In Uganda’s Mbale district, famous for its production of arabica coffee, a plague of plastic bags locally known as buveera is creeping beyond the city.It’s a problem that has long littered the landscape in Kampala, the capital, where buveera are woven into the fabric of daily life. They show up in layers of excavated dirt roads and clog waterways. But now, they can be found in remote areas of farmland, too. Some of the debris includes the thick plastic bags used for planting coffee seeds in nurseries.Some farmers are complaining, said Wilson Watira, head of a cultural board for the coffee-growing Bamasaba people. “They are concernedthose farmers who know the effects of buveera on the land,” he said.Around the world, plastics find their way into farm fields. Climate change makes agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, even more unavoidable for some farmers. Meanwhile, research continues to show that itty-bitty microplastics alter ecosystems and end up in human bodies. Scientists, farmers, and consumers all worry about how that’s affecting human health, and many seek solutions. But industry experts say it’s difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs.According to a 2021 report on plastics in agriculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, soils are one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics. Some studies have estimated that soils are more polluted by microplastics than the oceans.“These things are being released at such a huge, huge scale that it’s going to require major engineering solutions,” said Sarah Zack, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Great Lakes Contaminant Specialist who communicates about microplastics to the public.
Why researchers want to study plastics in farm fields
Microparticles of plastic that come from items like clothes, medications, and beauty products sometimes appear in fertilizer made from the solid byproducts of wastewater treatmentcalled biosolidswhich can also be smelly and toxic to nearby residents depending on the treatment process used. Some seeds are coated in plastic polymers designed to strategically disintegrate at the right time of the season, used in containers to hold pesticides or stretched over fields to lock in moisture.But the agriculture industry itself only accounts for a little over 3% of all plastics used globally. About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, including single-use plastic food and beverage containers.Microplastics, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines as being smaller than five millimeters long, are their largest at about the size of a pencil eraser. Some are much smaller.Studies have already shown that microplastics can be taken up by plants on land or plankton in the ocean and subsequently eaten by animals or humans. Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of the plastic that’s been found in human organs. Early findings suggest possible links to a host of health conditions including heart disease and some cancers.Despite “significant research gaps,” the evidence related to the land-based food chain “is certainly raising alarm,” said Lev Neretin, environment lead at the FAO, which is currently working on another technical report looking deeper into the problem of microplastic pollution in soils and crops.A study out this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that microplastics pollution can even impact plants’ ability to photosynthesize, the process of turning light from the sun into energy. That doesn’t “justify excessive concern” but does “underscore food security risks that necessitate scientific attention,” wrote Fei Dang, one of the study’s authors.
Climate change making matters worse
The use of plastics has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Plastic is ubiquitous. And most of the world’s plastic goes to landfills, pollutes the environment, or is burned. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled.At the same time, some farmers are becoming more reliant on plastics to shelter crops from the effects of extreme weather. They’re using tarps, hoop houses, and other technology to try to control conditions for their crops. And they’re depending more on chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers to buffer against unreliable weather and more pervasive pest issues.“Through global warming, we have less and less arable land to make crops on. But we need more crops. So therefore the demand on agricultural chemicals is increasing,” said Ole Rosgaard, president and CEO of Greif, a company that makes packaging used for industrial agriculture products like pesticides and other chemicals.Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, also contributes to the breakdown and transport of agricultural plastics. Beating sun can wear on materials over time. And more frequent and intense rainfall events in some areas could drive more plastic particles running into fields and eventually waterways, said Maryam Salehi, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Missouri.
Can agriculture escape the plastic problem?
This past winter, leaders from around the world gathered in South Korea to produce the first legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution. They didn’t reach an agreement, but the negotiations are scheduled to resume in August.Neretin said the FAO produced a provisional, voluntary code of conduct on sustainable management of plastics in agriculture. But without a formal treaty in place, most countries don’t have a strong incentive to follow it.“The mood is certainly not cheery, that’s for sure,” he said, adding global cooperation “takes time, but the problem does not disappear.”Without political will, much of the onus falls on companies.Rosgaard, of Greif, said that his company has worked to make their products recyclable, and that farmers have incentives to return them because they can get paid in exchange. But he added it’s sometimes hard to prevent people from just burning the plastic or letting it end up in fields or waterways.“We just don’t know where they end up all the time,” he said.Some want to stop the flow of plastic and microplastic waste into ecosystems. Boluwatife Olubusoye, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Mississippi, is trying to see whether biochar, remains of organic matter and plant waste burned under controlled conditions, can filter out microplastics that run from farm fields into wterways. His early experiments have shown promise.He said he was motivated by the feeling that there was “never any timely solution in terms of plastic waste” ending up in fields in the first place, especially in developing countries.Even for farmers who care about plastics in soils, it can be challenging for them to do anything about it. In Uganda, owners of nursery beds cannot afford proper seedling trays, so they resort to cheaply made plastic bags used to germinate seeds, said Jacob Ogola, an independent agronomist there.Farmers hardest hit by climate change are least able to reduce the presence of cheap plastic waste in soils. That frustrates Innocent Piloya, an agroecology entrepreneur who grows coffee in rural Uganda with her company Ribbo Coffee.“It’s like little farmers fighting plastic manufacturers,” she said.
