October 2021 - 14

perspectives
BY NIKHIL ARORA AND ALEJANDRO VELEZ
Growing a More Sustainable Future
Any good gardener knows the importance of adaptability:
to pesky pests and weeds; to unexpected heat waves; to new
arrangements and the unpredictable whims of plants themselves.
As a gardener, to grow - in the literal and figurative sense -
means being willing to try new approaches, tools and
resources. To grow as an industry, we must be willing
to do the same.
AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY
What does evolution look like for the lawn and garden
Nikhil Arora and
Alejandro Velez are
co-founders and
co-CEOs of Back
to the Roots, and
members of GPN's
40 Under 40 Class
of Class of 2019.
To learn more
about Back to the
Roots, go to www.
backtotheroots.com.
category? It means adapting to current times - how
families are growing, what they're growing, and why
they're growing - by meeting a new generation of
gardeners where they are. It also means leading the
way in sustainability - making sustainable products
and practices the norm rather than the exception.
Sustainability isn't a nice-to-do anymore; it's a must-do.
And that change is what drives us at Back to the
Roots as we work to bring a new generation into the
garden by making it accessible, easy and fun - regardless of
backyard size, time or how green your thumb is. Our mission is
clear - we want to inspire every kid in America to experience the
magic of gardening, helping them form a deeper connection with
the land and where their food comes from.
But to ensure that gardening doesn't end as a Baby Boomer
hobby, we must challenge ourselves on how to engage and excite
an upcoming cohort of gardeners. And the answer has to be
deeper than just talking about the ounces of herbs or tomatoes
we can help someone grow - it's about focusing on the joy, the
community and the sustainability of gardening.
In a recent Pew Research Center survey (https://pewrsr.
ch/3noE1Fo), roughly seven in 10 millennials and members of
Generation Z said they believed that addressing climate change
" should be [a] top priority to ensure [a] sustainable planet for
future generations. " About one-third of Gen Z-ers and more than
a quarter of millennials reported having personally taken actions
to help address climate change within the last year. Young
people are actively looking for ways to do their part - handing
the garden industry a major opportunity to bring potential new
growers into the fold.
Growing one's own food and nurturing a close relationship
with the land are, in theory, some of the most environmentally
sustainable things we can do. But when we take a closer look at
the horticulture industry, that same spirit of sustainability that
should be innate in the work we all do isn't always reflected.
From mined peatlands that end up in almost every soil bag in
the country, to the use of toxic herbicides and pesticides, to the
millions of pounds of virgin plastic used for plant pots, there is
room for vast industry wide improvement.
14 OCTOBER 2021 GPNMAG.COM
FROM NICE-TO-DO TO MUST-DO
The United Nations' recent 2021 Climate Report underscored
the urgency of drastically reducing emissions, for the sake of our
Earth's - and our children's - future. The horticulture industry
has an opportunity to lead this change, paving the way for a
healthier and more sustainable tomorrow.
Young people have shown they want to grow, with more than
10 million new millennial gardeners entering the category within
the past year. But for this up-and-coming generation of growers
to remain passionate and engaged, we as an industry will need
to evolve by returning gardening to its roots - championing
sustainability, removing toxicity, and channeling the joy, peace
and connectedness that inspire us to grow in the first place.
We ask you to join us in not just growing together, but growing
together with the future in mind - keeping the world our kids
and grandkids are going to inherit into each of our product
decisions.
http://www.backtotheroots.com https://pewrsr http://www.GPNMAG.COM
October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021
