Measuring What Matters: Inside Davines’ Regenerative Strategy
“First thing you have to do when you want to do less harm is to measure the type of harm you do.”
- Davide Bollati, Chairman of Davines.
In this episode of Journey to Regeneration, I talked to Davide Bollati, Chairman of Davines. Davide offers a nuanced and deeply reflective view of regeneration as a business philosophy rather than a branding exercise. At Davines, regeneration begins with measurement—understanding where harm is unavoidable, where it can be reduced, and where positive impact can meaningfully outweigh negative effects. Through decoupling growth from emissions, investing in regenerative organic agriculture, and powering manufacturing with renewable energy, Davines demonstrates how a beauty company can evolve without abandoning performance or profitability. Davide is clear-eyed about limits: consumer behavior cannot be forced, perfect solutions rarely exist, and regeneration requires patience and cultural change. Yet by collaborating pre-competitively across the beauty industry and grounding decisions in long-term purpose rather than short-term returns, Davines illustrates how regeneration can guide strategy, governance, and identity. The result is a compelling example of how even non-agricultural industries can rethink their role within planetary boundaries.
Key Takeaways:
Regeneration Starts with Measurement
Davines treats regeneration as impossible without rigorously measuring environmental and social impacts.Sustainability Is the Entry Point, Not the Goal
Reducing harm is necessary, but regeneration requires generating net positive outcomes elsewhere.Not All Impacts Can Be Neutralized
Davide emphasizes realism: some negative impacts remain unavoidable in cosmetics.Regenerative Organic Agriculture Anchors Supply Chains
Partnerships with the Rodale Institute support soil health, carbon capture, and ingredient quality.Pre-Competitive Collaboration Accelerates Change
The B Corp Beauty Coalition allows companies to share sustainability innovations industry-wide.Packaging Remains a Core Challenge
Davines offsets 100% of its plastic footprint by removing ocean-bound plastic globally.Regeneration Is a Cultural and Ethical Journey
Davide frames regeneration as a pursuit of meaningful contribution, not reputational gain.
Listen to the full episode here:
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The regenerative business practices and sustainability innovations highlighted in this week’s Regenerative Insights directly tackle the critical issues of corporate responsibility explored in my recent book explored in my recent book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost.