Deep Seed

Have you heard about the Great Green Wall of Africa? We need more positive stories, more examples of the beautiful future we could create for humanity and the planet ❤️ This is one of them and it doesn't get talked about enough! Listen to my conversation with Patrick Worms on the Deep Seed podcast to learn more. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ If you are interested in supporting or donating to organisations actively working to make this beautiful project come to life, here is a selection: Global Environment Facility : Provides grants for land restoration and sustainable agriculture projects in the Sahel to support the Great Green Wall’s goals. SOS SAHEL International France: Focuses on community-based projects to combat desertification, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods in the Sahel. IUAF International Union for Agroforestry: Promotes agroforestry practices to increase biodiversity, regenerate degraded lands, and support local farmers in the Great Green Wall region. Justdiggit : Specializes in regreening and water conservation techniques to restore degraded lands in Africa, particularly in the Sahel. Sahel Eco : Works to empower local communities with natural regeneration and sustainable agroforestry to combat land degradation in Mali. Tree Aid: Supports local communities in the Sahel with tree planting and agroforestry projects to boost resilience and food security. CIFOR - Center for International Forestry Research - CIFOR-ICRAF : Conducts scientific research and community-driven projects to promote sustainable land use and forest restoration in the Sahel. Reforest'Action : A social enterprise that engages in reforestation projects to restore biodiversity and combat desertification in the Great Green Wall area. WeForest : Focuses on forest landscape restoration in countries like Ethiopia and Senegal, contributing to the broader goals of the Great Green Wall. With love, Raphael Esterhazy

What if the walls of your next building could store carbon, reduce emissions, and be 100% recyclable? That’s exactly what Earth Plus and Elena Doms are doing with their hemp-based sandwich panels! 💡 What are they? These panels are made from hemp wood on the outside and mycelium-based insulation on the inside. They’re stronger than traditional wood, fully circular, and grow in just 4 months! 🌿 The benefits? These hemp-based panels are carbon negative, capturing CO2 and making construction a part of the climate solution. They also generate zero waste—at the end of their life, they’re fully repurposed or recycled, leaving nothing behind. This innovation makes sense on so many levels, and I just love it 😍 ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Listen to the full episode of the Deep Seed podcast with Elena Doms to learn more about the amazing potential of hemp as a climate solution… and much more!

🌱 Hemp is truly amazing! And here’s why… In my latest episode with Elena Doms, we dive into how hemp is being used not just for regenerative agriculture, but also to clean up toxic chemicals like PFAs (Forever Chemicals) from our soils! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Planting Hemp: Industrial hemp acts like a “giant pump,” absorbing PFAs from contaminated soils and storing them in its leaves. It grows super fast—up to 4 meters in just 4 months! 2️⃣ Processing the Leaves: Once hemp does its magic, the leaves—where the chemicals concentrate—are processed at high temperatures to destroy these pollutants. 3️⃣ Circular Products: The stems (they're fully clean from chemicals) are then used to create bio-based construction materials— both regenerative and circular! And did you know? 🤔 Hemp also: • Boosts soil health by breaking up compacted soil and improving fertility. • Sequesters carbon by locking away CO2 for decades. • Supports a circular economy by being 100% usable from seeds to fibers! 🌿 To learn more, listen to my conversation with Elena on the latest Deep Seed podcast episode ! (link in comments below)

Forever Chemicals (PFAS) are all around us: in our clothes, food packaging, cleaning products, cosmetics, and even electronics like laptops and phones. The problem is… These chemicals spread into every part of our environment—contaminating soils, water, the food we eat, and eventually, our bodies. 😵 Once in our system, PFAS are linked to a range of serious health issues, including cancer, liver damage, immune system suppression, and developmental problems. This is obviously a massive problem that requires action. There are two critical steps to address it: 1️⃣ Close the tap: Make PFAS illegal to produce and use! Sounds simple, right? So why hasn’t it happened yet? Unfortunately, it’s the usual story: corporations that profit from using these harmful chemicals are actively lobbying to prevent meaningful regulations from being enacted. Let’s be clear, this isn’t just unethical—it’s criminal. Thankfully, organizations like the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), and ChemSec are pushing back! The EU is currently negotiating a comprehensive ban under the REACH regulation, with a decision expected in 2025. We need to send a strong message that living in a toxic environment is not acceptable! 2️⃣ Clean up the mess: This is where leaders like Elena Doms and her team at Earth Plus+ come in. They’re proving that it’s possible to clean up PFAS and regenerate polluted soils using nature-based solutions like hemp cultivation—a powerful and inspiring approach. I strongly recommend checking out my conversation with Elena in the latest Deep Seed episode! (link in the comments below) Much love 🧡 Raphael Esterhazy

