Philippe Birker: What if we made farming sexy again?

In this episode, we sit down with Philippe Birker, co-founder of Climate Farmers, a world record holder in simultaneous fire breathing, and a member of Ashoka Changemakers and the BMW Foundation’s Responsible Leaders Network. Philippe shares his journey from organizing social impact raves to pioneering regenerative agriculture practices that restore ecosystems and reconnect us to our roots.

In our conversation, Philippe shares insights from his extensive travels to over 60 regenerative farms, where he gathered invaluable knowledge on sustainable practices. We explore how Climate Farmers is building the infrastructure needed to scale regenerative agriculture across Europe, focusing on ecosystem measurement systems and financial support for farmers transitioning to sustainable methods.

Discover how we can rethink food systems, prioritize soil health, and build a sustainable future where farming regenerates our planet instead of depleting it.

Transcript

Ronny Eriksson: You're a world record holder in simultaneous fire breathing since 2013, part of the Ashoka Changemaker community, a member of the BMW Foundation's Responsible Leaders Network since 2022, and part of the TED Countdown community since July 2003. That's a pretty impressive background, focusing on impactful initiatives. Welcome, Philippe!

Philippe Barker: Thank you! I can't be more excited. It's the first day of Catapult Future Fest, and we're sitting here in the podcast studio. Yesterday was my first time in Norway, and I've been quite impressed by how quiet Oslo is. I live in the countryside, where I appreciate peace and quiet, and it amazes me how you've managed to keep the city noise-free here. Where are all the car sounds? That’s something I’m still trying to figure out!

Ronny: Each of these episodes always starts with a big "What if?" question, which is also the theme of this podcast series. So let’s throw you in at the deep end. What if we could live in harmony with the planet?

Philippe: If that were to happen, my personal mission would be fulfilled. The core idea behind everything we do at Climate Farmers is to help re-establish our connection with nature. The reason why things are so out of balance is because humans have detached themselves from the natural world. We see ourselves as separate from nature rather than recognizing that we are part of it. And that’s why we end up destroying the very planet we live on, which is insane if you think about it. To fix this, we believe the first step is transforming our food system. If the way we grow food is damaging our planet, it reflects the mindset behind all other activities. At Climate Farmers, we’re dedicated to creating a system where farming regenerates the earth instead of depleting it.

Ronny: That’s a profound insight! I noticed you’ve worked a lot with young people before. How did your journey lead you to this space?

Philippe: That’s quite a story. My first love was football, but during my high school years, that passion faded as I started traveling and studying. Then I discovered electronic music while studying in the Netherlands, which I fell deeply in love with. During a semester abroad in South Africa, I had a cliché realization: despite growing up in a modest context in Germany, simply having a German passport puts me among the world’s top 10% in terms of privilege. That’s when I decided I had to do something meaningful with this privilege.

Since I loved organizing parties, I realized that charity events often weren’t engaging. So, my friends and I founded the Love Foundation to organize great parties for good causes. We started with raves and expanded to art exhibitions, football tournaments, and more. The concept was simple: everyone involved worked for free, and all proceeds went to support water projects, as access to clean water is fundamental. At one point, we had thousands of people in 36 countries organizing events under the Love Foundation banner, all driven by our shared logo and mission.

Ronny: That’s amazing! You’ve gone from mobility, moving people around, to creating impactful change through agriculture. Tell me about your journey into regenerative agriculture.

Philippe: Absolutely. After working with Fairphone in Amsterdam and running a nightclub for three years, I started yearning for nature again. I grew up in the countryside, and I missed seeing trees. I wanted to bring my city friends to a more natural environment, which led me to Portugal. In 2017, a few friends and I bought an abandoned village there, which allowed us to rebuild homes without planning permission. That’s where I started learning about permaculture and regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is fascinating because it’s all about farming in harmony with nature. The essence is to enhance the life-holding capacity of the land. Unlike conventional agriculture, which focuses on monocultures, regenerative farming works with natural diversity, especially the microbial life beneath the soil. Healthy soil is like a vibrant marketplace of nutrients, sugars, and water exchanges between plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Conventional methods kill this natural process, while regenerative methods focus on building soil health, which results in better water retention and more resilient crops.

Ronny: That’s an excellent breakdown. Regenerative agriculture sounds like a return to how things were done before large-scale, industrialized farming.

Philippe: Exactly. Indigenous communities have been practicing similar methods for centuries. We need to move towards systems that work in harmony with nature, rather than against it. What we do at Climate Farmers is facilitate knowledge exchange among farmers. We’ve created a Climate Farmers Academy, which helps farmers share best practices and learn from each other. It’s heartwarming to see farmers inspire one another and realize that regenerative methods can yield better results than they thought possible.

Ronny: I love how you focus on empowering farmers through peer-to-peer learning. But financing this transition must be a challenge, right?

Philippe: Yes, that’s a significant hurdle. Farmers often have assets, but they lack liquidity. Transitioning to regenerative practices requires upfront investments, and there’s not enough financial support. To bridge this gap, we applied for the Google Impact Challenge on Climate and received a €650,000 grant to develop Europe’s first methodology for generating carbon credits from regenerative agriculture. We now pay farmers €50 per ton of carbon sequestered in their soil, providing them with an additional income stream.

Ronny: That’s incredible! And I love the story about Google not requiring any reporting after awarding the grant—they just trusted you to do good with it.

Philippe: Yes, it was refreshing! It allowed us to focus on hiring our first team and developing our methodology. We now have 35 people working with us, and we’re rolling out a certification system to verify regenerative practices, ensuring transparency and impact.

Ronny: So, what's your next big goal here at Catapult Future Fest?

Philippe: We’re looking to connect with mission-aligned investors who understand the long-term impact of regenerative agriculture. We’ve structured our organization to prevent mission drift, but that makes it challenging to attract traditional investors. I’m here to find those few who are truly interested in systemic change.

Ronny: I wish you the best of luck! To wrap things up, do you have a final message for our listeners?

Philippe: Absolutely. My message is simple: be more mindful of where your food comes from. Your body, taste buds, and the planet will thank you. We need to start appreciating our farmers more and prioritizing the quality of the food we eat. That’s where true change begins.

Ronny: Thank you so much, Philippe. This was an insightful and inspiring conversation. Wishing you a fantastic Catapult Future Fest!

Philippe: Thank you, Ronny. It’s been a pleasure.