Jim Phillipson: From Ownership to Stewardship

The RegenNarration Podcast

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Late last year, I arrived at a quandary. I’d been hearing about how inaccessible land ownership is for younger folk, and how investment capital is still relatively slow to come on board the incredible broad scale potential of regenerative agriculture (notwithstanding often great intent). And I’d been hearing how even long-term legends in regen ag are still expected to be saddled with enormous debt and rates of return (to say nothing of squeezed prices), while they also regenerate the majority of the national and global estate on our behalf. Clearly all untenable. So I began to wonder out loud, what if there’s something fundamentally misplaced with the current approach to attracting investment in regeneration?
When thinking this aloud, I got some nodding heads and an introduction to Jim Phillipson, former pro-cycling champ, businessman, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Rendere Trust and Biodiversity Legacy. Join us as at Jim’s place as we delve into the transformative concept of stewardship over traditional land ownership. Jim's been helping people transition land and capital into stewardship models of ownership for a while now, having started with his own. And yep, he was advised this would never work. Here he shares his story and insights on how reshaping land titles to reflect stewardship can align investments with regenerative agriculture, potentially tapping all sorts of potential quickly, and how a related ethos is manifesting across media, politics, and reconciliation with First Nations.
Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)
Recorded at Jim’s place, on regenerating land in Gippsland, Victoria (as a dust storm blew up from surrounding vegetable farms), 3 March 2024.
Title slide: Jim & Heather Phillipson with AJ.
See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from the film Regenerating Australia.
The RegenNarration playlist, featuring music chosen by guests (with thanks to podcast member Josie Symons).
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Chapters

1. Music, Preview, Introduction & Supporter Thanks (00:00:00)

2. How they started their first act of inter-generational land transfer (& how it works) (00:05:15)

3. Ned’s Forest - an incredible example of how this can work (00:15:15)

4. How to have investment capital flood into regen ag? (00:17:15)

5. A dust storm blows up - from surrounding vegetable farms! (00:25:15)

6. How do people defy conventional advice and make the move? (And Jim’s story) (00:30:15)

7. Embracing Independence and Environmental Philanthropy (00:33:54)

8. Spending down by 2030 (00:35:45)

9. Is this another moment like the ‘70s? (00:37:45)

10. Changing financial paradigm - transitioning to the Commons for Stewardship (00:41:15)

11. What’s stopping others? (00:44:15)

12. Stewardship title options (inc. First Nations access & transitions & community management of public lands) (00:45:15)

13. Why regen farmers are calling Jim now (00:47:15)

14. Measuring returns? (00:49:45)

15. Biodiversity & carbon credit programs? (00:50:55)

16. The Story Commons: apply the same structures to media? (00:53:15)

17. The Forest Dialogues: more deliberative process success stories (00:56:15)

18. The Community independents movement in Gippsland (01:00:15)

19. Inter-generational podcast idea (01:04:35)

20. Elders and Youth (01:06:33)

21. Write your own epitaph (01:09:45)

22. Music & Closing Words (01:10:35)