Materra

“Regenerative solutions are very much locally determined and there is no universal toolbox.” Ani Wells reminds us that farming systems vary across the world, and what constitutes as an appropriate regenerative practice in one context may not apply to another. Looking beyond specific solutions, regenerative at its heart is about maintaining vibrant ecosystems, strengthening communities, and supporting our planet’s future 💚 👉 Check out our latest collaboration with Cotton Diaries through the link in the comments! #regenerativeagriculture #sustainablefarming #fashionisfarming 

Sustainable farming is ready for AI to come solve some of its biggest challenges. 🌱 And we’re all for it at Materra, which is why I’m pretty excited to announce that we are part of the Regen Ag AI Accelerator Program, in collaboration with Bright Tide and EY. The program’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture (sounds familiar!) 🚀 Materra was selected as 1 of 5 ventures because of our ongoing work in bringing technology to smallholder regenerative agriculture to enhance transparency, resilience and compliance in fashion and farming. Over the coming months, we’ll be shaping up new AI-powered functionalities to help farmers and field staff in their day-to-day decision making - think tailored recommendations, diagnostics, training, etc. Our ultimate goal is to maximise regenerative outcomes, both social and environmental. As part of the program, we’ll be receiving mentorship from EY experts, building some valuable connections, and exhibiting at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London. HMU if you’re attending! 🤙 Special thanks to Harry Wright and Christopher Roll for making this happen, and a big shout out to the other innovators in the program: Farmerline Group, Pepea Capital, FLOX and GoMicro. #RegenerativeAgriculture #regeneration #futureproofcotton #cotton #AI #Sustainability #AgTech #AgriTech 

Meet Alexander Aina: the data wizard engineering a more #sustainable future at Materra 💭 With more to him than just code and climate impact, we asked him to answer a few questions for us so that we can better understand the mind behind the mission 🌱💻 - What is your go-to karaoke song? - My current go-to karaoke song is Riêng Một Góc Trời by Tuấn Ngọc. - Which superpower would you choose to have? - Teleportation, so I could pop into random stuff or at least leave events quickly! - You're stranded on an island. What are 3 things you would bring with you? - Swimming goggles, knee pads and an acoustic instrument–Maybe I’d learn violin while I’m stranded! - If you had to eat 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? - Green lentils with olive oil and salt & pepper. - Can you describe Materra in one word? - Materra is cute! 🎀 #fashionisfarming #qanda #gettoknowme

As an ardent advocate for nature conservation, our Head of Environmental Ethics Kuldeep Khatri believes birds are also a major indicator of a healthy ecosystem 🦜🌏 “With many bird species threatened by human activities,” he tells Materra, “I think people should have an ethical responsibility to protect them.” In this week’s edition of Birdwatching, we’ve put together a few different species Kuldeep has spotted across Gujarat these past few years: - Painted Stork: Extending from South Asia to South-East Asia, these larger waders live in wetlands where they feed off small fish. Sadly, their population has been decreasing and is considered near-threatened due to habitat loss and hunting. - Rose-Ringed Parakeet: This bird without borders is one parrot species well-adapted to changing conditions and urbanisation. They live in rainforests, wetlands, mangroves, savanna and even gardens. Plus, they can copy human speech! - Baya Weavers: These social creatures use paddy leaves, grass and plant fibres to build intricate nests. Fun Fact: Female baya weavers choose their partners depending on their ability to make safe and good-looking nests. If it’s not up to par, they start again or get ghosted! 📸 Photos by Kuldeep Khatri #environment #birdwatching #birdphotography #regenerativeagriculture #natureconservation #naturephotography

The secret’s out! We are excited to share our partnership with Cotton Diaries, a global collective of cotton experts, passionate about making cotton systems more resilient and just. As part of our collaboration over the next few months, we will publish three thought pieces from their team, on the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding regenerative cotton. Regenerative has become a buzzword, and along with it have come many different translations and understandings of what it encompasses and equates to, often through a very narrow lens. It’s crucial that we apply the term responsibly, recognizing that regen encompasses a variety of interconnected practices to achieve whole-systems health. The first article written by Ani Wells, unpacking whether regeneration is simply carbon sequestration or not, is already live on our site. Make sure to head to the link in our comments to learn more! 📰💚 #regenerativecotton #regenerativeagriculture #fashionisfarming #cottondiaries

