How Regenerative Agriculture Can Change the World – Guayakí’s Search for an Impact and Regeneration Director

Studies estimate that regenerative agriculture could sequester several gigatonnes of carbon per year. This could be an essential piece of the puzzle on the journey to carbon neutrality.

Despite its long history, the potential of regenerative agriculture has recently been touted by researchers, corporations, governments, and nonprofits as the key to sustainable food production. By producing healthier soils and sequestering atmospheric carbon, regenerative agriculture has the potential to reverse the damage of climate change and replenish the land, in addition to the resulting economic and social benefits for farmers and communities. agricultural.

Guayakí Yerba Mate (Guayakí) is considered a leader in regenerative agricultural practices within the food and beverage industry. 26 years old and a founding member of B Corporation (a B-Corp business is purpose-driven and meets social, sustainability and environmental performance), Guayakí’s reputation speaks for itself. When Acre partnered with Guayakí to search for its next Director of Impact and Regeneration, we were determined to find someone to continue the incredible impact this company has created.

What does an Impact and Regeneration Director do?

Guayakí began working with Acre in the summer of 2022, looking for its next Director of Impact and Regeneration. Yerba mate is a caffeinated herbal drink traditionally consumed in South America, where mate is still found. In operations like this, there are many issues that can compromise sustainability: environmental degradation, violation and exploitation of human rights, labor inequities, and issues related to indigenous rights and land use. .

While the term “regenerative agriculture” is apparently a buzzword reflecting society’s growing interest in sustainable agricultural systems, many agricultural practices and methodologies such as intercropping, permaculture and agroforestry have first used by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples. Guayakí strives to promote respect and awareness of this for its customers.

One of Guayakí’s main ambitions is to continue its market-oriented regeneration, a model developed when the company was founded. By working with small-scale farmers and indigenous communities to source mate, they continue to foster economic prosperity and a strong culture of agriculture and mate for future generations. This includes providing farmers with a living wage and educational opportunities for their families, as well as providing tools and training on topics such as crop rotation and soil nutrition. In 2021, Guayakí was able to donate $146,500 to foundations supporting these communities.

The impact on Guayakí is not just to alleviate problems, but to drive innovation and ensure continuous improvement while tackling problems head-on. Guayakí needed a motivated and conscientious professional with a working knowledge of environmental and social issues, as well as solutions, to help design a long-term strategy. Reporting to Navine Karim – Chief Impact Officer and General Counsel of Guayakí – and working cross-functionally with manufacturing, supply chain and communications, the director would focus on increasing operational efficiencies to reduce programs while building Guayakí’s partnerships and social impact capabilities.

Acre’s Expertise in Finding Sustainability Professionals

With nearly 20 years of experience finding top-notch sustainability professionals across all industries, Acre has both the knowledge and the network to advise and find the right person for any role. Similar roles we have worked on over the past year include Director of Responsible Sourcing for Children’s Place, Chief Sustainability Officer for Chewy and Vice President of Sustainability for Fresh.

Catherine Harris, US Director of Sustainable Business, and research consultant Jenny Han Simon of Acre’s New York office have been tasked with fulfilling this role. Initial elements of Guayakí’s Director of Impact and Regeneration research included in-depth research on Guayakí’s operations and industry, the emerging importance of regenerative agriculture, and mapping qualified candidates suitable for the position. . This resulted in over 70 candidates, which Catherine and Jenny carefully vetted and shared with Guayakí’s story and ambition. Weekly calls between Navine, Catherine and Jenny were made to update on progress and recalibrate strategy and research, allowing a handful of candidates to go through Guayakí’s internal interview process with the support of the office of Acre in New York. Initial elements of the Guayakí Impact and Regeneration Director’s research included extensive research on Guayakí’s operations and industry, the emerging importance of regenerative agriculture, and mapping of qualified and suitable candidates.

“I had the pleasure of working with Catherine on a very important internship for the Impact & Regeneration team at Guayakí Yerba Mate, SPC in California. Catherine came highly recommended by one of our Boards of Directors and I immediately knew she would be the right person to help me find the perfect candidate to lead our impact and sustainability team.Catherine exhibited all the essential attributes of a great partner – she was professional, empathetic and knowledgeable; however, the most valuable skill she possessed, which I relied on heavily during the recruitment process, was her incredible judgment and acumen for understanding the needs of our organization and connecting our needs with the good people. She always put the interests of my organization first and I very much appreciated her singular focus in ensuring that I could find the right candidate to help me continue to build on Guayakí’s long history in as a leader in sustainability and regenerative business practices. – Navine Karim

Acre’s involvement doesn’t stop at the maintenance stage. We realize that every search is unique and often requires special touches. For Guayakí, in particular, both parties decided to monitor equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) metrics within the candidate pool and among shortlisted candidates. Data from our findings are used to add perspective on the sustainability industry as it continues to grow. This raises questions such as:

“Who is most likely to apply for this position and similar roles?”
“What kind of experience do most candidates have and what is their background?”
“What challenges do we see in increasing EDI and how can we overcome them?”

Acre and Guayakí are fully committed to EDI within their own organizations and throughout the sustainability industry. We know that a resume, cover letter, and even interviews don’t always reveal the full picture of a candidate’s soft skills for influencing stakeholders and driving an overall sustainability strategy.

Acre’s consulting service uses internal behavioral assessment methods and measures to create a more holistic view of a candidate’s leadership ability, preferred work styles, and areas of strength and development. Our finalists had the opportunity to take Acre’s behavioral assessment and have a 1-1 session with a member of the advisory team to review the results and add their own perspective, painting a picture wonderfully nuanced story of their journey and how it has shaped their skills and ambitions. The results also gave Navine an objective overview of each candidate’s strengths and the ability to better adapt to their transition to Guayakí.

Meet Guayakí’s New Impact and Regeneration Director—Jessica Rosen

From the first interaction with Jessica, Catherine and Jenny knew she was an outstanding candidate and a strong contender for the role. We are thrilled to have Jessica join Guayakí, and we are excited to see what she, Navine and the rest of the team will accomplish.

“I do not take this responsibility lightly and am deeply honored to have it entrusted to me by my peers, Navine Karim and the management team, board and founders of this special company. A big thank you to Catherine Harris And Jenny HanSimon for the most thorough and positive recruitment process I have ever experienced, and to all of my mentors and former teams for their support. -Jessica Rosen

Looking forward

Food production currently accounts for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, while agriculture is associated with almost a third of the world’s land use. Imagine the possibilities if more companies invested in regenerative farming practices and the right talent to drive them forward.

We look forward to working with other companies dedicated to sustainability like Guayakí, as well as candidates like Jessica, who inspire us all to create a more sustainable future. Please contact Catherine, Jenny or email [email protected] to partner with Acre.

About Acre

At Acre, we work with the most ambitious companies with the potential to bring about real change; from those just starting out to those well on their way to creating a legacy.

Our 18 years of experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to deliver talent solutions designed to bring about this change.

With our unique behavioral assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviors needed to create impact. We can also develop these qualities within your existing teams.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they have real impact in ambitious and progressive organisations.

Acre. Preparing businesses for tomorrow.