BRAN

Bioeconomy Resource & Action Network

Where Policy Meets Practice in California's Regenerative Transition

A quiet transformation is unfolding in California — in compost piles, forests, farm rows, and the microbial life of healthy soil. But vision alone will not deliver change. California needs systems that connect bold policy to on-the-ground practice. That is the work of the Bioeconomy Resources & Action Network (BRAN). Housed within People, Food and Land Foundation, BRAN serves as California’s connective infrastructure for regenerative transition. Acting as a connective hub — a “non-agency agency,” bridging grassroots action and institutional systems that put climate goals into action — across composting, biomass, water, waste, and land systems. We help build a circular bioeconomy — one that transforms waste into abundance, reconnects people to place, and unlocks climate resilience through living systems

Photograph by Andrew Anderson, 2024. Utrecht, NL.

What We Do

BRAN is a cross-sector platform focused on implementation and alignment

Embedded Roles – We place experts on nature-based solutions within government and partner institutions to bridge policy goals with on-the-ground impact — supporting project development, interagency coordination, and climate-aligned implementation.
Local & Tribal Support – We offer planning, data, and technical assistance tools to support regenerative infrastructure at the community scale.
Technical Assistance – We help projects navigate permitting, policy, funding, and compost system design.
Strategic Publications – We develop briefs and white papers that accelerate understanding and action.
Cross-Sector Coordination – We host convenings, working groups, and collaborative dialogues across disciplines and departments.

We don’t just advocate — we translate ideas into strategy, and strategy into systems that work.

Why It Matters

California is at a crossroads. Each year, we generate millions of tons of organic “waste.” Much of it is burned or put in landfills — deepening pollution and adding to climate harm.This material could instead be used as: Compost that restores degraded soil and reduces nitrate contamination, Biomass converted to biochar, not smoke, Circular systems that create green jobs, improve water security, and increase food system resilience

How We Get There

Tools in the BRAN Toolbox

COMMONS-Planner – National-scale GIS tool for compost prioritization
California Feedstock Maps [LINK] – Spatial data layers for organic waste and processing infrastructure
Community TA – Permitting help, project coaching, and capacity building
Policy Briefs & White Papers [LINK] – Guidance on compost regulation, procurement, SB1383, and more
Collaborative Convenings – Working groups, state-community roundtables, and field-informed sessions

A Proven Model for Impact

BRAN builds on a decade of collaborative work. From 2019–2024, PFL served as fiscal sponsor to Restore and Regenerate California, which placed regenerative advisors across CNRA, CDFA, and allied agencies.

Trusted leaders like Calla Rose Ostrander, Rebecca Burgess, and Jeff Borum helped shape policies, draft guidance, and bridge government and grassroots efforts.

BRAN scales this model, offering continuity, strategic growth, and a trusted home for future regenerative policy innovation.

Partner With Us

We are building the connective tissue California’s bioeconomy needs — one that centers relationship, readiness, and real-world results.

Join us:

Agency Leaders — Align policy, permitting, and program design
Funders & Philanthropy — Scale the people and tools that make systems change real
Planners & Practitioners — Use BRAN resources to guide regenerative implementation where you work

The future is not just written in law — it is built through collaboration, care, networks of trust, and aligned action.
[Explore the BRAN Resource Hub] – Coming Soon