From Ricky’s perspective, some of the gravest drivers of deforestation and environmental destruction stem from humanity’s relentless pursuit of a single macronutrient: protein. In the Amazon, vast tracts of rainforest are cleared for soy cultivation and cattle ranching—two of the leading causes of deforestation in the region. Meanwhile, illegal fishing and whaling threaten the delicate ecosystems of the Galápagos and marine reserves around the globe. In the United States, the consolidation of animal agriculture has concentrated millions of animals into fewer, larger operations, often at the expense of animal welfare and with little regard for regenerative or sustainable growing practices. For Echanique, the solution lay in reimagining how we produce protein—not through extraction, synthetic substitutes, or modified foods designed to mimic nature, but by working in harmony with it. A model rooted in reciprocity, not depletion. And the key to that solution? The soil—and what grows from it, and how it is grown. This is where chocho emerges as a key environmental ally.