✪ Out Of The Box – OCRT Thoughtleader Interview Series ✪
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We took the opportunity during the 2016 Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) in Hamburg to interview some of the industry’s most inspiring and “out of the box” thinkers, and were fortunate to have Emmy-nominated documentary producer David Bowen-Jones with us to capture their thoughts on camera. One interview has been released each week for the past two months (see archives below for full series) and we are happy to now share with you the series finale!
SERIES FINALE! Bob Bejan: Shifting the focus from product to people: Click the play button above to hear this weeks interview with Bob Bejan, GM Communication Strategy at Microsoft. Bob discusses the shift from a product-based mentality to one that tries to understand and respond to the specific situations and needs of people. Witnessing what he refers to as a “drumbeat of shared aspirations”, Bob observes how, across industries and across societies, we are increasingly reaching for the same goals, marking the beginning of a critical mass where real change can take place. This echoes the message from Leo Johnson, our first interviewee in this series, who spoke in Hamburg of the “massive small” and the need for “business as if people mattered”.
Out of the Box: The Series So Far
Business as if People Mattered
In his Out of the Box interview, Leo Johnson discusses his idea that developments in technology could enable a ‘radically distributed’ ownership structure, encouraging greater freedom and participation.
Efficiency From Stability And Trust
Heinrich Schultz, Managing Director of OrganiMark, South Africa, discusses how securing commitment builds trust, increases efficiency and reduces cost.
Creating Stakeholder Value
Integrity expert Joy Saunders discusses how integrity benefits all stakeholders, and research which shows that the greater the integrity of a company, the greater its competitiveness and profitability.
The Economy Of Love
Helmy Abouleish, CEO of SEKEM, Egypt, introduces the company’s holistic approach to sustainable development, which ensures the added value of their products is redistributed fairly through the supply chain.
Engaging The Consumer
Roland Stelzer, Managing Partner of Elmer & Zweifel, explains how the company went from selling throw-away medical products in 1987 to, today, selling organic Fairtrade garments through its brand Cotonea.
Sealed With A Handshake
Jimmy Wedel, President of the award-winning Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, urges brands to educate consumers and leverage their knowledge of organic food to build demand for organic cotton.
Using Data To Drive The Market
Peter Melchett, Policy Director at the Soil Association UK, explains that, to grow the market, we need to use the wealth of data and evidence now available to convince brands and retailers that it’s in their own interest to source organic cotton.
Harnessing The Power Of The Market
Anita Chester, Head of Sustainable Raw Materials at the C&A Foundation, talks about the importance of finding ways to work collaboratively, both at the government level and at the brand level, to harness the power of the market and create real change.
Cooperation, Transparency & Faith
Michael Sligh, Program Director at RAFI USA, describes the need for more honest and open conversation across the supply chain to build synergy and aid peer learning, proposing a new model built on cooperation, transparency and good faith.
OCRT In Action – Hamburg, 2016
Recap on the highlights, or re-watch full panel discussions and key notes, in this selection of videos from the 2016 OCRT in Hamburg:
OCRT In Action 2016
Recap in less than 10 minutes the key messages from the OCRT 2016.
What Is The OCRT?
David Bowen-Jones is an Emmy-nominated documentary producer and broadcaster for BBC and ABC News. Here, David provides an overview of the event and tells us what he learned from being there.
Patagonia’s 20 years of Organic
A conversation with Rachel Cantu, VP Global Supply Chain at Patagonia. Hear about the company’s 20 years in organic.
The OCRT In 90 Seconds
The OCRT is a global stakeholder platform that supports and brings together the organic cotton community to be inspired, mobilized, and equipped to act. Here’s a 90 second glimpse of how it works.
Leo Johnson: The Massive Small
Leo Johnson, author, broadcaster and co-founder of Sustainable Finance (now part of PwC), talks about deploying technology with an intent and what that means for organic cotton.
Is Transformational Integrity Possible?
Peter Melchett of Soil Association UK and integrity expert Joy Saunders talk about how to approach integrity in organic cotton.
Coexistence of Organic and GM
Organic farmers want a choice to farm in a way that respects the soil and the land. But can this coexist side-by-side with GM agriculture?