Walling reported from Chicago.
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Melina Walling and Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press
For weeks, President Donald Trump has said he’ll be imposing a range of fresh tariffs on imports from other countries this Wednesday, April 2, calling it “Liberation Day” and the “big one.” But what does that even mean?
“For DECADES we have been ripped off and abused by every nation in the World, both friend and foe,” Trump explained in his own words in a post on Truth Social. “Now it is finally time for the Good Ol’ USA to get some of that MONEY, and RESPECT, BACK. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!”
On Wednesday, Trump is expected to announce his plans for “reciprocal tariffs,” in which the U.S. charges the same import tax on goods into the country as other countries charge on our good into theirs, while also compensating for other trade barriers like regulatory requirements that make it harder for American exports to enter other nations.
As we have seen with the administration’s recent 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, (currently paused until April 2), slapping taxes on our neighbors and trading partners has escalated fear in the markets, sending them tumbling as we grow closer to full-blown trade wars with some of our greatest allies and trading partners.
However, Trump has indicated the size and scope of the tariffs might not be as extensive as his rhetoric might lead us to believe. Recently, Trump indicated a reciprocal tariff policy on “all countries” would be “very lenient,” and has also said, “I don’t change. But the word flexibility is an important word.”
What we do know is that the goal is to slap a broad range of tariffs on countries with whom the U.S. has large trade imbalances. Those countries include Germany, Ireland, Italy, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, and of course, China, according to CBS News.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “on April 2, we are going to produce a list of other countries’ tariffs” with the expectation they will roll them back, otherwise “we will put up the tariff wall to protect our economy, protect our workers, and protect our industries.”
The details of who or what is on the list has yet to be released, but what we do know is that Trump is hoping to achieve three things through his “Fair and Reciprocal Plan”: increase American manufacturing jobs at home; decrease our current $1.2 trillion trade deficit; and gain leverage over our trading partners, according to CBS News.
Last week, Trump said Wednesday’s planned reciprocal tariffs “may give a lot of countries a break” and confirmed he’ll announce tariffs on autos, semiconductors, and lumber “down the road,” according to Business Insider.
Many critics have said this package of tariffs will likely result in greater costs for Americans, who will likely foot the bill as companies hike prices and pass them on to consumers.
The tariffs on April 2 could take effect that same day, which would give businesses little time to pivot, with Trump predicting the economy will need an “adjustment” period.
Elon Musk gave out $1 million checks on Sunday to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group, ahead of a Wisconsin Supreme Court election that the tech billionaire cast as critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization.”“It’s a super big deal,” he told a roughly 2,000-person crowd in Green Bay on Sunday night, taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.”Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help conservative favorite Brad Schimel in Tuesday’s race, which will determine the ideological makeup of a court likely to decide key issues in a perennial battleground state. Musk has increasingly become the center of the contest, with liberal favorite Susan Crawford and her allies protesting Musk and what they say is the influence he wants to have on the court.“I think this will be important for the future of civilization,” he said. “It’s that’s significant.”He noted that the state high court may well take up redistricting of congressional districts, which could ultimately affect which party controls the U.S. House.“And if the (Wisconsin) Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side,” Musk said. “Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people.”A unanimous state Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state’s Democratic attorney general to stop Musk from handing over the checks to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes before the planned start of the rally.Two lower courts had already rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musk’s offer violates a state law. “Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul argued in his filing. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.”But the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 43 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.Kaul had no immediate comment on the court’s order.Musk’s attorneys argued in filings with the court that Musk was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and any attempt to restrict that would violate both the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.The payments are “intended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate,” Musk’s attorneys argued in court filings.Musk’s political action committee used a nearly identical tactic before the presidential election last year, offering to pay $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second amendments. A judge in Pennsylvania said prosecutors failed to show the effort was an illegal lottery and allowed it to continue through Election Day.Liberals currently hold a 43 majority on the court. All four liberal justices have endorsed Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate.Musk’s attorneys, about four hours before the rally was to begin, asked that two liberal justices who have campaigned for CrawfordJill Karofsky and Rebecca Dalletrecuse themselves from the case. His attorneys argued their work for Crawford creates “the specter of inappropriate bias.” If they did recuse, that would leave the court with a 3-2 conservative majority.Both justices rejected the request and said they would spell out their reasons why at a later date.One of the court’s conservative justices has endorsed Schimel, who wore a “Make America Great Again” hat while campaigning Sunday.Schimel said in a national television interview that he does not control “any of the spending from any outside group, whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else” and that all Trump asked was whether he would “reject activist judges” and follow the law.“That’s exactly what I’ve committed to anybody, whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk or any donors and donors or supporters or voters in Wisconsin. That’s my commitment,” Schimel told “Fox News Sunday.”The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending.It comes as Wisconsin’s highest court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state.
Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
Thomas Beaumont and Scott Bauer, Associated Press
On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar in the northern part of the country. Reuters reports the quakes epicenter was about 17.2 km (about 10.6 miles) from Mandalay, the countrys second-largest city with a population of about 1.5 million people.
The quake destroyed buildings, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure in the country. So far, 1,700 people have been confirmed dead and 3,400 injured, but officials say the final death toll may pass 10,000. The quake also hit neighboring Thailand, bringing down a 33-story building with people inside.
In Myanmar, the effects of the natural disaster are intensified due to the civil war the country has been engulfed in since 2021. As a result of the conflict, many of the countrys public services, infrastructure, and access to aid were already operating under reduced efficiency. Outside observers, including journalists, have also been limited, which now makes it hard to get a full sense of the true devastation in the Southeast Asian nation.
How to donate to Myanmar’s earthquake victims
There are ways people outside the country can help Myanmar earthquake victims. This comes via donating to various international relief organizations. Here are five agencies you can donate to right now to help the earthquake victims in Myanmar.
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontires): The non-governmental organization (NGO) provides doctors on the ground to help those who are injured. You can donate to Doctors Without Borders here.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: The IFRC is accepting donations for Myanmar earthquake initiatives on its dedicated Myanmar earthquake portal. Donations will help the agency provide the urgent support that is needed on the ground. You can donate to the IFRC here.
Project HOPE: The humanitarian organization is deploying staff in the region to help with supply chains and to get health professionals, medicines, and other medical supplies to the people who need it the most. You can donate to Project HOPE here.
Save the Children: There are a large number of children in Myanmar who have been affected by the quake. The organizations Save the Childrens Emergency Fund is designed to provide assistance, including shelter. You can donate to Save the Children here.
UN Crisis Relief: Run by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Crisis Relief collects donations to distribute to organizations working on the front lines of humanitarian crises. Donations will go to support life-saving assistance for the victims of the quake. You can donate to UN Crisis Relief here.
President Donald Trump says Wednesday will be “Liberation Day”a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.The details of Trump’s next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them.“I’m certainly open to it, if we can do something,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll get something for it.”At stake are family budgets, America’s prominence as the world’s leading financial power and the structure of the global economy.Here’s what you should know about the impending trade penalties:
What exactly does Trump plan to do?
He wants to announce import taxes, including “reciprocal” tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil, and India, among other countries.As he announced 25% auto tariffs last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.“This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America,” Trump said. “We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.”In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because autos with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced.“I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars,” Trump said. “I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States. But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports.The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper, and lumber. He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says they will force other nations to show Trump “respect.”
What could tariffs do to the U.S. economy?
Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing, and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish. Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.Economist Art Laffer estimates the tariffs on autos, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator. The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year.Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more.White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told Fox News Sunday that the auto tariffs would raise $100 billion annually and the other tariffs would bring in about $600 billion per year, or about $6 trillion over 10 years. As a share of the economy, that would be the largest tax increase since World War II, according to Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a onetime price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessent’s conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy.“There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services,” said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree. “Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longer-term effect on inflation.”
How are other nations thinking about the new tariffs?
Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump’s tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has announced retaliatory tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were “not coherent” and would mean “breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs. It’s not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian, or Mexican economies.” Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-for-tat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country.The Chinese government said Trump’s tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.“There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no country’s development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
How did Trump land on it being called ‘Liberation Day’?
Based off Trump’s public statements, April 2 is at least the third “liberation day” that he has identified.At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election, November 5, would be “Liberation Day in America.” He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in hisaddress: “For American citizens, January 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.”His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.“I don’t see anything positive about Liberation Day,” said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy. Other countries are going to retaliate.”
