience in farm marketing. Ginger's Links: pasturedlifefarm.com Pastured Life Farm (facebook.com) instagram.com/pasturedlifefarms APPPA.org My Links: grocefamilyfarm.com info@grocefamilyfarm instagram.com/grocefamilyfarm…

1
21. Ginger Shields on our farms' most important product: future adult humans 39:37

3y ago39:37

39:37

When done thoughtfully, farms can provide a great context for raising kids; especially when education is seen as life-long, and as wide as the real world around us. Dave and Ginger rely on their children to run their successful farm business with them. And they rely on their farm to provide the context for learning about the world around them: how …

1
20. Joelle Wood: Striking out on your own: growing, marketing, processing, and skilling up. 1:24:10

3y ago1:24:10

1:24:10

I talked to Joelle Wood about her path towards guiding her farm as she took on a lot in 2020, feeding her community and seizing on great opportunities to grow her farm; all while holding to her aspirational values. https://www.theoldfashionedfarmstead.com/ The Old Fashioned Farmstead (@theoldfashionedfarmstead) • Instagram photos and videos My Link…

1
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Fashion is endangering our forests. A new report from Canopy weighs in on what we need to do about it. 1:11:53

3+ y ago1:11:53

1:11:53

Forests play a crucial role in promoting biodiversity, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and supporting livelihoods, especially in poorer countries. But because wood is the basis for so many of our products, the pressure to exploit forests, usually in unsustainable ways, continues to increase. What does this have to do with the fashion in…

1
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Are the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the HIGG tools making a meaningful difference? A new report weighs in. 53:26

3+ y ago53:26

53:26

It's been nearly a decade since Patagonia, Walmart and a number of other brands, retailers, manufacturers and NGOs established the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an innovative industry collaboration. As the coalition's website states, its vision is "an apparel, footwear, and textiles industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm an…

1
DEBATE: Part 2 - A proposed Swedish chemical tax on textiles - is this a case study in great government leadership or political greenwash? 52:10

3+ y ago52:10

52:10

Sweden has a reputation for being a sustainability leader in many areas, so you can imagine how curious we were to learn about a newish proposal from the current Swedish government for a chemical tax on textiles. The proposal was recently made available to stakeholders for comment, and of course, a robust debate has ensued. Is this proposal, as pre…

1
019 The Post-Permaculture Pig Farmer -Cliff Davis 1:40:12

3+ y ago1:40:12

1:40:12

Cliff Davis spent much of his adult life, and became known across the region as a permaculture educator, helping people learn how to apply ecological literacy and system thinking to their footprint on the land. But in this episode we talk about his new act: farming and breeding pigs, and selling food to his community in central Tennessee. This epis…

1
DEBATE: Part 1 - A proposed Swedish chemical tax on textiles - is this a case study in great government leadership or political greenwash? 1:19:55

3+ y ago1:19:55

1:19:55

Sweden has a reputation for being a sustainability leader in many areas, so you can imagine how curious we were to learn about a newish proposal from the current Swedish government for a chemical tax on textiles. The proposal was recently made available to stakeholders for comment, and of course, a robust debate has ensued. Is this proposal, as pre…

1
18 A Farmer, A Butcher, and A USDA Compliance Officer walk into a bar... 58:36

3+ y ago58:36

58:36

After Jesse sharing about their business and sales models on episode 17, Matthew joins the conversation to share more about the ins and outs of their operation; but especially hiring and managing employees, and navigating USDA inspected slaughter and processing with both poultry and mammals. They are doing a lot, and quite impressively so. See the …

1
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Sustainable investment expert Sasja Beslik thinks the fashion industry is a very poor performer and possibly a stranded asset. 56:59

3+ y ago56:59

56:59

Sasja Beslik, Head of Sustainable Finance Development at J Safra Sarasin, fled Bosnia when he was 18 to escape the war. He ended up in Sweden and today spends his time leveraging the power of the financial sector to improve the world. He is particularly interested in the fashion industry's impact on people and has recently attracted attention for h…

1
17 Growing/Processing/Selling/Staffing a farm with Jesie Lawrence 39:33

3+ y ago39:33

39:33

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jesie and Matthew Lawrence about the many sides of their diverse business, including farming, marketing, selling, and processing on a growing farm. In this episode Jesie helped me wrap my brain around all they do, their infrastructure, staff, and the ways they get their products to their customers. Check them out…

