Jason.Clay.How_big_brands_can_help_save_biodivers

IgrewuponasmallfarminMissouri.Welivedonlessthanadollaradayforabout15years.Igotascholarship,wenttouniversity,studiedinternationalagriculture,studiedanthropology,anddecidedIwasgoingtogiveback.Iwasgoingtoworkwithsmallfarmers.Iwasgoingtohelpalleviatepoverty.Iwasgoingtoworkoninternationaldevelopment.AndthenItookaturnandendeduphere.Now,ifyougetaPh.D.,andyoudecidenottoteach,youdon'talwaysendupinaplacelikethis.It'sachoice.Youmightendupdrivingataxicab.YoucouldbeinNewYork.WhatIfoundwas,Istartedworkingwithrefugeesandfaminevictims--smallfarmers,all,ornearlyall--whohadbeendispossessedanddisplaced.Now,whatI'dbeentrainedtodowasmethodologicalresearchonsuchpeople.SoIdidit:Ifoundouthowmanywomenhadbeenrapedenroutetothesecamps.Ifoundouthowmanypeoplehadbeenputinjail,howmanyfamilymembershadbeenkilled.Iassessedhowlongtheyweregoingtostayandhowmuchitwouldtaketofeedthem.AndIgotreallygoodatpredictinghowmanybodybagsyouwouldneedforthepeoplewhoweregoingtodieinthesecamps.NowthisisGod'swork,butit'snotmywork.It'snottheworkIsetouttodo.SoIwasataGratefulDeadbenefitconcertontherainforestsin1988.Imetaguy--theguyontheleft.HisnamewasBen.Hesaid,WhatcanIdotosavetherainforests?Isaid,Well,Ben,whatdoyoudo?Imakeicecream.SoIsaid,Well,you'vegottomakearainforesticecream.Andyou'vegottousenutsfromtherainforeststoshowthatforestsareworthmoreasforeststhantheyareaspasture.Hesaid,Okay.Withinayear,RainforestCrunchwasontheshelves.Itwasagreatsuccess.Wedidourfirstmillion-dollars-worthoftradebybuyingon30daysandsellingon21.Thatgetsyouradrenalinegoing.Thenwehadafourandahalfmillion-dollarlineofcreditbecausewewerecredit-worthyatthatpoint.Wehad15to20,maybe22percentoftheglobalBrazil-nutmarket.Wepaidtwotothreetimesmorethananybodyelse.EverybodyelseraisedtheirpricestothegatherersofBrazilnutsbecausewewouldbuyitotherwise.Agreatsuccess.50companiessignedup,200productscameout,generated100millioninsales.Itfailed.Whydiditfail?BecausethepeoplewhoweregatheringBrazilnutsweren'tthesamepeoplewhowerecuttingtheforests.AndthepeoplewhomademoneyfromBrazilnutswerenotthepeoplewhomademoneyfromcuttingtheforests.Wewereattackingthewrongdriver.Weneededtobeworkingonbeef.Weneededtobeworkingonlumber.Weneededtobeworkingonsoy--thingsthatwewerenotfocusedon.Solet'sgobacktoSudan.Ioftentalktorefugees:WhywasitthattheWestdidn'trealizethatfaminesarecausedbypoliciesandpolitics,notbyweather?Andthisfarmersaidtomeonedaysomethingthatwasveryprofound.Hesaid,Youcan'twakeapersonwho'spretendingtosleep.(Laughter)Okay.Fastforward.Weliveonaplanet.There'sjustoneofthem.We'vegottowakeuptothefactthatwedon'thaveanymoreandthatthisisafiniteplanet.Weknowthelimitsoftheresourceswehave.Wemaybeabletousethemdifferently.Wemayhavesomeinnovative,newideas.Butingeneral,thisiswhatwe'vegot.There'snomoreofit.There'sabasicequationthatwecan'tgetawayfrom.Populationtimesconsumptionhasgottohavesomekindofrelationshiptotheplanet,andrightnow,it'sasimplenotequal.Ourworkshowsthatwe'relivingatabout1.3planets.Since1990,wecrossedthelineofbeinginasustainablerelationshiptotheplanet.Nowwe'reat1.3.Ifwewerefarmers,we'dbeeatingourseed.Forbankers,we'dbelivingofftheprincipal,nottheinterest.Thisiswherewestandtoday.Alotofpeopleliketopointtosomeplaceelseasthecauseoftheproblem.It'salwayspopulationgrowth.Populationgrowth'simportant,butit'salsoabouthowmucheachpersonconsumes.SowhentheaverageAmericanconsumes43timesasmuchastheaverageAfrican,we'vegottothinkthatconsumptionisanissue.It'snotjustaboutpopulation,andit'snotjustaboutthem;it'saboutus.Butit'snotjustaboutpeople;it'saboutlifestyles.There'sverygoodevidence--again,wedon'tnecessarilyhaveapeer-reviewedmethodologythat'sbulletproofyet--butthere'sverygoodevidencethattheaveragecatinEuropehasalargerenvironmentalfootprintinitslifetimethantheaverageAfrican.Youthinkthat'snotanissuegoingforward?Youthinkthat'snotaquestionastohowweshouldbeusingtheEarth'sresources?Let'sgobackandvisitourequation.In2000,wehadsixbillionpeopleontheplanet.Theywereconsumingwhattheywereconsuming--let'ssayoneunitofconsumptioneach.Wehavesixbillionunitsofconsumption.By2050,we'regoingtohaveninebillionpeople--allthescientistsagree.They'reallgoingtoconsumetwiceasmuchastheycurrentlydo--scientists,again,agree--becauseincomeisgoingtogrowindevelopingcountriesfivetimeswhatitistoday--onglobalaverage,about[2.9].Sowe'regoingtohave18billionunitsofconsumption.Whohaveyouheardtalkinglatelythat'ssaidwehavetotripleproductionofgoodsandservices?Butthat'swhatthemathsays.We'renotgoingtobeabletodothat.Wecangetproductivityup.Wecangetefficiencyup.Butwe'vealsogottogetconsumptiondown.Weneedtouselesstomakemore.Andthenweneedtouselessagain.Andthenweneedtoconsumeless.Allofthosethingsarepartofthatequation.Butitbasicallyraisesafundamentalquestion:shouldconsumershaveachoiceaboutsustainability,aboutsustainableproducts?Shouldyoubeabletobuyaproductthat'ssustainablesittingnexttoonethatisn't,orshouldalltheproductsontheshelfbesustainable?Iftheyshouldallbesustainableonafiniteplanet,howdoyoumakethathappen?Theaverageconsumertakes1.8secondsintheU.S.Okay,solet'sbegenerous.Let'ssayit's3.5secondsinEurope.H