Josh Boak, Associated Press
More than a decade after Jessica Alba cofounded The Honest Company with a mission to deliver cleaner, healthier products for families, the brand faces new challenges in a shifting consumer landscape. CEO Carla Vernón joins Rapid Response to share how shes drawing on her experience at General Mills and Amazon to navigate shifting retail headwinds and reignite the brand. Vernón dives into the value of diversity as a business advantage, why patriotism takes on new meaning in todays landscape, and what it really takes to lead a mission-driven company amid uncertain times.
This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with todays top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.
I notice a lot of uneasiness and uncertainty by business leaders about the environment that’s changing so fast. I’m curious whether you have a philosophy at all about how you approach the pace of change that’s around us right now.
Well, one of the things that keeps me centered is that real classic line, “This too shall pass.” So, I’ve been in business long enough. As you know, I worked for 23 years at General Mills. I worked for two years at Amazon. And now, I’m a little over two years at The Honest Company. And I’ve seen enough business cycles to know that none of them are permanent. I’ve seen enough political cycles to know that none of them are permanent.
So, that helps me because I know that even on the best days, that will change; even on the worst days, that will change. What I have to do these days is try to figure out how to lead other people through change and what things we react to quickly, what we react to slowly. And it’s a very interesting situation because I think there’s some of both that’s needed. Specifically, around the economy.
We are trying to stay tuned to the principles of the change. I think if you know what you would need to do in either circumstance on either side of a change, then that’s what agility really is. We have the scenarios that help us manage when it’s time to act.
I guess the challenges, or part of them at least right now, is that the Trump administration seems to go from one side to the other side on tariffs and other things. Its like almost on a daily basis. And so, it makes it harder to know what to hold on to.
Preparation is the answer for that. For example at The Honest Company, we’re not new to dealing with tariffs. We’ve been dealing with tariffs for the last few administrations. There might have been tariffs of a different nature, but there was always uncertainty with whether a tariff will renew or it won’t. So, we really did work to set up a process.
We’ve got this team inside that we call the tariff tacklers. And that team was already assembled in place. So, they know the levers and the strength at which you have to react. In years that are smooth and easy, maybe you don’t need as much flexibility. But the truth is, having been in as many business cycles as I have, there are always surprises in them. There are hills.
The one thing that’s for sure is that you’re going to be surprised. When Jessica Alba cofounded The Honest Company, she was a pioneer in this, celebrities moving into entrepreneurship. Since then, The Honest Company has had struggles sometimes about controversy, about how clean its products are, some bumps in some of the direct-to-consumer brand. When you came on two years ago, the company had gone public, but the stock had been drifting downward from that point.
Yes. That’s nice. That’s a gracious way to say it.
What appealed to you about the opportunity in that moment?
Well, Bob, I don’t know how many calls you’ve gotten to be a CEO of a public company, but I haven’t gotten that many, so that’ll get your attention. I knew about Honest through a few moments in my life. My kids have a godmother who’s on the younger side, and she was having a baby shower. This was about 2017. And at that baby shower, I saw the decorations for the shower included products from this brand.
[Photo: The Honest Company]
We are famous for these diaper cakes, which you take little diapers and you roll them up into little tubes and make layers of them so that they stack and look like a cake. And I’d never seen somebody believe the diaper was stylish enough to be part of the party decorations. And I’m a long-time brand builder. I have built many brands. I have tried to help resuscitate some brands.
I was like, “Oh, this generation, they’re going somewhere different. They are picking a new brand.” I was a Pampers household, and that struck me. Then I forgot all about that. Eventually, I worked at Amazon where I ran what I like to call the center store categories, the everyday essentials. So, food, candy, beauty, baby products, household paper products, all of the cold medicines, all that health and wellness stuff.
And I joined Amazon in the pandemic. We weren’t having meetings. But when we decided to get back to returning to meetings in person, The Honest Company was the first vendor we met with, and they left these free samples. At the time, I used to get free samples. Remember I was running the entire beauty collection for Amazon.
And so, when I did eventually get that knock on the door and someone asked me if I would consider interviewing for CEO, here’s what I did know: I knew this was a brand for the next generation. I knew the products were amazing. And I could also see with my own eyes that the brand was not available. It was under distributed. A lot of people my age hadn’t heard of it. Those are the kinds of things that let me see, this is a gem that no one has just put the right magic dust on.
There are things about The Honest Company brand that could be associated with progressiveness that might bring negative attention from some of the more aggressive MAGA community. I mean, I was talking about this with another CEO yesterday who isn’t trying to be political about anything, but finds himself drawn into these issues and debates that he doesn’t want to be a part of. How much do you worry about that? Does thathappen at all? The word honest means a lot of things to a lot of people these days.