1
MAKE YOUR CASE: Phil Patterson believes the way we use chemicals in the textiles industry is broken and here is his plan to change it! 26:32

3+ y ago26:32

26:32

Phil Patterson, Managing Director at Colour Connections, has been working at the intersection between the textile industry and influential retail brands for over twenty years, and after some recent soul-searching he had an epiphany. He has come to the conclusion that the current way we use and dispose of chemicals is extremely wasteful and will not…

1
016 Mid-Season Check up! 54:28

3+ y ago54:28

54:28

I asked some of our past guests to share their answers to seven questions, so that we could hear some unique perspectives on how different farms and farmers across the country are faring during the wild year that is 2020. Joe Koopsen, Jordan Green, and Ben Grimes all shared their answers to the following questions: 1. What kind of changes came in M…

1
FACT OR FICTION: Alden Wicker and Sandra Roos think the fashion industry has a misinformation problem... do you agree? 40:41

3+ y ago40:41

40:41

In this episode we continue to explore the most commonly repeated "factoids" in fashion and sustainability in order to determine whether they are substantive and useful. As a reminder, a "factoid" is information that is reported and repeated so often that it becomes accepted as fact. During Stockholm Fashion Week, Mike spoke with Alden Wicker, free…

1
015 Marketing, Distribution, and Partnerships for Efficient and Successful Farm Business with Curtis Brown 1:17:49

3+ y ago1:17:49

1:17:49

Curtis Brown is back for part two of our interview, where we talk all about how he has, and will continue to, get his meat into his customers' hands. We talk CSA logistics, marketing ideas, and streamlining through a cooperative distribution network. Curtis and Ashley's Links: foodethosfarm.com instagram.com/foodethosfarm facebook.com/foodethosfarm…

1
014 Regenerating the Northern Plains with Curtis Brown 1:09:14

3+ y ago1:09:14

1:09:14

Curtis and Ashley started out, like me, raising vegetables on a small plot about a decade ago. Now they are regenerating a large section of prairie, selling Meat CSA's, and taking names. In this first episode of a two-part series, Curtis and I discuss their farm, its history and his history on it: as well as his pig operation and marketing strategy…

1
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Femke Groothuis argues that tax reform is the best way to transform the apparel industry at the scale and pace required. 50:27

4y ago50:27

50:27

You've heard it before: The global environmental challenges we face are daunting and time sensitive. If we want to avoid catastrophic tipping points, we need to move quickly and ambitiously. If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we need to invest trillions of dollars. And so we scratch our heads and wonder if the actions we…

1
LEADING CHANGE: What can a new psychology of climate action teach us about being better change agents? 54:30

4y ago54:30

54:30

As a listener of Big Closets Small Planet, you are likely interested and engaged in changing the apparel industry. So for those of you who are keen to strengthen your change agent skills, we are introducing a new segment called Leading Change. In this first episode we are joined by Per Espen Stoknes who is that rare combination of thinker and doer.…

1
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Circular business models, like clothing resale and subscription rental, are taking off - but can they ever fully replace today's retail models and deliver the radical sustainability improvements ... 56:22

4y ago56:22

56:22

Experts and practitioners agree that simply improving upon today's take-make-waste linear business models will not ensure the apparel industry can operate within the planet's ecological boundaries. Instead, a new circular economy is needed and thus new circular business models. Circular business models, like resale and rental, are not actually new.…

1
013 Changing times, changing farms 57:21

4y ago57:21

57:21

An episode recoded in April of 2020 on how Charlie and his wife Kerissa are adapting and growing into the Covid 19 pandemic. Thanks to Charlie for this wide-ranging discussion touching on all aspects of his farm and business. https://coveyrisefarmsohio.com/

1
012.5 An Update from Ramble Creek 14:14

4y ago14:14

14:14

All about how Covid 19 has affected Ramble Creek Farm since we recorded Josh's episode.By Luke Groce, Josh CArnes

1
FACT OR FICTION: Does the apparel industry really create more greenhouse gases than flights and shipping combined? 33:40