“A regenerative approach,” says Mari Stuart, our Head of Regenerative Agriculture, “seeks to replenish and recycle resources instead of depleting them”. But which practices give rise to whole-system health, and what do they look like in the context of cotton farming? 🧑🌾🌾 While it’s important to avoid a checklist approach, our agronomy and field team have identified the kinds of practices that promote regeneration within our partner farmers’ fields: 🌱 Building soil organic matter and maintaining its overall health to ensure a productive landscape: When farmers maintain a diverse range of microorganisms while avoiding synthetic chemicals in their soil, they improve plants’ access to nutrients as well as the soil structure. 🌳 Encouraging diversity and moving away from monocultures: Practices such as intercropping, cover cropping and green manuring create a dynamic flow of energy and resources, enhancing their fields’ resilience towards disease or adverse weather. 🐝 Lastly, increasing biodiversity to maximise the mutually beneficial relationships between species: A living ecosystem full of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms flourishes better and keeps the whole system in balance, especially with the presence of insects that deter pests. To sum up: “It’s not that practices are not important,” Mari clarifies. “They are how we create farm-level regeneration. It’s just that regenerative agriculture should not be reduced to a checklist of practices alone, completely ignoring what the outcomes intended are.” Want to hear more? Head to the link in the comments to dive into an explanation of different regenerative practices  💚 #fashionisfarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenfarming

Can a mango tree plant the seeds for a better future? 🥭 We spoke to our regen farmer Yogendra Patel to learn more about a cool feature in the middle of his fields. Not far from his cotton plants, you will find a variety of fruit trees from papaya to mango. Yogendra explained to us how intercropping fruit trees improves overall soil health, as well as enhancing the biodiversity on his farm. “The plant’s roots will penetrate into the soil–making it free of disease,” he mentions. “It will invite insects and birds, who will destroy any pests!” 🙅♂️ #regenfarming #regenerativeagriculture #fashionisfarming #biodiversity

Today is August 1, AKA Earth Overshoot Day for 2024 🌏 But what is this event raising awareness for, and why does the date change every year? Earth Overshoot Day was launched by the Global Footprint Network to mark the approximate date in which humanity’s use of ecological resources has surpassed what our planet regenerates in one year. It’s a means of calculating our enormous over-consumption as a planet and highlighting the need for getting our act together. It basically means we’re borrowing from our future selves and from the next generations to keep up our current ways of living. Can regen play a role in reducing this pressure on our planet? YES. “By practising regenerative farming with our farmers at Materra,” Kuldeep explains, “We create more diverse ecosystems, reducing the pressure on natural habitats. This is one of the ways in which we can further delay Earth Overshoot Day.”  #earthovershootday #overshootday #movethedate

Keeping up with Kuldeep–and his favourite birds! 🐦 Our Head of Environmental Ethics is an avid bird-watcher, having photographed birds for almost 2 decades. On his weekly trips to meet our farmers, he always brings with him a camera, drone and binoculars to capture any exciting flocks. This week, we’re spotlighting three species which he has encountered: the Sarus Crane, the White-throated Kingfisher and the Indian Grey Hornbill ✨ The Sarus Crane is the world’s tallest flying bird, and can be found in wetlands in India as well as parts of Queensland, Australia. Although categorised as vulnerable by the IUCN, awareness campaigns and conservation initiatives have helped grow their numbers in the past few years. White-throated Kingfishers are small vocal birds found in plains across India. They frequent many of our farmers’ fields, and are capable of constructing nests in the dirt by digging tunnels in vertical soil layers. Finally, the Indian Grey Hornbill is a bird known as an “ecosystem engineer”, as it disperses seeds for Fern, Fig and Sandalwood trees. Their diet consists mostly of fruits, hence why our Master Farmer Ghanshyambhai Solanki often catches them munching on the 21 orchard species he grows 💚 Which of Kuldeep’s photos is your favourite? 📸 #fashionisfarming #birdwatchingindia #regenfarming

“We focus on advocacy, education, and handholding throughout the supply chain.” Our CSO and co-founder Edward Hill recently sat down with Fibre2Fashion to discuss approaches to regenerative agriculture, Materra’s cotton-as-a-service model, the importance of collecting and using data wisely, and how brands should engage with their supply chain partners. ”At Materra, we believe that data needs to have a purpose. It should either prove change or guide change. Collecting data just to have it in a spreadsheet does not benefit anyone. Our approach ensures that the data we collect is actionable and meaningful, driving improvements and demonstrating impact to our stakeholders.” To read the full interview, head over to the link in our comments! 🔗 #fashionisfarming #regenfarming #sustainability