Terrabiom
“We apply science & data for soil health”
As part of a global project to promote soil regeneration, Terrabiom has made it its mission to reverse current trends of soil degradation & pollution. Caring for our soil really is the future: from farmers who now look into regenerative agriculture (see Kiss the Ground documentary) to policies like the EU green deal which embrace this topic. Healthy soils are not just essential for our food, but also offer many “ecosystem services” like filtering and retaining water, maintaining local biodiversity, and storing carbon. Think about it when you go into the street, where do the trees grow from? Where does our food grow?
Human activities have polluted our soils for centuries. Today’s approaches to deal with this include technologies to stabilize harmful chemicals or moving polluted soils to landfills. In fact, industrial companies are generally required to restore the quality of the soil they affected to the levels prior to their exploitation. However, today’s approaches are simply not good enough: dangerous chemicals should be extracted, not just stabilized. The next step of regenerating soils once they’re clean is currently not even considered. Yet is essential to life on land. A degraded soil, even if chemical-free, is of little use to anyone. A regenerated soil, however, is a whole other story. It has the potential to grow healthy food, sink carbon, help to mitigate climate change and fulfill its many other functions for ecosystems.
Terrabiom aims to achieve its goal of reversing global soil degradation by 2030 by applying science and data. They focus on three workstreams. First, they assess the soil health using high-throuput DNA screening, bringing the dimension of life and biodiversity into soil analysis. Second, the team develops bio-based technologies and mitigation plans for on-site soil cleaning and regeneration. Lastly, the positive impact on treated soils is translated into comprehensive soil health indicators, making the value of regenerative soil practices visible and tangible for anyone.
Soil is everyone’s business. In particular, Terrabiom focuses on soil health for industries, public authorities and impact-driven investors.
To complete its mission, Terrabiom needs all hands on deck.
Be part of the solution and get in touch.
Switzerland.
Environmental health.
Soil regeneration.
Possible Involvement Opportunities
Thesis:
(beware this is constantly evolving and high-level to ensure the student is allowed a certain freedom, all can be broken down into more concrete parts. We also support proactivity and are open to your suggestions related to business, legal, and other topics around soil health & Terrabiom)
Specific:
- Market analysis
Stakeholder / network mapping of natural extraction resource companies in Switzerland, with their global links
Identification & validation of target customers; detailed elaboration and validation of value proposition(s), comprehensive mapping of the results.
- Business model innovation
Which business model(s), or combination thereof, enable us best to achieve our mission in the smartest and fastest way?
Business model opportunities around natural capital / soil health
- “Markets driven by policy”: evolving legal frameworks around nature degradation and restoration,
in Switzerland (keyword, “Bodenstrategie Schweiz” 2020)
in Europe (keywords, “EU green deal”)
Global - in your area of interest
- Best case examples of businesses as key actors in nature regeneration
in Switzerland, Europe, or globally
General:
- Data in business
Examples:
How to collaborate with other soil biodiversity data collecting companies?
Open data vs data-as-an-asset business model?
- The integration of non-financial capital (i.e., natural, social) into building
a business case
A successful business models
- Impact measurement and the triple-bottom-line in business (i.e., chemical companies, the extractive industry, etc)
- Strategic partnerships in business for impact