Materra

🌿 Sustainable Fashion: Investment Opportunity or Overhyped Myth? Join us for an exclusive Saxo Bank webinar exploring whether sustainable fashion is truly transforming the market or if it’s just another buzzword. This is a must-attend event for investors looking to understand the financial impact and potential ROI of sustainability in the fashion industry. 💡 Why You Should Tune In: ➡️SPOT TRENDS EARLY: Get the latest insights on the growth and profitability of sustainable fashion. ➡️REAL CASE STUDIES: Discover how heritage luxury brands are adopting innovation and what it means for their market performance. ➡️RISK VS. REWARD: Navigate the challenges and criticisms facing the sector to make informed investment decisions. ➡️ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS: Learn practical tips to evaluate sustainable investments and position your portfolio for success. 🎙️ Featuring Insights From: ➡️ Irene Maffini, Strategic Investor & Board Advisor to Fashion Companies ➡️ Davide Triacca, Sustainability Director at FERRAGAMO ➡️ Edward Brial, Co-founder & CEO of Materra ➡️Moderated by Ida Johannesen, Head of Commercial ESG at Saxo Bank 📅 Date: Wednesday, November 6th 🕒 Time: 13:00 (CET) 🔗 Register Now: https://lnkd.in/dpGJvDGR Sustainability is more than a trend—it’s shaping the future of fashion and investment. Don’t miss the chance to gain a competitive edge in this evolving market. Register today and join the conversation! #SustainableInvestment #SaxoBank #FashionFinance #FutureOfFashion #ESGInvesting #LuxuryInvestments #Innovation

Myth:  “Using Non-GM seeds automatically grants farmers more sovereignty and control” 🫳🌱 With GMOs increasing the power of agribusinesses over farmer knowledge, ethical fashion’s response has been to promote the use of non-GM seeds. While many farmers seek to avoid chemicals, does their use really reflect greater autonomy? Simon Ferrigno of Cotton Diaries explains why this assumption is flawed. “It’s not an equal relationship,” he states, “standards requiring no GMOs were created without input from small farmers in the majority world”. So, while those advocating for non-GM may want the best for smallholder farmers, this does not mean that they are more in control. As Simon notes, the best way to uplift farmers’ voices is for them to “join in the policy mechanisms” making these decisions. That way, farmers can push for research towards a direction that places them at the heart of the process 💪 To read the full article by Cotton Diaries, head to the link in the comments 📰🔗 #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativecotton #sustainablefarming #sustainableagriculture #fashionisfarming 

Day 0 of Textile Exchange Conference. Shout outs to Debra Guo and Riccardo Pavesi for doing an amazing job of the #cotton round table today; 3 hours really flew! More TE content income this week on the Materra IG account as well so check is out on there as well if you don’t follow us already. #textileexchange2024 #cottonfutures #fashion

I spent the past two days with Materra, in Ahmedabad, India. Materra is one of our investment portfolio companies, and has developed a regenerative and hydroponic cotton farming process, alongside tracking farm-level data to enable transparency at a level not done before. I was blown away by the work being done here in India, a passionate team driving change for a healthier cotton future. They have 4300 farmers transitioning to regenerative practices, who have reduced tilling, and introduced intercropping with Okra, Maize, peas and Marigolds. With the farms we saw, regenerative farming has brought back microbes, mycelium, flora and fauna to the soil and surround, which, via robust testing has shown soil is back to what it was pre the use of pesticides and industrial processes.  The plants are healthier, resulting in more cotton bolls for farmers to sell—a win-win! Healthy soils store carbon and retain moisture, making cotton growing more climate-resilient. With the stems, they are developing biochar. They have thought of every detail and track every step. We met proud farmers who are inspiring their peers to join the movement. Onwards and upwards, Materra team; proud to be working with you. Thanks Materra team Edward Brial John Bertolaso Kuldeep Khatri and so many more! Thanks Avik Banerjee (H&M production) #materra #regenerativefarming #hmgroup #impactinvesting

