Founded by Margo and Ian Baldwin in 1984, Chelsea Green Publishing is recognized as a leading publisher of books on the politics and practice of ecologically based living. Chelsea publishes authors who bring in-depth, practical knowledge to life, and give readers hands-on information related to organic and regenerative farming and gardening; ecology and the environment; healthy food; local economies and resilient communities; and integrative health and wellness.
Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for challenging conventional narratives and assumptions about how the world “works,” about what it means to be human, and about how life and cultural systems are organized.
Our purpose is to reverse the destruction of the natural world by challenging the beliefs and practices that are enabling that destruction and by providing inspirational and practical alternatives that promote regenerative action.
An industry leader in terms of its environmental commitments, printing its books on recycled paper and using nontoxic inks, Chelsea Green Publishing became a 100% employee-owned company through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2019.
Chelsea Green Foundation fulfills its mission at the intersection of ideas and practices of people and organizations on the leading edge of change.
Establishing this new foundation coincides with an inflection point for humanity. Rapid biodiversity loss and ecological collapse, driven by destructive economic and technological forces , which unravel social cohesion, includes the loss of personal liberty and local governance. The emergence of cascading crises and the failure of governments and institutions to address them, creates an urgent need for holistic responses.
Inspired by economist David Fleming – whose work was posthumously published by Chelsea Green – the foundation consults conversations to expose fallacies [errors with staying power] through dialogue and programs about the cultural, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of our relationship with the natural world.
Leveraging the expansive community of practitioners who have written for Chelsea Green, the foundation has a unique place within the mosaic of not-for-profits engaged in the sustainability space. Though, we – along with other pioneers of the movement – wonder what “sustainable” means as it increasingly becomes a way for corporations to cloak themselves in green window dressing about their “net-zero” growth plans.
Can anything be deemed sustainable when life itself—in all its myriad forms—is threatened at so many levels? Is it enough to focus on the how-to of “green living” in the face of such overwhelming force; the “shock and awe” of forest and ecosystem destruction; the rampant plundering of the world’s oceans; the terror of GMO contaminated food; and the unintended consequences of biotechnology?
The Chelsea Green Foundation’s principal activities and contributions will inspire hope for the future by asking the pertinent questions of the day, inspiring and supporting resistance in the face of oppression, and engaging broad perspectives in repairing our relationship with one another and the natural world.
Being Self-Sufficient in Uncertain Times: How to Survive the Future
Chelsea Green is proud to have been helping people live more healthily, resiliently, and responsibly since 1984. As we enter this new cost of living crisis with rising food costs and shortages worldwide, now is a more important time than ever to be self-sufficient. That's why we're sharing resources from industry-leading gardeners, farmers, health specialists, chefs, and more — to give our readers the tools they need and recommend the best books to help you and your family thrive.