I feel that the word honest is still universally appreciated. There’s nothing that’s in question about a brand that is as transparent as possible and doing the best thing it can for any family that says, “I want products that are cleaner and that work for me and my kids or my household or my pet,” that’s not political, that’s not cultural. And that’s what Honest is focused on.
The voice I have is a business voice, and I have a responsibility to shareholders. And I don’t run my business by fairytale. I don’t run it by what I wish was true. I run it by what the market shows is true. And the market shows that if we focus on solving that need better than any other brand, for those families that are trying to avoid chemicals that are concerning to them or products that irritate sensitive skin, then that allows us to be in the conversation at the table showing that leaders like us, teams like us, boards like us, deliver great results.
If you are in the consumer space and you want to win with consumers, you should want to win with everybody. I don’t think progress is something that can be avoided. So, if progress is at the root of progressive, then sign me up, because I’m going forward. The consumer is going forward. And whether you like it or not, the world is going forward.
One of the questions that comes up to me sometimes in this current climate is whether business can or should be part of the checks and balances that are in the American political and cultural system. I wonder if you have any thoughts about that because obviously as a CEO, your job is to deliver for shareholders and whatever will work at the marketplace to make your quarter and all those numbers. That doesn’t necessarily connect to higher, longer-term values that might be part of what these checks and balances are. And I don’t know if you’ve thought about this at all?
Bob, you won’t find a more patriotic person than me. My children, when they used to get in trouble, one of the things I would do as a “punishment” is say, “Well, I have this little portable version of the Constitution. We’re going to have to sit outside and we’re going to read a portion together, and we’re going to discuss what it means.” That’s how nerdy I am about patriotism.
And so, I will say, I believe the answer now, as in all times where great change was called for, is in community. And so, whether you ask me, “Do business leaders need to show up and be voicing the change, advocating their shareholder or their employee base?” Most certainly. A lot of times our employee base is just a makeup of the community we’re in, the region we’re in.
But I also believe it’s not anyone. It’s not just our politicians. It’s not just our business leaders. Hey, man, the power is with the people. This is the United States of America. My mom took me to Washington, D.C., to march on the mall for the Equal Rights Amendment when I was seven. We drove from Buffalo, New York, in a station wagon because we thought we’re going to put our feet where our values are.
Now, as a leader, I get a chance to put my voice where my values are. I get to create an employee climate. At The Honest Company, we made every single full-time employee a shareholder. That’s what I can do. That puts people in the economy. That puts people who never would get in the system like that in the system. But that’s also good for shareholders because you better believe that they’re more committed to making a great company because now they’re part owner of it.
And I believe that is also patriotic: Enable the people, give them an opportunity to support their families and their communities. Let’s be together, in every corner of life. It takes all of us because this is the United States.
Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! Im Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.
Uncertainty is at an all-time high. Business leadersmany of whom thought President Donald Trumps reelection would usher in tax cuts and deregulationare navigating on-again off-again tariffs, skittish investors, and growing risk of a recession.
An index created by professors at Northwestern, Stanford, and the University of Chicago, shows global economic policy uncertaintynot knowing how policy decisions will affect business and marketsreached its highest level ever in January, surpassing the previous peak in May 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic.
Some CEOs and their teams privately have told Modern CEO that theyre pretty shaken by the degree and magnitude of chaos theyre experiencing, and an early March Chief Executive poll found CEO confidence has fallen to its lowest level since November 2012.
Publicly, though, top executives insist that uncertainty is nothing newand indeed, surveys going back more than a decade consistently show that CEOs live with constant disruption. Modern CEO connected with 14 chief executives to get their best advice on how to manage in these unpredictable times. Heres what they had to say:
Control what you can control, and communicate
Chasing every emerging trend or reacting to external turmoil can make it more difficult to execute on your mission, says Christina Smolke, cofounder and CEO of pharmaceutical ingredient maker Antheia. In contrast, maintaining a clear vision, doubling down on core strengths, and resisting the pull of distraction enables long-term success.
Ole Rosgaard, president and CEO of packaging company Greif, concurs: Our role is not to try and predict whats going to happen, but its to anchor our teams firmly in our purpose and our strategy. He adds: At times like these, when we have a lot of uncertainty, thats when clarity and connection with your employees, customers, and suppliers matter the most. Its important that you dont let people make up their own narrative.
For leaders in the financial services space, communicating with customers is especially important when markets are rocky. As CEO, my focus has been on providing clarity and reassurance to both our team and ultimately, our customers, says Sarah Levy, CEO of digital investing company Betterment. At the end of the day, providing folks with access to strong financial toolswhether its helping them get invested early, save for retirement, or having trusted advisers to help set them up for strong financial futuresis my biggest priority.