What does a Materra field executive get up to? 🌱🔎 Our Head of Agronomy Suman Singh interviewed two of our female FEs, Pushpa and Parul, to learn more about their field work, their thoughts on implementing #regen and what advice they have for women in their career. “The work you do, do it with honesty!”, Pushpa says, “And keep putting effort into your work, for that will truly drive change.” We’re proud of these two FEs’ commitment to assisting farmers, and know that they’re a great example to other women wanting to work in agriculture 💚 #womeninagriculture #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #sustainablefarming #sustainableagriculture

We are delighted to introduce Rory Hugill as our Senior Business Development Manager 🤝🚀 Rory has worked in the #sustainable fashion space for over six years, starting his career at Fashion for Good in Amsterdam where he assisted global brands in refining their innovation and sustainability strategies. He has also helped promising start-ups in the fashion industry navigate their impact and commercialization journeys. More recently, Rory worked in the materials-science lifestyle brand PANGAIA, where he managed the Responsible Innovation pipeline and supported the transformation of concepts into products. At Materra, he will be spearheading brand partnerships and business development efforts, with a focus on building long-lasting collaborations which scale regenerative cotton systems across the industry. Fun Fact: Before diving into his sustainable fashion career, Rory was an avid sneakerhead, collecting over 50 pairs of sneakers! 👟

Shameless photoshoot with the team as always such great vibes when I'm at the Materra HQ in Ahmedabad. I end up spending a lot of time in India on field trips so stoked to be able to hang out with our Data and Ops Teams who keep the business running for our field team and farmers for a few days. So proud of all these amazing people 💪💪💪

Myth: “Small-scale farmers don’t know how to regenerate” 🧑🌾💡 In celebration of World Cotton Day, we have partnered with global collective Cotton Diaries to debunk one pervasive misconception about small-holder farmers: that they lack the ability to practise regenerative agriculture. The last few decades have seen wide-scale damage to ecosystems, as competition and powerful interests continue to drive intensive farming practices. This is why there is a need for “regeneration” as a whole, reducing damage and disruption while repairing the land as much as possible. Firstly, farmers throughout history have ALWAYS adapted and regenerated, whether it is according to the availability of resources, changing weather patterns or new community needs. It is what farmers have always done, and why science needs to talk to farmers. Small-scale farmers also draw on a wealth of traditional and ancestral knowledge, helping to enhance the success of sustainable projects. There are many indigenous practices, including mixed cropping and the planting of crops which attract the natural enemies of pests, that demonstrate these farmers’ ability to “heal” our ecosystems. So, next time you encounter new/old solutions like regen, it is important to consider the power that small farmers have! If you are eager to learn more, please head to the link in the comments to read the full article by sustainability writer and researcher, Simon Ferrigno 💚🔗 #worldcottonday #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativecotton #sustainablefarming #sustainableagriculture #fashionisfarming

We are thrilled to welcome Pooja Shah as our new Senior Financial Analyst 🌿📊 With 6 years of experience in the field of finance, she has previously worked in equity research and crypto before finding her niche in sustainable investing. In her spare time, she is a freelance finance and business writer, breaking down complex financial terms to make sure that finance is accessible to all. After completing her MBA at the ESCP Business School, she has joined Materra to pursue a career at the intersection of finance and sustainability. She believes we can fight climate change through the help of our investments, as well as the way we navigate capital towards carbon positive projects 💚 Fun Fact: Pooja runs a side hustle called Rolling Dice - A board game rental service in Mumbai!

A proud moment for Materra! We are thrilled to announce that we have been named a 2024 #BE100 company by Blue Earth Summit, alongside some incredible, planet-positive businesses 🌍✨ This acknowledgement recognises our role in driving system change in our industry, building solutions through our farmer-first regen programme. #sustainability #climateaction #fashionisfarming