In this inaugural episode of Ground Truth, Eden: People+Planet CEO Bryan Adkins and COO Glen Prior discuss the organization’s evolution from tree planting to comprehensive landscape restoration. They reveal how this systemic approach delivers measurable environmental, social, and economic returns for corporations seeking high-integrity climate solutions.
01:00-07:45 | From Healthcare to Ecosystem Health: The Origins of a Systems Approach
Bryan’s background in East Africa as a healthcare provider revealed the inextricable connection between environmental and human healthFirsthand observation of how deforestation and land degradation directly impact food security, water quality, and community health outcomesThe critical revelation: treating symptoms (patient by patient) versus addressing root causes (ecosystem restoration)How environmental degradation creates cascading effects across communities, economies, and health systems07:46-13:50 | Eden’s Evolution: From Tree Planting to Landscape Restoration
Eden’s 20-year journey from focusing on poverty alleviation through tree planting to comprehensive landscape restorationThe recognition that trees are inputs to a larger system rather than standalone solutionsWhy isolated reforestation without addressing drivers of deforestation creates temporary employment but not permanent solutionsThe shift to understanding landscapes as complex, interconnected systems requiring long-term commitments13:51-22:30 | Understanding Drivers of Deforestation and Designing Holistic Solutions
How proximal drivers (need for agricultural land) connect to distal drivers (economic pressures)Why restoration plans must address both immediate environmental needs and underlying socioeconomic factorsThe importance of consultative processes with local stakeholders in landscape assessment and restoration planningReal examples of watershed restoration that integrate forest health, water security, and community livelihoods22:31-31:05 | The Science and Art of Landscape Restoration
Why working with nature involves uncertainty but not prohibitive riskThe importance of adaptive management – continuous learning, monitoring, and adjustmentWhy the pursuit of “perfect” restoration solutions often prevents necessary actionHow Eden has developed standards-based, evidence-driven approaches while remaining adaptable to local conditions31:06-40:30 | The Business Case for Investing in Nature
The critical distinction between uncertainty and risk in nature-based solutionsHow investing in restoration actually de-risks business operations and supply chainsThe concept of ecosystem services and their undervalued contribution to global economiesWhy externalizing environmental costs creates dangerous blind spots in business planning40:31-48:08 | Communicating Value in Long-Term Restoration
The challenge of demonstrating immediate returns on multi-decade restoration investmentsHow carbon markets and credits provide tangible, measurable proxies for ecosystem valueThe importance of blended finance approaches combining philanthropic and market mechanismsEden’s unique value proposition as a fully integrated organization handling technical, operational, and financial aspects of restoration
