A good future may depend – not on minimising consumer capitalism – but on radically extending its reach and depth.
This was an undercurrent at Bayer’s Future of Farming Dialogue held in Cologne in October. (I attended representing Nuffield International*.)
In between fleeting references to Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto and the backdrop of selling agro-chemicals with contested environmental and social impacts; there was a real sense that Bayer sees its future as a premium-level services company trading in environmental intelligence, risk management tools and decision support mechanisms for the betterment of humanity and the planet.
I experienced the event as a reminder that we are creatures who hunger for warm relationships with family and community, a sense of freedom and joy and a promise of self-development and impact. We want our existence to matter for something that is important to others.
Bayer seems to reflect this in their strategy of addressing the needs of consumers that are closer to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of psychological needs.
They seem to be working with intent to move Bayer’s brand image away from pessimistic thinking about big agriculture to the pursuit of meaning, higher purpose, respecting individuality and freedom.
To trace the future of capitalism – and for many organisations an entirely new frontier of business opportunities, we only have to think of all the needs we have that currently lie outside of commerce. I suspect the strategists at Bayer have been thinking about this.
Brands like Bayer have the challenge and the opportunity to present in highly condensed form, broad visions of what life might be about. While some brands can stand for the repetition of mediocrity; it is worth remembering that people will do more or less anything for you if your purpose feels high enough.
We may think that commerce and capitalism are the roots of the sustainability crisis, but perhaps it is the pessimistically low ambition of commerce and capitalism that may be the true cause.
Are these ideas relevant to your organisation’s strategy? Contact me to discuss further.
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*Nuffield International is a network of global agricultural leaders dedicated to building capacity and providing solutions for a growing world
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