Kai Zen
We are farmers who grow & harvest some of the best olives that yield some of the finest & freshest olive oil in the world. We have been searching for a concise & descriptive way to explain not only our growing practices but our whole business philosophy. This exploration for a holistic business philosophy brought us down a path of many (olive) branches.
“We do not use any chemicals in our olive groves…we go beyond organic.”
Our first stop: Organic (of food or farming methods) produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents.
When we started our business over 20 years ago, the organic movement was really coming into its own. Growers were making inroads to the marketplace & consumers were discovering the difference between conventional farming & organic farming. Because this movement was creating a price difference in the marketplace there was incentive for big agricultural businesses to join in & for regulations to be put into place. Unfortunately a lot of the newer regulations for organic certification watered down the original philosophy of the movement & allowed for easier ways to cut corners.
For us, this didn’t resonate with our philosophy & goals. Since we do not use any chemicals or pesticides in our olive groves we are more aligned with the original organic philosophy. However, we go beyond organic, because organic certification still allows for the use of certain pesticides. More importantly this movement focuses mainly on growing practices & does not flow through the whole business philosophy. Our search continued.
Our next stop: Permaculture & Biodynamic – Permaculture (literally permanent agriculture) is a philosophy-design farming and living method that are systems or gardens modeled on patterns observed in nature. Structures, access and water systems are also designed to be energy efficient and well placed with a focus on the relationships between elements of a system rather than on individual components themselves. Biodynamic farming is something that is all-encompassing and has to work to incorporate the whole – the universe, all the community of farmers, animals, and nature. Thus all aspects of the farm and surrounding cosmology are considered carefully in Biodynamic agriculture; eg stars, moon phases, as well as the breeds and species of plants.
Our exploration led us to look at the new & growing movement of permaculture as well as the more established movement of biodynamic agriculture. These philosophies have a lot to offer beyond the organic movement. These are much more holistic approaches to farming & business in general. However, they are not always efficient to farm, and still aren’t as practical & sustainable as a business model.
“If your business is not sustainable then you cannot sustain agriculture.”
Our third stop: Sustainable – sustainable agriculture is a system of farming that strives to provide the resources necessary for present human populations while conserving the planet’s ability to sustain future generations.
The sustainable agricultural movement was gaining momentum as an alternative to organic farming, especially as imported organic products were growing in the marketplace. The impact of Sustainable agriculture really resonated with us. Not only did it apply to our agricultural practices, but sustainability flows throughout our business practices. Afterall, if your business is not sustainable then you cannot sustain agriculture. Although this philosophy filled many niches for us it still did not fully define our philosophy. This lack of full definition held true for many farmers in the sustainable realm. So our search went on.
Our next stop: Regenerative – the holistic principles behind the dynamic system of regenerative agriculture are meant to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity, and leave our land, waters, and climate in better shape for future generations.
We needed more than just sustainability, we needed to improve our position with the land & with our business. This led to the new regenerative farming movement. Simply put, if you improve the soil, you improve the plants & animals living on the land. All of this was in step with where we wanted to be in the ecosystem, yet, it seemed to be lacking both in the terminology & the complete holistic approach. Whereas the term ‘sustainable’ implies just staying in one place – treading water, but not moving forward, the term regeneration implies an improvement in farming practices. And as close as this was, the term still didn’t flow through the complete company. In addition, it lacked the uplifting philosophy for improvement in business that we strive to display.
“We have now discovered a business practice that can be applied to agriculture as opposed to an agricultural practice trying to be applied to a business.”
Our final stop: Kai Zen – In farming, applying Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy enhances processes, optimizes resources, and drives significant improvements like streamlined workflows, reduced waste, and heightened productivity while maintaining quality.
Our quest has led us to really identify with the Japanese business philosophy of Kai Zen. Kai – meaning Change – & – Zen meaning Good – translates as Change for Good. We are on the right track with this philosophy. Founded after World War two in Japan, it was a business model focused in the manufacturing segment. An entire company, from the CEO to the newest line worker, formed groups to create an input & feedback loop to constantly improve the way the business functions. Open to change to make things good.
Kai Zen was first implemented by the Toyota automobile company, which quickly grew into a major force in the international auto market. This created interest with other manufacturers worldwide, & because of the proven success of the model it soon became the chosen method for manufacturing. We have now discovered a business practice that can be applied to agriculture as opposed to an agricultural practice trying to be applied to a business.
Change for Good is a simple & impactful philosophy that can resonate throughout our company & through to our customers. We are always working to improve our soil, which improves our trees, & that in turn improves the quality of our fruit. Higher quality fruit combined with constantly improving processing techniques improves the quality of our products both in flavor & health benefits. Our well-trained staff helps our guests make wise choices & educates them on healthy ways to use our products. So this philosophy flows from our soil all the way to our guest’s tables & bodies.
Change for Good – Kai Zen
Slainte!
Thom