New Episode 🌿 Elena Doms, co-founder of Earth Plus , shares how she’s using hemp to clean up Forever Chemicals (PFAs) from the environment while creating bio-based construction materials that are regenerative and carbon negative. I loved talking to Elena, she incredibly inspiring! This is a must-listen if you care about the future of agriculture, the environment, and innovative solutions to clean up our planet ❤️ My key takeaways: 🫧 Cleaning PFAs: hemp absorbs Forever Chemicals in the soils and brings it to its leaves. The leaves can then be processed at high temperature to destroy these chemicals. 🌱 Regenerating Soils: hemp has deep roots and is great at breaking up compaction, soaking up moisture, improving soil structure and increasing fertility! 🏗 Eco-products: harvested hemp can be used to create a wide range of eco-friendly products: building materials, textiles, paper, biochar, superfoods and more! 🔄 Carbon sequestration: Hemp doesn’t just clean soils—it locks carbon away for hundreds of years, helping combat climate change while regenerating land. Special mention to the people and organisations mentioned in this episode: Erik De Bruyn - Frederik Verstraete - C-biotech - Alfonso Chico de Guzman - Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe - Boyan Slat - Rich Stockdale PhD and everyone working on amazing solutions to regenerate our planet ❤️ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ This episode was made possible thanks to Soil Capital, a company supporting #regenerativeagriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health and enhance climate resilience. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Help this podcast grow in just a few clicks: 1️⃣ Follow Deep Seed for more inspiring stories 2️⃣ Leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform 🌟 Your support means the world! 💚 Raphael Esterhazy

In this short clip, Patrick Worms shares an eye-opening truth: the health of our ecosystems is deeply intertwined with the actions and relationships of the people who inhabit them. It’s not just about trees, elephants, or wildlife. It’s about the connection between people and the natural world—especially the soil that sustains us all. 👉 Check out the full episode, I promise it will be worth your time! (link in the comments)

Another episode with a brilliant guest coming out tomorrow on the Deep Seed podcast 😍 Elena Doms works on cleaning up soils from forever chemicals and regenerating degraded land using nature-based solutions. One of the key solutions her company Earth Plus is using is hemp. Indeed, hemp is an amazing crop with so many benefits for soil health, carbon sequestration and phytoremediation and can be used to create a wide range of bio-materials and products. Don't miss out on this enlightening episode! Follow the Deep Seed to stay tuned 🌿

A holistic grazing success story 🇿🇲🐄 from Zambia! What they did was simple yet powerful: the villagers pooled their cows into a communal herd, managed by professional herders. Using holistic grazing, they moved the herd daily with electric fences, ensuring no spot was grazed more than once a year. The results? Kids are back in school, the cows are healthier, and the entire ecosystem around the village is lush and green again 🌿 This is just one of the incredible stories shared by Patrick Worms in the latest episode of the Deep Seed podcast. 🎙️ I promise, you’ll be inspired by what’s possible when farmers, ecosystems, and animals work together to regenerate the land. 🙌 Let’s spread the word about these game-changing agricultural approaches—tag someone who needs to hear this! ⎯⎯⎯⎯ Special mention to Rolf Shenton, behind this initiative in Zambia. And to other key players in the holistic grazing movement: Savory Institute - Peter Byck - Carbon Cowboys - Allan Savory - CIFOR-ICRAF - Regeneration International - Kiss The Ground - FAO #holisticgrazing #regenerativegrazing #regenerativeagriculture #agroecology #agroforestry #zambia

"You must feed the world" is the biggest lie farmers are being told. According to Patrick Worms, a farmer’s first responsibility isn’t to feed the world—it’s to run a sustainable and profitable business. While higher yields may seem beneficial, reducing costs can be just as crucial for maintaining a farm’s profitability. So why are we so obsessed with the idea of producing more? Because that's the narrative pushed by large agricultural companies: they encourage farmers to buy new, expensive products by telling them they must produce more to “feed the world.” It's very profitable for them 💸 Lower inputs, less machinery, healthy soils, resilient ecosystems,... not so much 🥲 ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ I had an wonderful conversation with Patrick on the latest Deep Seed podcast episode 🎧 Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed! Much love, Raphael Esterhazy

4 benefits of adding trees 🌳 to farming ecosystems... 1. Weather Resilience: Trees are like nature’s buffer against extreme weather. 🌦️ They help protect crops and livestock from drought by keeping the soil moist and buffering against storms. Ever notice how, after a few weeks of drought, the landscape turns yellow—but the areas around trees stay green? That’s trees in action! 2. Soil Health: Trees have deep roots that can access nutrients regular crops can’t. 🍂 When their leaves fall and decompose, they return these nutrients to the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer. This cuts down the need for synthetic fertilizers (saving money and reducing environmental impact!). 3. Pest Control: By adding trees to farmland, you naturally invite more biodiversity. Birds love trees, and many birds love eating crop pests. 🐦 This means fewer pesticides needed and a more balanced ecosystem. 4. Economic Value: Whether it’s timber, fruit, or other tree products, they provide long-term economic benefits. 🌰 Plus, integrating trees helps keep farm productivity stable, even in the face of climate change. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ If you want to brighten up your day and feel inspired, listen to my conversation with Patrick Worms in the latest Deep Seed episode 😍 Much love, Raphael Esterhazy