Success in any market environment starts with putting your customers first, says Darrel Hackett, president and CEO of BMO Bank. At BMO, we continually assess the market and deliver expert insights, helping our clients make sound decisions. Our commitment is rooted in ensuring our clients are prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead, with the clarity and resources to succeed.
Marcin Kleczynski, CEO at internet security firm Malwarebytes, says leaders neednt hide nor sugarcoat potential problems when communicating with stakeholders. In cybersecurity, we often face rapidly evolving threats with unknown consequences, he says. When weve experienced a crisis situation in the past, I try to put myself into the shoes of my various stakeholderscustomers, employees, the general publicand communicate what I can, when I can. Instead of staying silent or downplaying challenges, I choose to be transparent and bring audiences along on the journey so that the broader community feels informed.
Take care ofand engage your people
Dave Guilmette, CEO of employee benefits administrator Alight, reminds leaders that it isnt enough to just communicate with employees. In times of uncertainty, we often talk about resiliency, but we also often overlook the human cost of what were asking employees to endure, he says. Leaders have a responsibility to create a culture of psychological safety and well-being through open dialogue, manager training, and real-time mental health support.
During the 2008 financial crisis, architecture giant Gensler turned to employees to help chart a course when the firms business nearly dried up, says co-CEO Jordan Goldstein. Instead of closed-door meetings and putting together a recovery plan in a vacuum, we decided to convene everyone to do a large-format brainstorm on ways to rebound our business in a town hall setting, he says. The result? The organization learned the power of group problem-solving, and employees were motivated to implement the plans. In the months that followed, everyone leaned in because they felt invested and that they contributed to the strategies, Goldstein says.
Lead with certaintyand play the long game
Brian Melka, president and CEO of energy solutions company Rehlko, urges decisiveness. True leadership isnt tested when things are going wellits forged under the pressure of uncertainty, he says. The best leaders dont get lost in endless what-ifs; they focus on the present, solving problems in real time while relentlessly pursuing excellence.”
Cameron Fowler, CEO of Early Warning Services, parent of digital payment service Zelle, says uncertainty can bring opportunities if companies are prepared to act quickly. Success comes from having a leadership team with unique experiences and varying strengths that complement each other. Fowler says. You also need to have people on your team that excel in steady times and those who can navigate uncertainty with confidence.
Rick Smith, the cofounder and CEO of Taser maker Axon Enterprise, is embracing the built to last ethos that helped him grow the company. There have been a lot of learnings over the years, including playing the long game to achieve significant scale, moving fast without breaking things, using a culture of moonshots and mission focus to drive success, knowing when to pivot vs. push ahead when it comes to customer feedback, and building trust with stakeholders along the way, he says.
Lean into data
While leaders need to project an aura of confidence, they increasingly need to be backed by verified information and data. The CEOs were speaking with around the world are telling us that they need urgent support going further, faster, to address risk and people issues, says Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon, a professional services firm that provides risk-mitigation products. In this environment, data and analytics are key to surfacing actionable insights that leaders can use to create clarity amidst uncertainty and make better decisions for thir businesses, their people, and society.
Don’t waste a crisis
Leaders today also need perspective in order to see how the challenges we face can often be opportunities to grow, says Kristin Peck, CEO of animal health company Zoetis. That starts with listeningnot just internally, but to the world around us. I stay curious and seek out different viewpoints and external signals, especially from our customers and partners. She cites the avian flu outbreak as a moment for her company to rise to the challenge by pursuing innovation in vaccines and therapeutics.
Susan Howe, CEO of the Weber Shandwick Collective, says she views uncertainty as an opportunity to build organizational resilience. She says the communications company is encouraging teams to anticipate their clients needs. Its fulfillingand productiveto be pointed in the direction of doing, while remaining grounded. She adds: “Today, I try to show up as I always do, fully present. Two rules: Never lose your sense of purpose. Or your sense of humor.
Take a page from small businesses
John Caplan, CEO of global payment platform Payoneer, exhorts leaders to channel their inner entrepreneur. The best leaders dont wait for clarity; they move forward with discipline and adaptability, he says. The small business owners and entrepreneurs we serve know this better than anyone. They wake up every day facing challenges, and they dont sit stillthey innovate, adjust, and push ahead.
How are you leading now?
What are your tips for leading amid uncertainty? Send your wisdom to me at stephaniemehta@mansueto.com. Id love to share your advice in a future newsletter.
