Regenerative Practices for Planet and Society: What Healthy Soil Can Teach Us about Being Better Stewards

As the world grapples with the increasing threats posed by climate change, we focus on a promising solution: regenerative agriculture. We spoke with Evan Harrison, Chief Executive Officer at Kiss the Ground. Evan, a digital music and media pioneer, helped transform iHeartRadio (formerly known as Clear Channel Radio) into a multi-platform content creation company as the President of Digital. He also helped spearhead groundbreaking music programs such as AOL Music's "Sessions" and "First Listen," which debuted hundreds of new songs by the most prominent artists in the world. Various publications have featured Evan, such as Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today.

Evan's love for the ocean first sparked his crusade and interest in environmentalism, which developed further when he joined the board of Surfrider, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, waves, and beaches. Today, Evan oversees the strategy of Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit that raises awareness for regeneration through storytelling, education, and advocacy. Evan and his team believe regenerative agriculture is a viable solution to combat the climate, water, and health crisis. Evan's energy and optimism were refreshing; we are delighted he spoke with us in this latest EMA Exclusive. 

1.) How did you come into the environmental space?

I never thought I would be in this space. Everyone in my family knew what they wanted to do at a young age. Aside from music, I knew I liked outdoor sports. The ocean always enamored me, which led to my fascination with surfing. Studying surfing is studying nature. 

My career started with me helping people to enjoy music through digital. However, I always wanted to use my access to platforms in ways that benefited others. So that started with the Surfrider Foundation approaching me to join their Board. I then brought my daughter along for the ride, and it was a great experience. She, too, was passionate about environmental causes at a young age. While working with the Surfrider Foundation, I got to dive deeper into ocean conversation and become more aware of how to tackle these challenges. 

After many years in music, I became disillusioned with the industry I was in and was focused now to lead an environmental organization. Despite not having a scientific-technical background, the CEO of Surfrider encouraged me to go for it. A recruiter approached me about Kiss The Ground, which got the ball rolling. They wanted to grow, and we were in talks for about a year, where I got more convinced this was where I needed to be at this stage in my life. It became apparent early on that this was a good fit. 

2.) You've achieved much success with the Kiss the Ground film. Why is it more important now to have storytelling, education, and advocacy be a centerpiece for positive change? 

Kiss The Ground was founded ten years ago. Ryland Engelheart & Finian Makepeace's founders were not scientists or farmers. They wanted to tell the story of regeneration as they believed this could change the outcome of the climate crisis. They were early to the movement, which was initially difficult because you first try to get people to understand and believe there is a problem. So much changed after the film Kiss the Ground was released in 2020. There was much more interest at this point, both from investors and consumers. 

Our three buckets are key to driving our impact. For example, we are premiering the film Common Ground this year at Tribeca, an outstanding follow-up to Kiss the Ground. 

We will also be launching Possibilities of Regeneration, a premium animated series. Told from voices who are not voiced enough, we chose to feature an indigenous voice for the story. The animation and spirit of it are inspirational. We plan to launch these stories of regeneration each year going forward. We will start with farmers in the United States, humanizing them and making them relatable. 

For content to make a positive change it must first be entertaining, followed by educational and inspirational. 

Brands are also a key part of this. It is where the rubber meets the road. Our current corporate partnerships allow us to make changes inside a big company. While it is initially challenging, if we come with the right perspective, we can help these companies with their educational programs inside their companies. We want to release our films for them, and hold healthy soil workshops with them, Q&As, and more.

We are fortunate to have now been given seats on both sides of the table. For example, we just had Woody Harrelson go out to D.C. with a farmer from Indiana, informing others about the recent farm bill and discussing the importance of regenerative practices.

Positive change is happening slowly but surely.  

3.) How can our audience learn more about regenerative agriculture? Any latest trends or data on the topic?

Inclusion and collaboration are critical to change -- that is our philosophy. Healthy debates and open lines of communication are always important. 

We advocate for resources that share these components. A great resource to start from is our film, Kiss the Ground. We recently changed our logo to Kiss the Ground for Regeneration, as we want to emphasize inclusion and collaboration as tools to start anew. 

In addition, education, as you know, is one of the three areas we focus on. We provide a free resource guide that content advocates can immerse themselves in. We also offer online training on-demand for people who want to become more informed about regenerative practices. We are proud that many have benefited from this, including farmers, city officials, and others.  

There is always something new to learn, and we are students ourselves, always happy to share what can inform others to be better global citizens. 

4.) What excites you most about your work as CEO? Which initiatives do you have in the works for 2023? 

Kiss The Ground has been a leading voice in the regenerative movement since 2013. Amplifying the message that regeneration is a viable solution for our climate is genuinely a 'dream come true' assignment for many reasons. We are taking the groundswell created over a decade, fine-tuning the message, and creating a holistic, inclusive, and cohesive strategy while empowering a genuinely talented team— nothing better. We focus on storytelling across multiple platforms with strategic brand partnerships amplifying our reach and impact. Education for all businesses is critical right now, as all companies need to take responsibility for their role in the environmental and wellness space. 

I am most passionate about content creation and partnerships. This year, we'll roll out a slate of premium content series. We have already introduced Possibilities of Regeneration, and next will come Stories of Regeneration. With this upcoming series, we plan to explore the stories of farmers and ranchers, their challenges, and why they chose regenerative practices as the solution. In 2023 we will help change how several large companies think about what is possible and how they impact the wellness of others as they begin the journey to source regeneratively. We strive to 3x our impact as quickly as we can before 2030, including engaging one million people per month with our short-form stories and ultimately transitioning another 100 million acres to regenerative practices. I'm also very excited to say our filmmaker partners, Josh and Rebecca Tickell, have created an incredibly moving sequel to the Kiss the Ground documentary called Common Ground. There is so much in store for us here, and I am delighted to see the momentum for positive change happen as we speak. 

Written by Demitri Fierro, ISSP-SEA (MBA Candidate in Sustainable Management)