How can our economic system transition from extractivism toward planetary health and long-term wellbeing? Building on Professor Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir’s systemic framework for moving beyond GDP and Sebastiaan Huisman’s practical, finance-driven model for scaling regenerative agriculture, this Salon brings together visionary theory and real-world application to explore how living systems and community resilience can become the true foundations of economic prosperity today.
Panel
Dr. Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir
Professor of Earth & Sustainability Sciences, University of Iceland / Author (Creating a Regenerative Economy for Wellbeing) / Member, Club of Rome
Sebastiaan Huisman
Organic Farmer / Consultant for Holistic Agriculture / former Farm Manager at Sandringham Estate, British Royal Family / Member, Club of Rome Germany
Welcome remarks, curation & moderation:
Joerg Geier
Member, Club of Rome / Program Chair, ANSC
The evening will be musically accompanied by:
Kim Barbier (Pianist)
Mozart: Excerpt from the Piano Sonata in A major, KV 331
Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, No. 20
Chopin: Baccarole, op.60
About
In her new book »The Elgar Companion to Creating a Regenerative Economy for Wellbeing«, Professor Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir explores the building blocks of such a transformation. Drawing on insights from economics, Earth sciences and international examples, she challenges the dominance of GDP as a measure of progress and calls for an economy that works within planetary boundaries, strengthens communities and places human and ecological wellbeing at the centre of decision-making. New forms of leadership, cooperation, equality and long-term thinking become essential to this shift. But how can we move from vision to action? And what does a regenerative economy look like when applied to the real economy?
Sebastiaan Huisman will bring the discussion to the practical level, drawing on many years of experience as an organic farmer, farm manager and advisor, including his work with large-scale agricultural operations and the British Royal Family. He will explore what it takes to transform farming and food value chains from extractive systems into regenerative ones—restoring soil, biodiversity and ecosystems while strengthening the resilience and economic viability of farms and rural communities. At the centre of his contribution is a new approach to financing this transition: a regenerative agriculture fund designed to bring together different forms of capital, from philanthropic and public funding to catalytic capital and investment, while connecting farmers, businesses and other actors across the food value chain. The ambition is to make regenerative agriculture not only ecologically desirable, but economically viable and scalable.
Building on the Club of Rome’s longstanding exploration of economic systems, human wellbeing and planetary limits, the Salon will bring together systemic thinking and practical experience to explore a fundamental question: How do we begin building a regenerative economy from where we are today—and what can we change now to make wellbeing and the health of living systems the foundation of economic prosperity?
Speakers
Dr. Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir is Professor Emerita of Earth and Sustainability Science at the University of Iceland and an internationally recognized academic and activist. Her work focuses on regenerating Earth systems and advancing wellbeing. She has advised governments and international organizations on sustainability and wellbeing issues. Vala co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance as well as the Hub in Iceland and serves on the boards of environmental NGOs. She is a member of several international academies, a member of the Balaton Group and the Club of Rome. In 2026, she co-authored the »Elgar Companion to Creating a Regenerative Economy for Wellbeing«.
Sebastiaan Huisman is an experienced biodynamic farmer and agricultural consultant focusing on soil fertility, circular farming systems, landscape restoration, biodiversity and climate resilience. From 2005 to 2016, he was Head of the Stanislaw-Karlowski-Foundation and General Manager of its 2,100-hectare agricultural operation at Juchowo Farm in Poland, where he developed large-scale biodynamic farming systems. He was also Farm Manager at Sandringham Estate, the British Royal Family. Since 2017, he has advised agricultural operations across Europe and contributed to landscape restoration and innovative financial solutions for climate-resilient agriculture. He is a founder and board member of the European Association of Natural Cattle Breeding and an Associate Member of the German Association for the Club of Rome.
Music
Kim Barbier is a French pianist who studied at the Paris Conservatoire and with leading figures of the European piano tradition, including Maria Curcio, Leon Fleisher, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados. She has performed as a soloist at major venues and with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Orquesta de Valencia and China National Symphony Orchestra. A sought-after chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Sol Gabetta, Emmanuel Pahud and Guy Braunstein, and recorded with the Berlin Piano Quartet. She is also a founding member of the Massa Trio.
The Club of Rome Salon is a collaboration between Arts & Natur Social Club (ANSC) and Club of Rome Germany. Partners for this event: Embassy of Iceland in Berlin, forum future economy, and initiative regenerative marktwirktschaft.
Graphics: Club of Rome Salon