4y ago33:40

33:40

In this new segment we will explore commonly repeated "factoids" in order to determine whether they are substantive and useful. Perhaps you have heard the statement that the production and use of clothing creates more climate impact than that of flights and shipping combined? A range of organisations - including the United Nations - have referred t…

1
INDUSTRY UPDATE: COVID-19 - Are millions of workers at risk? Will Bangladesh ever be the same? 43:02

4y ago43:02

43:02

The impacts of the corona virus on the apparel sector have been fast and furious. We are all affected, but millions of low-wage garment workers are facing a potentially catastrophic situation. In this episode we talk to a number of experts and union representatives to better understand what is happening on the ground, what responsibility buyers hav…

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Is digital clothing the future of fashion and a solution to overconsumption? 31:02

4y ago31:02

31:02

The Fabricant, a digital fashion house, recently sold a piece of digital clothing - clothing that is only available in digital environments - for over 9000 USD. This experience helped them realise that their expertise in 3-d digital modelling could be used for a better purpose: creating a new industry sector for digital only clothing which is very …

1
012 Going all-in! Taking over, scaling up, and selling to The Big City: Josh Carnes of Ramble Creek Farm 1:16:06

4y ago1:16:06

1:16:06

Many first generation farmers start on family land, or from scratch in their home region, making a go of it nearby to, and selling into their own community. Well Josh started Ramble Creek Farm by moving across the country, purchasing an existing farm with infrastructure and market access, and built his business quickly from there. We get into a div…

1
011 Delivering the Goods in a Crisis: Mark Brady of Timberfeast 53:38

4y ago53:38

53:38

Mark Brady and I discuss the ins and outs of what our farms are doing to cope and thrive in these trying times, when it seems like everything is changing. The final answers to all the problems aren't here. But real-time problem solving and thinking is! Timberfeast.com Find me here: Grocefamilyfarm.com info@grocefamilyfarm.com…

1
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Pioneering analysis estimates 300 billion USD is needed by 2030... 54:58

4y ago54:58

54:58

...to develop and mainstream the sustainable apparel innovations required to meet key sustainability goals for the apparel industry. Listeners of this podcast series are familiar with our on-going focus on the crucial role finance and investment plays in enabling industry transformation. For the past two years SFA and Fashion for Good have been con…

1
010 Covid Cast: What happened, why, and what will happen to our farm businesses, industry, customers, and plans? 21:58

4y ago21:58

21:58

3/23/20: A journal of what happened in the past two weeks: How our farm is adapting, capitalizing on opportunity, feeding our community, and looking towards the future to try to make wise choices about how to make sure we can keep on farming and meeting the needs of our community now and into the future.…

1
009 Pastured Poultry's Young Gun: Joe Koopsen of Joe's Farm 59:49

4y ago59:49

59:49

Joe Koopsen has been farming since the age of 15 in Southern Michigan. His egg and broiler business have taken off in the decade since -and now he supports a young family through the production of broilers, eggs, brooded broiler chicks, and turkeys. In this episode we discuss his path into the wholesale markets, his brooder and broiler setup, his u…

1
MAKE YOUR CASE: Lewis Perkins warns the industry not to reinvent the wheel 11:41

4y ago11:41

11:41

In this new segment - Make Your Case - Big Closets Small Planet provides industry experts and stakeholders a platform to argue for a particular position or perspective. In this episode, Lewis Perkins, President of the Apparel Impact Institute (AII), outlines his organisation’s vision and advice for accelerating change in the apparel industry. He ma…

1
008 Bonus: Nerding out about a time before time with Peter Allen 28:58

4y ago28:58

28:58

By Lukre Groce, Peter Allen

1
007 The business of being a regenerative keystone species: Peter Allen of Mastodon Valley Farm 1:09:15

4y ago1:09:15

1:09:15

By Luke Groce Peter Allen

1
006 Pastured Poultry Farming AND Processing and Business with Ben Grimes 1:16:45

