Restoring Barren Soils and Barren Hearts: Announcing [Re]Generation
Every BAM company is an environmental company. They are having an impact on the environment and the environment is having an impact on them. – Mark Polet
This month we are delighted to share a series on BAM and Creation Care on The BAM Review. While COP28 is focused on the crucial issue of climate in UAE right now, we know that creation care is much broader and that it’s God’s idea! As Christians in business, with a missional intention, we have a unique opportunity to be leaders creating positive environmental impact through enterprise. In their final post, Mark and Anugraha challenge us towards restoration and [Re]Generation.
By Mark Polet, with Anugraha Gaikwad
In our work, Challenge and Hope, we have made the link between regions with poor air quality and water stress to those who still need to hear the Good News.
Acute environmental damage and degradation is often to be found in places suffering dire poverty and in places relatively unreached with the gospel. This presents BAM practitioners and investors the challenge and opportunity to respond holistically with environmental solutions at the heart of their business model. Business as Mission companies serve people who face great environmental, even existential, challenges. BAM practitioners are on the ground already in many areas of the greatest need and are positioned to respond. [1]
Since then, Mark’s work in Central Asia has also shown that a similar link exists between barren soils and barren hearts, though, at this point the analysis is still qualitative.
Christ brings back flourishing to creation and to our hearts at the same time. All creation is restored through Him (see Colossians 1:15-20). Our passion is to restore barren lands even as we restore barren hearts.
In 2021, at the BAM Global Congress online, we celebrated those who have used their God-given talents to develop environmental technologies in the BAM space from Canada to Australia, and from Indonesia to India (watch Mark’s presentation from the Congress below). We called this the Environmental Technology Initiative.
Now, we are pleased to announce [Re]Generation: “Restoring the biome so generations can flourish.” The flourishing is both spiritual and ecological. This new initiative will likely extend beyond business as mission in order to fulfill the restoration, but BAM is an important component.
Our goal is to integrate ecological restoration with the restoration of the heart. The exciting thing is that there are BAM companies already involved from micro-irrigation to regenerative agriculture, from soil science and ecological design. As well, interested professionals from related fields such as landscape architects and ecologists are ready to help. It is as if the Lord has already laid out the pieces there for us to assemble — to His Glory.
A link exists between barren soils and barren hearts
We have four test projects we are piloting in Central Asia: two of the projects are with pastors who are trying to establish farms with regenerative agriculture principles, another is working on de-desertification, and lastly, we are designing a soils lab (because you cannot fix something ecologically if you do not know the baseline). We are working on project plans and funding.
We need your help. At this point, we do not know whether the business model is for-profit, not for profit, or a hybrid. Some projects might have a financial return in five years, some in 60. We do know it is a way to reach people where they live and share a love of the land. We would value your feedback on how to move forward. In addition, we would love to hear of related projects and new candidate projects.
Be part of restoring barren lands as we all partner to restore barren hearts. With our collective effort, we believe the promise of the Lord in Psalm 85,
Will You not revive us and bring us to life again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
Indeed, the Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce. – Psalm 85:6, 11-12
Hear more from Mark: Listen to Podcast and Watch Video below.
>>Read more on Creation Care on The BAM Review blog here
Mark Polet is a professional biologist with over 40 years of experience. Working on four continents, Mark and his wife Terri bridge cultures and traditions with people of good will to serve those who are spiritually and materially impoverished. Mark is passionate about bringing engineers, scientists, and business together to develop solutions to challenging environmental issues. Mark has had the privilege of coordinating the BAM Global Creation Care Consultation. Prior to working in the impact business space, Mark & Terri owned a number of companies, including an environmental services company and an environmental consultancy.
Anugraha Gaikwad is a mechanical engineer by profession and an environmental consultant by passion. She found God calling her to use her technical skills and passion to serve in the field of creation care. This led her to work in a few Kingdom-minded businesses, with a focus on environmental management and research. She now works as an environmental researcher on various projects and assists the BAM Global Creation Care Consultation team. She hopes to, one day, work as a freelance consultant for BAM companies in need of an environmental management system while caring for all of God’s creation.
Please get in touch with us about any of the issues and opportunities we’ve shared in this series, connect with Anugraha here and Mark here.
[1] See Polet, Mark & Anugraha Gaikwad. 2023. Challenge and Hope: How Business Can Help the Planet and Its People Flourish. https://bamglobal.org/creation-care-part-3/
Listen to Mark share on the BAM Stories Podcast
Watch Mark challenge us on the intersection of creation care and BAM
The people we want to reach are facing the greatest environmental, even existential challenges. BAMers are on the ground already in the areas of greatest need. This presentation explores how to meet these challenges with the Hope we share and the technical capabilities we can access.
Photo by Adrian Infernus on Unsplash