The Food and Beverage Industry’s Regeneration Problem, and One Company’s Response

“Sustainability is about doing less harm. What we’re trying to do is build a business that actually leaves things better than it found them.”

- Ben Mand, CEO of Yerba Madre

In this episode of Journey to Regeneration, I talk to Ben Mand, CEO of Yerba Madre, who makes the case that regeneration is not a marketing claim but a way of designing how business works. In this conversation, he explains how Yerba Madre uses market-driven regeneration to improve farmer incomes, restore ecosystems, and strengthen supply chains from the ground up. By paying consistent premiums and, where necessary, doubling or tripling market prices to reach living wages, the company treats farmers as long-term partners rather than cost centers. Ecologically, Yerba Madre supports shade-grown agroforestry systems that rebuild biodiversity and forest cover instead of extracting from monocultures. But regeneration doesn’t stop at the farm: Ben describes how the company co-invests with manufacturing partners in renewable energy, embeds impact into executive incentives, and treats certifications as learning tools rather than reputational shields. The result is a business model that aims not just to reduce harm, but to leave people, ecosystems, and institutions stronger over time.

Key Takeaways:

• Regeneration Starts in the Soil
  Unlike monoculture crops, yerba mate thrives in shade-grown, biodiverse agroforestry systems that naturally support forest regeneration.

• Living Wages Are Central to Regenerative Business
  The company pays at least a 25% premium for yerba mate—and often far more—to ensure farmers reach living-wage thresholds.

• Farmers Are Long-Term Partners
  Yerba Madre works with Indigenous and smallholder producers across Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina through multi-year relationships, not spot purchasing.

• Diversifying Strengthens Farmer Incomes
  Intercropping and complementary crops reduce farmer risk and create additional revenue streams alongside yerba mate.

• Certifications Validate—but Don’t Define—Regeneration
  Regenerative Organic, Fair for Life, and B Corp audits are used as learning tools rather than as endpoints.

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.