Eric Smith, Founder/CEO of Edacious and a pioneer in climate finance, shares his vast experience at the intersection of economics and nature. He discusses the challenges of valuing nature without commodifying it and emphasizes the importance of holistic investment strategies that support ecological preservation. Smith also delves into the complexities of regenerative agriculture, exploring the balance between economic growth and ecological values. He advocates for sustainable practices and the empowerment of producers within the food supply chain.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Forestry Background
Eric Smith's background in FSC forest certification frameworks informs his investment strategies.
He uses the same framework to assess if investments are sustainable and regenerative.
insights INSIGHT
Importance of Ground Truthing
Smith emphasizes the importance of on-the-ground experience for evaluating investments' impact on nature.
Intuition and asking questions help determine whether an investment truly benefits an ecosystem.
insights INSIGHT
Agriculture Optimization
Modern industrial farming methods clash with what nature truly desires.
A balance is needed, not uniform regenerative agriculture on every acre.
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How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures
Merlin Sheldrake
In 'Entangled Life,' Merlin Sheldrake delves into the fascinating world of fungi, discussing their roles in decomposition, fermentation, nutrient distribution, and the production of psilocybin. The book examines how fungi interact with plants and animals, including their ability to manipulate insect behavior and form vast underground networks known as the 'Wood Wide Web.' Sheldrake also explores the historical and modern uses of fungi, from food and medicine to their potential in environmental remediation. The book is both a scientific exploration and a personal account, challenging traditional concepts of intelligence and individuality and offering a new perspective on the interconnectedness of life.
Eric Smith has spent his career working at the intersection of economics and nature.
Most recently he was the director of the venture capital vehicle Neglected Climate Opportunities (NCO) at the Grantham Environmental Trust, where he co-led over 40 direct investments in start-ups across all stages that can remove carbon and GHG at scale.
He was previously with SJF Ventures and worked for BlackRock on climate finance, and currently is Founder/CEO of Edacious, a company working to differentiate food quality and connect the dots between soil and human health.
Eric is also a dear friend and someone with whom I often converse on our shared focus of investing on behalf of nature.
We were both in Mexico for a climate investing conference and caught up, beachside sand rolling in, on everything from:
His personal background in forestry and building certification frameworks around natural resource operations;
Working in Costa Rica on their Payment for Ecosystem Services model;
The tensions in regenerative agriculture and nature conservation;
Why he supports EO Wilson’s Half Earth theory;
If narrow metrics can ever be proxy enough for the complexity of a system;
The intrinsic vs economic values of nature;
Examples of start-ups and nature-serving businesses, and which ones are not suited for a venture capital model;
Lifeworlds 