4y ago1:16:45

1:16:45

By Luke Groce, Ben Grimes

1
005 Nick Stolberg: Pasture Farming in Haiti on a mission 29:15

4y ago29:15

29:15

By Luke Groce and Nick Stolberg

1
004 Re-cAPPPA with Ben Grimes 51:49

4y ago51:49

51:49

By Luke Groce Ben Grimes

1
003 Jordan Green 1:14:11

4y ago1:14:11

1:14:11

By Luke Groce Jordan Green

1
002 Dave Shields of Pastured Life Farm 1:25:54

4y ago1:25:54

1:25:54

By Luke Groce and Dave Shields

1
001 Welcome to the Pasture Raised Podcast 6:10

4y ago6:10

6:10

By Luke Groce

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Will molecular bonding of fibers mean the end of polyester? 9:30

4+ y ago9:30

9:30

Here is a quick dose of inspiration! At Planet Textiles, Mike spoke to Spencer Null about Natural Fiber Welding's breakthrough solution: enabling natural fibers like cotton to behave like polyester. Is this a game changer? It is if it means poor quality fibers can be upgraded to premium fibers... Listen to this bite size pod to get a quick lesson o…

1
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: The optimist CEO of Lenzing, Stefan Doboczky, weighs in on circular business models, short-termism & watchdogs. 43:22

4+ y ago43:22

43:22

Do you ever wonder how CEOs from some of our industry's most influential companies view the big social and environmental challenges we are facing today and the potential of business and innovation to adequately address these? TENCEL is a sponsor of this podcast series, so Michael took the chance and invited Lenzing's CEO Stefan Doboczky to discuss …

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Can a simple phone call make invisible workers visible? 13:34

4+ y ago13:34

13:34

Dr. Lea Esterhuizen, an expert in gathering sensitive data from scared populations, believes we are unwittingly eating and wearing products that have likely been made or assembled using forced labor. Typically the apparel industry has used the "social audit" to address this problem. But social audits provide an incomplete picture of the situation. …

1
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Finance & Innovation - Today’s financing models don’t cut it. We need new approaches that are structured in a way to help reduce risk for all parties involved. 47:03

4+ y ago47:03

47:03

Mike had the unique opportunity to sit down with an impact investor and a vertical manufacturer to share their real world views on what it takes to accelerate the uptake of sustainable apparel technologies in the apparel supply chain. Tanvi Karambelkar, representing the newly launched Good Fashion Fund, introduces the fund’s pioneering approach for…

1
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Sound the alarm? Or have we overestimated the problems associated with microfibers & microplastics?!? 46:08

4+ y ago46:08

46:08

Between 2014 and 2016, an increasing number of journalists began reporting on disturbing new research showing that microfibers from synthetic garments were making their way from our washing machines into fish and other aquatic animals. Since then the textile industry has been scrambling to understand the extent of the problem and what our industry …

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: The robots are coming! This development may be good for the environment, but is this the beginning of the end for garment workers in production countries? 17:43

4+ y ago17:43

17:43

The United States Military is required to make their clothing in the United States. But because very little clothing is produced in the United States today, the U.S. Military needed to find alternative solutions. Enter Pete Santora, who launched SoftWear Automation 13 years ago to respond to this challenge. Today his technology, which automates sew…

1
INDUSTRY UPDATE: A Sexy Update on the State of Chemical Management in Textiles Today. "As consumers, we've probably never been safer. As citizens, we have probably never been more unsafe..." 56:09

4+ y ago56:09

56:09

At Planet Textiles, Mike Schragger spoke with two of his favorite chemical and textiles experts, Phil Patterson and Linda Greer, about the state of the industry regarding chemical management in textiles today. If this does not sound sexy to you, then you don't know Phil and Linda! In addition to getting a primer on chemical history and good and bad…

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Subcritical water… what the “!#@%” is that? And what can it do for the apparel industry? 14:21

5y ago14:21

14:21

The founders of Tyton BioSciences are not personally interested in fashion, but that won’t stop them from using subcritical water to help solve the current textile-recycling conundrum. Mike Schragger talks to Luke Henning, CFO of Tyton, about their unique process for separating cellulose from polyester in blended materials. This podcast is sponsore…

1
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Apparel industry = waste. 34:29

5y ago34:29

34:29

Nearly 6 million tons of leftover textiles - the equivalent 18 million new clothes - are wasted in South East Asia and China alone. If we could remanufacture these textiles and reuse them, or ensure we only produce what we need when we need it, we may be able to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of clothing production and support the t…

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