"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” Though Henry David Thoreau wrote those words for his seminal work, “Walden,” more than 150 years ago, they could easily have come from a contemporary work. As the climate crisis puts the natural world in peril, much of humanity feels more aligned with it than ever before.

People want to both enjoy and protect the earth’s bounty. That includes using technology—be it ancient, cutting-edge or somewhere in between—to produce food that nourishes the body and protects the environment. On the ancient end, we have fermentation, a process the Encyclopedia Britannica dates back to more than 10,000 years ago. In this issue, TerraMax’s Frances Gilman explores fermentation and microbiology from the very beginning of the supply chain: agriculture (page 34).

Sandrine Dauphin and Tobias Fischer of Destilla explore another classic process, extraction, and the ways in which it can be harnessed to meet the needs of modern consumers (page 28). Looking forward, Eddie Bulliqi speaks with Rémi Pulvérail, whose studio, L’Atelier Français Des Matières, specializes in proprietary oils known for their “pre-cultivation agronomy, hand-picked terroir and post-harvest green chemistry” (page 22) for bespoke fragrances. We also asked a number of industry professionals where they see the industry heading when it comes to natural ingredients, biotech and more (page 50).

Also in this issue, Krishnaraj Iyengar offers a romantic portrait of oud via an interview with distiller Tajul Islam Bakshi (page 42).

Whether it’s in the solitude of a cabin in the woods, your seat on public transportation or somewhere else entirely, we hope you enjoy the issue.

Best wishes from the Big Apple,

Eden Stuart

Associate Managing Editor