Read and watch more: Navigating uncertainty
How to stop assuming the worst in a state of uncertainty
Founders can leverage uncertainty for growth
How I grew my business despite uncertainty
Leading through uncertainty
Fast Company is extending its application deadline for Best Workplaces for Innovators 2025 to Friday, April 4, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
This marks the seventh year Fast Company will be recognizing companies and organizations from around the world that most effectively empower employees at all levels to improve processes, create new products, or invent whole new ways of doing business.
In addition to honoring the worlds 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators, we will recognize companies in more than a dozen different categories.
What differentiates Best Workplaces for Innovators from existing best-places-to-work lists is that it goes beyond benefits, competitive compensation, and collegiality (mere table stakes in todays competitive talent marketplace) to identify which companies are actively creating and sustaining the kinds of innovative cultures that many top employees value even more than money. With Best Workplaces for Innovators, Fast Company aims to identify companies where employees can do the best work of their careers and improve the lives of hundreds, thousands, even millions of people around the world.
For more than a decade, Fast Company has been recognizing outstanding achievement in business innovation with its annual awards programs. In addition to Best Workplaces for Innovators, Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies, Innovation by Design, World Changing Ideas, Brands That Matter, and the Next Big Thing in Tech lists have celebrated thousands of organizations transforming industries and shaping society through paradigm-shifting products, insights, or services.
For more information on applying, see the FAQs. The final deadline to apply is now April 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Those of us living in the harsher climates can all commiserate about what felt like a really long winter. It was cold! And windy! Perfect weather for staying inside, inert, and keeping warm with dense carbs and saturated fats.
Well, the partys over. As the chill of winter melts away and spring begins to bloom, its time to shed those extra layersboth figuratively and literally.
So whether youre counting calories, trying new workouts, or simply trying to move a little more, these free tools are here to help you reach your goals.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal (iOS, Android) is a do-it-all weight loss tool that helps you monitor your daily food intake, exercise, and weight progress.
With an extensive food database, barcode scanner, and macro-tracking features, this app is perfect for anyone looking to stay accountable with their diet. You can also connect with friends for some added motivation.
The free version offers basic calorie and exercise tracking, while the paid version includes advanced features like meal plans, macronutrient goals by gram, and an ad-free experience.
Nike Training Club
No gym membership, no problem. The Nike Training Club app (iOS, Android) offers a variety of free workouts ranging from yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
With expert coaching and curated plans tailored to your fitness level, its like having a personal trainer in your pocketexcept this one doesnt yell at you like a drill sergeant.
While there used to be a premium version, Nike Training Club is now completely free, offering all previously premium content at no cost, including guided programs and wellness tips.
Fitbit
Even if you dont own a Fitbit device, the Fitbit app (iOS, Android) is a solid, straightforward way to track your daily steps, activity, and sleep.
Use it to set challenges for yourself or compete with friends if you need a little extra motivation.
The free version tracks basic metrics like steps and sleep, while the paid version offers deeper insights, guided programs, and wellness reports.
7 Minute Workout
If you’re short on time, the 7 Minute Workout app (iOS, Android) is a lifesaver.
It provides short, efficient routines designed to get your heart rate up and your muscles working. These science-backed exercises are perfect for squeezing in a workout during a busy day.
The free version includes the basic seven-minute workout, while the paid version unlocks additional workout variations and personalized plans.
Darebee
Darebee (Web, Android) is a unique fitness resource offering a positively enormous collection of workouts, challenges, and programsall completely free.
Designed to be accessible to everyone, Darebee provides visual guides for exercises that require little to no equipment, making it perfect for home workouts.
Feel guilty about using this app without pying anything? Users can support the project via donations to keep the site up and running.
Over the course of its 40-year history, J.Crew has explored all kinds of design collaborations. Last year, for instance, it partnered with the designers Christopher John Rogers and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. But if you walk into a store, you might also come across slightly more unexpected collaborations.
On a recent visit to J.Crew’s Columbus Circle store in New York, I found a collection of kids’ clothes emblazoned with the logo of the Fire Department of New York. In February, to celebrate The New Yorker magazine’s centennial anniversary, J.Crew created a special line of sweaters, rugby shirts, and baseball caps featuring the magazine’s logo. And last summer, it dropped work jackets and sweatshirts made in collaboration with the FX show The Bear, which was heading into its third season.
Last week, J.Crew announced that it had launched a three-year partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard association to create a lifestyle collection that will land in the lead-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The thread that ties all of these collaborations together is that they focus on beloved organizations with a loyal following, rather than designers.
J.Crew is trying to make a comeback after it filed for bankruptcy in May 2020. In November of that year, the company named Libby Wadle, a 20-year veteran of the company, CEO. Through these collaborations, we’re getting a glimpse into Wadle’s vision for trying to make J.Crew relevant again.
