Shifting Our Mindset to Empower
We are creatures of habit. In times of adversity, it is natural to turn to the familiar, but as living beings, we are designed to evolve. At times, it is important to let go of the things that no longer serve you and embrace the new path.
The biggest take away from my conversation with Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director at Regenerative Organic Alliance, is that we need to shift our mindset. An "obstacle" can become an "opportunity" with just a small tweak in our perspective. "Cost avoidance" shifts to "cost prioritization."
The food industry has been engineered to capitalize on aspects of our humanity like survival, procreation, and community. The industry's purpose is designed to not promote true happiness, health, and life, but to profiteer on a basic human need. We have been designed to search for lower cost or participate in the economic system over any other human value. It takes a substantial amount of effort to acknowledge that and then modify our behavior.
Regenerative Organic Alliance has done just that by offering a new certification for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients. Regenerative Organic Certified™ farms and products meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness.
“A capitalist food system keeps labor and all other costs to a minimum and provides an enormous overabundance of cheap food, consequences be damned.” - Marion Nestle, The Capitalism in our Food
Here are the top learnings on how hospitality professionals and event organizers can protect their customers and the planet by prioritizing health, longevity, and happiness:
Partner with vendors that emphasize practices that restore land, rather than destroy it for one time use. This can be done by supporting holistic agricultural practices like organic, Regenerative Organic Certified™, and other internationally recognized standards.
Learn more about how food providers are prioritizing animal welfare to provide safe, quality food to your customers, while respecting other forms of life. Add more meatless options to the menu as well.
Support organizations where transparency and fairness are at the core of their mission. This includes safe working conditions, fair pay, and demands accountability.
Our customers are demanding that we acknowledge industry impact and respond to it positively. In a recent poll, 76% of the target market for events and experiences think more highly of organizations that support causes they care about. In a 2020 article, economists estimate that about 1/3 of economic growth in advanced economies is attributed to improvements in the health of global populations.
“Educate yourself to be informed, so you can make informed decisions." - Elizabeth Whitlow
Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC) has removed the guesswork and exists to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future. The time is now. We owe it to our attendees and customers to be part of the mindset shift towards memorable experiences and positive opportunities. #WeGotThis
