Subscribe to Next Economy Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.

Eric Toensmeier is a thought leader in the role of perennial crops and agroforestry systems in climate change mitigation. Having penned and published three revolutionary books and acted as a senior fellow in both Project Drawdown and the Global Evergreening Alliance, his voice is pivotal to the conversation about climate change, biodiversity, and nutrition.

From his early introduction to permaculture, Eric’s passion to see the natural landscape revitalized to support sustainability and meet nutritional needs has driven his future-focused approach. During today’s eye-opening conversation, he shares his vision with listeners, offering a clear picture of a lifestyle that leverages nature’s resources in an integrative way. 

The benefits of community gardening and agroforestry extend to fulfilling higher-level social needs and offering economic benefits to renters and volunteers. Eric offers an in-depth look at the science of eating perennial plants, all the way to cultural resonance in food gardening. 

Tune in today for an informative episode that just might spark an impactful lifestyle change to benefit yourself and the planet. 

---

Key Points From This Episode:

• Eric Toensmeier’s prolific work as a researcher, author, and senior fellow. [0:00:44]

• Eric Toensmeier’s introduction to, and journey with the work he does today. [0:01:38]

• Eric’s vision for the resilience of humanity within a revitalized ancient landscape. [0:07:01]

• What climate change adaptation looks like in the garden. [0:14:48]

• The distribution of trees with edible leaves across the globe. [0:18:22]

• The relationship between nutritional benefit and climate benefit. [0:22:26]

• Everyday examples of a lifestyle that integrates trees with perennial leaves and agroforestry gardening. [0:26:23]

• Personal economic benefits of growing and eating perennial plants. [0:34:17]

• Far-reaching benefits of communal food gardening. [0:36:30]

• Community garden benefits for renters and volunteers, including cultural resonance. [0:37:29]

---

Tweetables:

“Some of these trees are among the best of all vegetables in the world for their ability to  provide those nutrients that we so desperately need.” — Eric Toensmeier [0:21:46]

“It’s a time where serious fruit enthusiasts and others who love plants can really step in and make a difference.” — Eric Toensmeier [0:32:44]

“You don’t have to buy seeds every year. Perennials produce really well each year. The estimated lifespan is somewhere between 20 and 30 years, and often the initial investment, some of these trees you can get for a dollar or two.” — Eric Toensmeier [0:34:16]

“You’d be surprised how many community gardens are open armed, willing to bring new ideas, new energy, and collaborate.” — Erin Axelrod [0:36:55]

“You don’t have to own your own land, you can be a renter and be a part of a community food forest. You can oftentimes source a lot of free food just by volunteering and getting involved.” — Erin Axelrod [0:37:29]

---

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Carbon Farming Solution — https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781603585712

Edible Forest Gardens — https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781890132606

Global Evergreening Alliance — https://www.evergreening.org/

Project Drawdown — https://drawdown.org/

Erin Axelrod — https://www.erinaxelrod.com/

---

LIFT Economy Newsletter

Join 8,000+ subscribers and get our free 60-point business design checklist—plus monthly tips, advice, and resources to help you build the Next Economy: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter

---

Next Economy MBA

This episode is brought to you by the Next Economy MBA.

What would a business education look like if it was completely redesigned for the benefit of all life? This is why the team at LIFT Economy created the Next Economy MBA (https://lifteconomy.com/mba).

The Next Economy MBA is a nine month online course for folks who want to learn key business fundamentals (e.g., vision, culture, strategy, and operations) from an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative perspective.

Join the growing network of 350+ alumni who have been exposed to new solutions, learned essential business skills, and joined a lifelong peer group that is catalyzing a global shift towards an economy that works for all life.

Learn more at https://lifteconomy.com/mba.

---

Show Notes + Other Links

For detailed show notes and interviews with past guests, please visit https://lifteconomy.com/podcast. 

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It really helps expose these ideas to new listeners: https://bit.ly/nexteconomynow

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LIFTEconomy

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifteconomy/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/LIFTEconomy/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy

Music by Chris Zabriskie: https://chriszabriskie.com/