Wadle says that the U.S. Ski and Snowboard collab is likely to generate a lot of revenue. But some of the smaller, niche collabs aren’t necessarily about making a lot of money. Instead, they’re an effort to stretch our imagination about what J.Crew representsand it’s about trying to ensure that the brand is part of the broader conversation. We’re looking to partners who can help put us at the center of culture, she says. We do some partnerships that are not just about revenue. They just feel culturally relevant and feel great from a creative perspective.
[Photo: J.Crew]
Expanding What J.Crew Stands For
When Wadle first stepped into the CEO position, her goal was to go back to the brand’s aesthetic roots, which are grounded in preppy, vintage Ivy League style. Brendon Babenzien and Olympia Gayot, the menswear and womenswear designers respectively, created updated versions of iconic J.Crew pieces, like its roll-neck sweater and barn jacket. She also brought back the print catalog, which was designed to serve as another storytelling device and a way to reintroduce the brand to consumers who may have lost interest. “It’s a way to get back in front of people who maybe don’t know us or who used to know us,” she says.
With these collaborations, Wadle is trying to expand what J.Crew can be. For instance, most people think of it as a coastal New England brand, particularly when you think of all of the catalogs of the past featuring beachy scenes, with models in swimsuits and boat shoes. But Wadle points out that the brand is also connected to New York City. Our headquarters are here, and New York means a lot to us, she says.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by J.Crew (@jcrew)
Wadle has been eager to highlight this connection. Last fall, J.Crew hosted a dinner party at the New York Public Library to celebrate the relaunch of the catalog; the year before, it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a concert featuring The Strokes at New York Fashion Week.
Its collabs with The New Yorker and FDNY were meant to deepen this connection with the city. But Wadle says that J.Crew designers also happened to be drawn to the branding around these organizations. Brendon (the menswear creative director) loved the FDNY logo, and the old firehouses around the city, Wadle says. So he was passionate about bringing the collaboration to life.
The pieces from these New Yorkfocused collaborations are fairly simple. The design team took J.Crew staples, like fleece sweatshirts, baseball caps, and vintage-washed T-shirts. They then incorporated the brand’s logos and mascots. The FDNY collection features the iconic spotty dog associated with New York firemen; The New Yorker collab included T-shirts with custom cartoons.
[Image: FX/J.Crew]
The capsule collection for The Bear was also something the creative team was personally passionate about. Babenzien happened to have a relationship with Matty Matheson, who plays the handyman Neil Fak on the show, and also happens to have his own clothing line. So they decided to create a few key pieces, such as a work jacket and a trucker hat, with the character’s fictional company, Matter of Fak Supply, on it. Wadle says the brand doesn’t expect these niche collabs to be a cash grab; instead, they’re more of a marketing play, to get in front of fans of The Bear, or The New Yorker, or the FDNY. “It’s not always a big revenue-driving opportunity,” she says. “It’s about brand integrity and to create authentic, culturally relevant moments.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by J.Crew (@jcrew)
[Photo: J.Crew]
Sports Partnerships
Wadle also wants J.Crew to be part of major sporting events. Last summer, the brand partnered with USA Swimming in advance of the Paris summer Olympics. The collaboration was unconventional because J.Crew wasn’t an official sponsor of the games, nor did it have the technical expertise to create swimsuits for Olympians. Instead, it created a collection of lifestyle pieces, from hoodies to shorts, that reflected J.Crew’s preppy aesthetic, but also featured the USA Swimming logo.
The collection was a huge hit. Within the first day the products were released, 80% were snatched up. And Wadle says that the collaboration was responsible for a 10% spike in new customers in the first week of the release, compared to the year before. It quickly added a second collection to meet the demand. The energy around swimming and the families participating by cheering on swimmers surprised us, Wadle says.
Now, Wadle wants to create similar magic with the collaboration with this new partnership with U.S. Ski and Snowboard. In this case it will create pieces that lean into the lifestyle around skiing, including aprs ski fashion. J.Crew will tap into U.S. Ski archives along with its own archive of winter catalogs to create vintage looks in line with its preppy heritage.
Much like the New Yorkbased collaborations, these sports partnership are a way to highlight different aspects of J.Crew’s brand that they might not be familiar with. Wadle points out that both swim and ski culture are part of J.Crew’s heritage. But now, these aspects will be at the forefront of consumers’ minds. We believe this partnership will be big, says Wadle. We believe we have the ability to tap into a platform that is bigger than competitive athletes. It’s about tapping into a sport that many people love.
