Seeking Feedback: Chart Connecting Science & Economics of Nourishment Cycles

Updated April 2024 – See comments section below for new version of the diagram, Economics+Science Framework: Land Nourishment Cycle Economics, and our recently completed 1-page introduction and 47-page interpretive notes and references, Analysis of Farm Practices for Food Quality and Other Market Benefits.

In working with innovative food, farming, and waste reduction initiatives (what we call “nourishment-cycle enterprises”), we see that most of the benefits they capitalize on for financial sustainability have roots in various land and food management practices. This can include food sales, and/or payments for wildlife or biodiversity or water or carbon impacts, and/or local cultural connections that earn community support, and/or increased nutrition, and other benefits (see the chart below).

We also see that they tend to tap two or three of these value propositions to sustain themselves, while most conventional farm and land enterprises rely on sales of fewer homogenous products, like just their food crops.

At Nourishⁿ we have been working hard to map together the economics and the science of this story: What specific land management practices result in nutritional, ecological, cultural, and social benefits that creative communities and individuals and companies can build into long term and sustainable success. Specifically, as part of our initiative on food quality driving support for conservation and regenerative agriculture, we identified 13 economic benefits that derive from a mix of 6 farming practices.

We now seek feedback on this year-long assessment, and the one page chart summarizing it, before producing a more polished version. It is a bit analytical and “messy” at this point, but everything in this draft chart is based on real-life examples and evidence of factors affecting food quality. This assessment may inform theory and other analyses, but the details and links between economics and land management practices are from actual cases; they’re not just theoretical.

From that perspective, what do you think? What is most interesting? What is missing? And most importantly, what types of action ideas does it make you think of in your own place?

Download the draft framework in pdf format here (2 pages): Economics+Science Framework: Land and Nourishment Cycle Economics:

Please submit your feedback and examples below, which we will review confidentially and will post if you wish by using the word “public”, or email to action@nourishn.com

In the future we will distribute more results of this work, including a more polished version of this framework chart, descriptions of the key words presented, and a reference list of resources and entrepreneurs and scientists and others consulted in its development. Most importantly at Nourishⁿ, we are starting to use this with nourishment-enterprisers, policymakers, funders and others to help activate opportunities for direct impact and systems change.

This analysis is supported by our USDA Conservation Innovation Grant: Incentivizing Conservation Adoption