Aboca’s regenerative business journey
This month we’re pleased to announce that Aboca Italia are joining us in our mission to lead the transition to a regenerative socio-economic model. Here’s what they had to say about taking the next step in their company’s regenerative journey.
Why did you decide to join the foundation?
Joining the Regenerative Society Foundation is a choice that aligns with Aboca’s path as a B Corp. Without a doubt, the high caliber and scientific prestige of the working group will allow us to delve even deeper in terms of research into the topics of the regenerative economy and possible development models. In particular, we believe in the importance of the foundation’s commitment to upholding the “One Health” concept and of its focus on restoring degraded ecosystems by promoting biodiversity.
Combining forces as part of a network is a wonderful opportunity, especially as nature operates using networks. Networks encourage exchanges, interdependence, and the flourishing of “emergent properties”: the outcomes produced by a complex system above and beyond the sum of the contributions of its individual elements. We believe that having the chance to collaborate with other experts can amplify and enhance the impact of our actions, and we hope to be able to make our own contribution. Aboca’s products are 100% natural and biodegradable, which is to say that they not only respect the human body, but they also do not alter the circle of life and leave no impact on the environment. This choice has always been a hallmark of ours, and we hope that our experience will make a positive contribution to the work of the Regenerative Society Foundation.
What does regeneration mean to you?
Moving away from an “extractive” economic and production system to a “regenerative” one is among the crucial challenges of our time. When we reflect on modern society, we can see that it is all geared towards “consumption”, through the exploitation and destruction of resources and assets. A regenerative model aims to put more back into the environment and the community than it takes out. For Aboca, regeneration means creating shared value during the company’s everyday activities, throughout the entire production chain. It means ensuring that all resources (human, economic and natural) that come into contact with our system are significantly enhanced, so that they can really contribute to the common good of the community. This is a new paradigm which we hope will gain ground, overtaking merely “philanthropic” approaches which often consist of returning part of what has been taken, as a compensation of sorts, or, worse again, boasts of “sustainability” simply for marketing purposes.
We believe that it makes no sense to talk about individual wellbeing in the context of a damaged society or environment, making it essential that the company should be inherently bound to the common good, and to really sharing value. In practice, this means that we need to develop companies actually capable of adding to the common good through their activities. For example, in our agricultural model, we demonstrate the possibility of increasing soil biodiversity. Similarly, we spread learning and understanding through our cultural and educational activities, while we contribute to the development of know-how through our research into natural substances and the related production processes, to bring completely biodegradable substances to the market.
How do you think being a member can help your company and your sector in general?
Being part of the Regenerative Society Foundation’s network enables the gathering and sharing of information, data, know-how, experiences and ideas, and essentially allows us to grow. At the same time, given our involvement in healthcare, it’s an opportunity to bring further visibility and understanding to the topics of sustainable treatments, the impact of chemicals on nature, biodegradability, and the circularity of natural substances.
Moreover, Aboca has always been engaged in raising scientific and cultural awareness; through our partnership with RSF, we can present a united front and a strong voice on these subjects. Our publishing house, Aboca Edizioni, is focused on all topics related to a systemic vision of life and the relationship between humans and nature, both scientifically and culturally. We hope to be able to make a tangible contribution by publishing books and developing cultural initiatives to carry out together.
To find out more about how your company can join our network of regenerative leaders, head to: https://regenerativesocietyfoundation.com/join-us/