Daniela Ibarra-Howell is the CEO and a co-founder of the Savory Institute, an organization whose mission is to regenerate the world’s grasslands through holistic management. By restoring and protecting grasslands– both in the American West and around the globe– Daniela and her team at Savory effectively address pressing issues such as climate change, economic well-being, and food and water insecurity. Through inspiring leadership, masterful storytelling, and cutting-edge research, Savory is shifting the paradigm around agriculture’s role as a solution to many of the world’s challenges.
Daniela was born and raised in Argentina, and from a very young age, she loved the land, agriculture, and adventure. Her studies of agronomy led her to some of the far reaches of the globe, including New Zealand, where she met her now-husband Jim Howell. After many years managing ranches and working in the trenches of holistic management, they helped to found the Savory Institute in 2009, and Daniela took the reigns as CEO in 2011. Since then, the organization has grown and evolved, and Daniela has become one of the world’s leading voices for Holistic Management.
I was thrilled to finally get the chance to chat with Daniela on the podcast because my guests and I have referenced the Savory Institute so many times over the years. We started by discussing the organization– its mission, goals, structure, and global reach. We then talk about Daniela’s leadership philosophy and how she values thoughtful action, failing fast, and embracing complexity in all aspects of life. We talk about her upbringing in Argentina, her adventurous personality, and her partnership with her husband, Jim. We also talk about motherhood and how she has managed to balance such a high-performing career with raising two impressive and accomplished daughters. Whether you are interested in agriculture, leadership, or parenting, there are many lessons to be learned from Daniela, so I hope you enjoy!
Photos courtesy of the Savory Institute
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Episode Notes
Topics Discussed:
- 5:00 – Savory Institute explained
- 9:30 – Growth and evolution of Savory
- 14:00 – On taking risks and failing fast
- 16:00 – “Holistic Management” defined
- 18:30 – “Regenerative Agriculture” defined
- 21:00 – Business inertia in agriculture
- 27:00 – Importance of storytelling (and data!)
- 31:00 – Will Harris and White Oak Pastures as storytellers
- 34:45 – Daniela’s upbringing and education in Argentina and beyond
- 40:30 – Meeting Jim in New Zealand
- 44:00 – How managing ranches made her a better leader of people
- 52:00 – Heroes and mentors in business and leadership
- 56:00 – Balancing action and planning
- 1:00:30 – Thoughts on motherhood and raising children
- 1:07:00 – Important books on agriculture
- 1:12:30 – Parting words of wisdom
Information Referenced:
- Savory Institute
- Savory Hubs
- Allan Savory
- Jody Butterfield
- Jim Howell (episodes 1 and 2)
- Grasslands LLC
- Paris Agreement of 2015
- Will Harris – White Oak Pastures
- Wilbur Smith
- Indiana Jones
- Holistic Management by Allan Savory
- Savory’s Land to Market Project
- Tre Cates
- Auden Schendler episode
- The Continuum Concept by Jean Leidloff
- The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible by Charles Eisenstein
- For the Love of Land by Jim Howell
This episode is brought to you by the FREEFLOW INSTITUTE. The first ten Mountain & Prairie listeners who register for a 2020 summer course will get $100 off their tuition. Just mention the Podcast when you register. For more information go to freeflowinstitute.com or shoot them an email at info@freeflowinstitute.com.
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these as well:
- Jim Howell – Conserving and Restoring the World’s Grasslands
- Sarah King – Collaborative Conservation in the American Southwest
- Jim Howell, Part II – Restoring Ecological Capital Through Grazing
- Rebecca Jewett – Big Ideas for the New West
- Alexis Bonogofsky – Taking a Stand for the West
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