Hello, hello!

We are, and you’re reading this so, we’re all into sustainability. Though not everyone is, and when your algorithm is geared to that, you forget. Much of what else is online is otherwise distracting, it’s not the type of content you’ll discover and ask yourself “Do I want to learn today?” The biggest question we’re all grappling with is whether it’s possible to reach climate change targets, because our current society is based on more, more, more. For many, the sentiment is overwhelming but getting through that comes from action — sharing information, organising yourself so you’re not wasting food, eating more plant-based, vote, a bit more activism that sort of thing.

Still, there is a real need to redistribute the responsibility back onto the companies that aren’t taking responsibility. And while it can be said no meaningful change will otherwise occur, that these corporations are untouchable, we are witnessing change. In some cases, their demise.

Topshop and three other Arcadia retail brands permanently closed stores after collapsing into insolvency in 2020. Former high-ranking food safety executive at Nestlé won an eight-year legal battle after a Swiss appeals court ruled that she had been unlawfully harassed and forced out of her job. And Monsanto-Bayer had to pay $10 billion to settle cancer suits last year. It’s empowering. And hope that it provides you with more momentum.

Cooking for us is always a constant, we make time to prepare and create evening rituals around our meals, and this one is super versatile, easy to put together and always delicious. Substantial but not heavy, this meal contains a fantastic variety of proteins, vital minerals and plant-based Omegas.

We caught up with Dovetail Restoration owner Avi Kofiman to discuss the role of furniture repair in creating a sustainable circular economy. Collectively they work alongside a team of craftspeople, from carpenters and upholsterers utilising practices that seek to minimise impact, and to create a sustainable circular economy for furniture and objects. We discussed shifting attitudes towards sustainability, a general distaste for furniture produced en masse, and the Pandemic's significance in evaluating our relationship to consumerism and home.

Last February, we met with Niva and Yotam Key at their farm, Pakaraka Permaculture in the Coromandel. An achievement of sorts for our platform, as the two young entrepreneurs are undoubtedly leaders of the regenerative organic agriculture movement in New Zealand. A market garden, an education centre, activists and publishers, unsure if the Keys are workaholics in disguise—but they never stop improving and exploring their possibilities. How their aspiration for a different way of living pushed them towards regenerative organic farming? We are happy to share Part 1 of our conversation. Maybe their words will inspire vocation!

Amandine gifted me the Discovery Kit from Tata Harper and this was my introduction to the Regenerating Exfoliating Cleanser. When I saw the texture, the apricot microspheres, I was excited — and it didn't disappoint. You are simultaneously cleansing and exfoliating and your skin, after, it feels VERY clean. Come day two, and I was Googling where to buy the full-sized version. Three months on and I don't get anxious about using the camera on Microsoft Teams, so I'm sticking with it. I got ID'd yesterday. It is worth $300 a year. Read about the ingredients, the brand, linked in our bio.

1. On Friday, we gathered at the Civic Theatre in Auckland for the opening of the DocEdge festival, an international documentary film festival, and the premiere of High Tide Don’t Hide by filmmakers group The Rebel Collective, including Niva Key. This documentary follows a group of New Zealand teenagers preparing the School Strike 4 Climate campaign that led 170 000 kiwis to mobilise in 2019—one of the biggest strikes in this country. The documentary shares the intimacy, the doubts and joys, the tears and laughs, the loss and wins of these young people fearlessly taking a stand for our planet, for their future and their community. Powerful, this is a documentary that everyone should watch.
   
   There is so much to say about High Tide Don’t Hide, about how it made us feel. But mostly, it felt heartbreaking. For Trace and I, we have understood for a long time the issues related to Climate Change. We have integrated what needs to happen and the consequences if no political stand is taken. It is constantly with us. However, witnessing the distress of the Pacific Islands community currently losing everything, their land, their graves, their history and their way of living—there are no words.
   
   
2. A couple of weeks ago, I listened to the interview of Yasmine Motarjemi, the ex-Nestlé’s executive who won her battle against the industrial food giant. Heartbreaking—and despicable. I am never a fan of the name and shame finger-pointing, but sincerely, anyone purchasing from any Nestlé brands is complicit, supporting the most disgusting behaviour towards all kinds. Any consumer could suffer. There is a list to pick a side actively.
   
   
3. This month is definitively about activism here. And it is always pleasant to see mainstream media converse about the figures actively fighting for this world. Vogue published a piece online on Sea Shepherd and three of its protagonists, Eva Hidalgo, Mar Casariego and Lamya Essemlali. These female activists are at the forefront of Ocean conservation and protection. Inspirations.

1. Representation is still, evidently, an issue in the fashion industry, though this month, we witness a glimmer of change. Quannah Chasinghorse, who is Hän Gwich'in and Oglala Lakota from Fairbanks; model, a climate justice activist, advocating for Indigenous land rights, representation in media and awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women is the most recent face on the cover of Vogue Mexico. I hope she will not be the last.
   
   
2. Watch Dark Waters. Available at least on Amazon Prime, Dark Waters tells the true story of the lawyer Rob Bilott who took DuPont to court and won. What we see again is another company that put toxic chemicals out into the environment. Here in West Virginia, it was a chemical plant that contaminated drinking water with PFOA, a toxic chemical used in the production of Teflon. And while at this point the genre has become almost familiar, Dark Waters remains a necessary watch.
   
   
3. I start every day with two espressos and still foolishly drink coffee after 4 pm. I've really been enjoying Flight Bomber for the better part of a year now on subscription, but the other week Amandine gifted me a bag of Ozone's latest — Organic Espresso Blend. It's full and sweet in the cup. Delicious! It tastes like blackcurrant, lime and cocoa. This coffee is roasted in Auckland from certified organic coffee beans sourced from Colombia, Guatemala and Sumatra co-operatives. And now I have a 1kg bag on the way!

Thoughts, questions, you can always direct reply to these emails.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua