The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast: Recent Episodes
Patrick Holden
The Sustainable Food Trust podcast questions current food production methods and sheds light on the future of farming. Chief Executive Patrick Holden hears from a range of voices, including policymakers, business leaders, food producers and campaigners, about some of the issues facing farming systems across the world.
What's it like to be young in an industry where the average age is nudging 60 (and climbing)? Why would you want to join it, and what happens if no-one does? On this week's episode, Stuart Oates sits down with Summer Wyatt-Buchan, Craig Alexander Byrne and Jessica Walker – three members of Nuffield's Next-Gen class of 2026 to find out what really matters to the UK's next generation of farmers, what they think about the big regen debate and why they decided to visit no less than 45 farms around the UK – plus what they discovered along the way.
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the most exciting names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026, sponsored by The Rothschild Foundation. To listen to more podcasts recorded live at this year's festival, read this month's newsletter or visit our podcasts page.
Learn more about the Nuffield Farming Next-Gen Scholarship and find out how to apply at https://www.nuffieldscholar.org/scholarships/nuffield-farming-next-gen-scholarships
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Timestamps
0:00: Introduction – what is the Nuffield Farming Next-Gen Scholarship?
01:50: Personal journeys into regenerative agriculture
04:45: Insights from farm visits
08:44: Reflections on the Nuffield Farming experience
12:27: Community engagement and social metrics in farming
15:34: The debate on regenerative certification
20:08: Bridging the gap between conventional and regenerative farming
25:04: Advice for future scholars
Could the rise of GLP1s such as Ozempic be a catalyst for more sustainable farming? Sounds ridiculous right? But for anyone eating less, the calories you do consume need to really count. As more and more people use anti-obesity medications (the UK is already Europe's largest market for GLP1s and uptake is projected to increase dramatically), the focus on nutrient density is only going one way. The public is waking up to what nutrient density actually means, and crucially, what it means for their health.
If nutrient dense food depends upon nutrient dense soil – and the route to nutrient dense soil is agroecological farming – will this create greater demand for sustainable farming practices?
Join Stuart Oates and expert panellists Dan Kittredge (founder of the Bionutrient Food Association), Dr Lucy Williamson (author of Soil to Gut and award-winning registered nutritionist), and Tom Pearson (Nuffield farming scholar and medical doctor) to find out what might happen next.
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.
Missed the action at this year's Groundswell-SFT Podcast Tent? Don't worry – we've rounded up some of the highlights 💚 Key themes include the organic versus regenerative divide, nutrient density, and that all important soil to human health connection. We'd like to thank all our incredible podcasters and guests for making the inaugural Podcast Tent such a hotbed of debate, ideas and inspiration – and huge thanks to Groundswell and The Rothschild Foundation for their generous support. We'll be sharing links to all of the podcasts recorded at this year's festival in our upcoming newsletter (out 5th August) – sign up via our website: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/newsletters/
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
These conversations were recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.
In this very special edition of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden sat down with John Cherry and Joanna Bowen, creators and co-founders of Groundswell.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Glastonbury of the Food and Farming world was even bigger and better this year - and for the first time, hosted its very own Podcast Tent (a collaboration between the Sustainable Food Trust and Groundswell, and generously supported by The Rothschild Foundation). Patrick was joined by Groundswell co-founders John and Joanna to talk through how what started as 400 people in a field in 2016, has today transformed into one of food and farming's most anticipated events with over 10,000 eager participants from farming, food and beyond.
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.
End track 'Assurance' courtesy of and licensed through Soundstripe.
Timestamps
0:00: Welcome to the SFT Podcast Tent!
00:43: The origins of Groundswell
2:56: Transitioning from conventional to no-till farming
5:55: Inspired by American farmers and the No-Till Alliance
8:56: The first Groundswell
14:45: The organic versus regenerative divide
19:45: The power of storytelling in agricilture
26:07: What does the future of Groundswell look like?
34:10: Making regenerative agriculture profitable
41:13 Goodbye!
In this episode of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden is joined by doctor, broadcaster and bestselling author Chris van Tulleken for a wide-ranging conversation about ultra-processed food, public health, farming and the future of our food systems. Best known for his TV appearances and ground-breaking book Ultra-Processed People, Chris has played a major role in bringing the realities of ultra-processed food into public debate. In this discussion, the conversation explores the deeper connections between food production, corporate power, human health and environmental damage.
Patrick and Chris examine where responsibility for our broken food system really lies – with consumers, governments or multinational food companies – and discuss the growing influence of ultra-processed food corporations over public policy, scientific research and public understanding of nutrition.
The episode also explores the relationship between farming methods and health outcomes, asking whether the way food is produced matters as much as the way it is processed. From organic farming and pesticide use to food affordability, regulation and the hidden costs of industrial agriculture, the discussion highlights the overlaps between public health and environmental sustainability.
Throughout the conversation, Patrick and Chris find common ground in their belief that meaningful change will require a better-informed public, stronger regulation and a food system that works in the interests of both people and planet.
To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, sign up to our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media: @susfoodtrust.
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. In this episode of the SFT Podcast, we take a deep dive into the realities of salmon farming – one of the UK's most significant food industries and its largest food export.
Prompted by a recent open letter questioning whether farmed salmon can ever be considered sustainable, Patrick and Stuart explore the environmental, ethical and nutritional implications of modern aquaculture. Drawing on Patrick's firsthand experience with organic salmon certification in the 1990s, the conversation traces how the industry has evolved – and why its foundations are now being challenged.
From feed production and ocean pollution to sea lice, disease, fish escapes and the impact on wild salmon populations, this episode examines the complex web of issues surrounding farmed salmon. The discussion also considers the wider consequences for marine ecosystems, public trust in food systems, and the difficult balance between economic importance and environmental responsibility.
As always, the conversation remains open and exploratory – asking whether a more sustainable model is possible, what alternatives might look like, and what this means for consumers trying to make informed choices about the food they eat. To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels.
For this episode of the SFT Podcast, we hear from Owen Shiers – Welsh folk singer, researcher, grain grower and cultural historian.
In his late 20s, Owen was rewarded a scholarship from the Finzi Trust to research folk music in Ceredigion, where he grew up – a moment which he describes as the 'beginning of his journey'. What was originally intended to be an exploration of culture, became an exploration of agriculture as Owen came to learn about the significance of black oats in Wales. During his research, Owen crossed paths with Gerald Miles, an organic farmer from Pembrokeshire, and Iwan Evans Coedfadre, a Welsh folk singer and farmer.
Whilst Gerald had been searching for black oats for 20 years, having all but disappeared and been replaced by more modern varieties of oats, Iwan was the last farmer in Wales to be growing them. Through this research, Owen was able to connect Gerald and Iwan, which led to the creation of the Llafur Ni Network ('Our Cereals') – a project they co-founded with the Gaia Foundation, bringing together farmers and growers across Wales to revive black oats and other rare welsh grains.
Owen's music, (Cynefin – Owen's 'musical brainchild') is firmly rooted in the customs and cultural vernacular of Ceredigion. His most recent album Shimli, explores the intersection between music, poetry, food and the natural world. Stick around until the end of this episode to hear 'Y Medelwr' (The Reaper Man) from Owen's latest album, and for an explanation about the origins of the song.
Elsewhere in the episode, Patrick and Owen also talk about the impact that religion has had on Welsh folk music; how the cultivation and preservation of seeds compares to that of the cultivation of wool and other animal by-products; and they ask, how can we create economic opportunities for people in a food and farming system which is often working against the principles of sustainability?
You can listen to Cynefin's music here and and follow him on Instagram.
To find out more about the Llafur Ni Network and how Owen first came to meet Gerald and Iwan, watch this brilliant film from The Gaia Foundation and Andy Pilsbury.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in January 2026.
Timestamps:
0:00: Welcome to the SFT Podcast!
0:49: Who is Owen Shiers?
3:17: Exploring the roots of Welsh folk music
5:03: The Methodist Church's impact on folk music in Wales
7:55: Black Oats in Wales
11:06: What can poetry tell us about farming culture?
13:40: Stuck between a rock and a hard place: valuing culture versus making a profit in farming
17:53: Opportunities in agricultural education
23:40: How do we create economic opportunities for people in a system set against the principles of sustainability?
28:18: The Llafur Ni Network
42:06: How does the cultivation and valuing of seeds compare to wool?
45:28: How can we make sustainable food and clothing more affordable?
49:11: Owen reads some Welsh poetry
51:52: Goodbye!
52:31: 'Y Medelwr' (The Reaper Man)
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices.
In this episode of the SFT Podcast we're talking about food security – as the war in Iran shows no sign of easing, with thousands of casualties and many people displaced from their homes, we discuss the impact of the conflict in terms of food security in the Middle East, as well as how agriculture is often weaponised in times of conflict.
We also reflect on how the conflict has impacted food security in the UK, and what steps could be taken to ensure the country is more food secure and our farming sector is more resilient in the face of local and global shocks.
This week, Patrick and Stuart are also joined by Megan Perry, the SFT's Head of Policy & Campaigns. Megan has a degree in international politics and has been working with the SFT for 12 years, heading up our work the UK's small abattoir sector. Alongside her experience at the SFT, Megan has also spent time visiting and supporting organisations and individuals working in the agriculture sector in places like Palestine and Lebanon who have been significantly affected by the ongoing conflict.
To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Feeding Britain report: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/feeding-britain/
- Food sovereignty report: https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/pathways-towards-food-sovereignty-in-lebanon/?tztc=1
- Tim Lang: UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/07/uk-stockpile-food-climate-shocks-war
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. To mark the release of the recent documentary Finding Harmony: A King's Vision – exploring his Majesty King Charles III's lifelong commitment to the environment and his philosophy of Harmony – in this episode of the SFT Podcast, Patrick talks to Stuart about his involvement in the documentary and recalls first meeting the King in 1982. They also explore the philosophy of Harmony in more depth, including how we can bring harmonious practices into our everyday lives and why achieving this is now more important than ever. Elsewhere in the episode, Patrick and Stuart talk about the evolution of agricultural education and the importance of influencing the influencers to enable a transition to more sustainable food and farming practices. To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels – let us know what you'd like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about next time! Timestamps: 0:00: Welcome back! 0:33: Patrick talks about his relationship with King Charles, first meeting him in 1982, the development of Highgrove Farm and their shared passion for organic farming 4:01: The King's book: Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World 5:55: We are not separate from nature, we are part of nature 10:45: Striving for Harmony in a world of conflict 13:36: To achieve Harmony, where do we start? 18:02: Harmonious practices in our everyday lives 25:48: Patrick's involvement in Finding Harmony 28:36: 'Seeing is believing' experience at Highgrove Farm 30:17: The evolution of agricultural education and need for reform 37:53: The history of Dumfries House 43:14: The interconnectedness of faiths/The King's influence on connecting different faiths 44:52: How do we transform farming to become part of the solution, rather than the problem? 49:35: Influencing the influencers 53:31: What's coming in future episodes Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust: https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/ https://bsky.app/profile/susfoodtrust.bsky.social https://www.facebook.com/SusFoodTrust https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/ Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project: https://fossilfreefarm.com/ https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/ https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.
Sir Julian Rose and his daughter, Miriam Rose, of the Hardwick Estate – England's first community-owned estate – joined our CEO, Patrick Holden, on the SFT Podcast.
Julian Rose was one of the pioneers of organic farming in the UK. In the late 1960s, Julian inherited ownership of the Hardwick Estate and by 1975 the 375-acre farmland had been converted to organic status. 40 years later, the Rose family have made the decision to transfer ownership of the Estate to the local community, seeking to move away from a history of private aristocratic ownership.
Following closely in her father's footsteps, Miriam says she identified as a 'natural environmentalist' from a very young age having grown up on the farm, and has been a fierce advocate ever since – including spending eight days incarcerated in Iceland after protesting the country's aluminium industry's impact on the rivers. Nowadays, Miriam sits on the board of Trustees of the Hardwick Estate, overseeing its direction, which is otherwise managed by the Hardwick community.
In this episode, Julian and Miriam go into more detail about how this community-owned model works, as well as the risks involved with this approach, and they discuss whether or not this model could be scaled. They also talk about the complex feelings they have towards land-ownership and the inheritance of wealth.
Find out more about the Hardwick Estate here.
This conversation was recorded in October 2025. Featured image courtesy of www.julianrose.info/.
Timestamps
0:00: Welcome Julian and Miriam!
01:04: The history of the Hardwick Estate and how the Julian came to inherit the Estate
9:05: Patrick and Julian's involvement in the early organic movement – including the beginnings of the UK's organic food standards
12:15: Miriam's early beginnings as an environmentalist and her role at Hardwick
15:12: Becoming England's first community-owned estate
22:35: How does the community ownership model work?
24:46: What are the risks involved with this approach?
30:02: 50 years of organic at the Hardwick Estate
32:58: Can this community-owned model be scaled?
33:59: The complexities of inheriting land and wealth
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.
And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices.
For our first episode of 2026, Patrick and Stuart talk about the extreme weather we've experienced, just days into the new year – reflecting on the disruption that Storm Goretti caused, particularly in Cornwall where Stuart farms, they discuss the incredible display of community resilience in response to shocks like this.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Patrick also talks about his time at the Oxford farming conferences – both Oxford Real Farming Conference and Oxford Farming Conference – where the environment secretary announced updates to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) schemes; Stuart discusses Marks & Spencer's new range of nutrient dense food, and the two also debate the importance of measuring farming system outcomes and explore the challenges that come with this.
To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you'd like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about next time.
Timestamps:
0:00: Welcome!
0:13: The overproduction of milk affecting price per litre
2:32: The aftermath of Storm Goretti and show of community spirit
6:48: Local procurement vs exports
8:31: ORFC and OFC
13:00: Are big food companies comitting greenwash or should we embrace their regen efforts?
20:38: Defra's recent announcement on SFI and FiPL
24:07: Should we and how can we measure farming system outcomes?
29:50: M&S's 'nutrient dense' food range
31:48: McDonald's efforts to champion higher quality food
35:06: What's Stuart up to in Brazil?
36:08: Patrick's message on health for 2026
37:17: Global dependence on roundup
41:03: Goodbye!
Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:
https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/
https://bsky.app/profile/susfoodtrust.bsky.social
https://www.facebook.com/SusFoodTrust
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/
Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:
https://fossilfreefarm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/
https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. In this episode, Patrick and Stuart explore the current distortion of food pricing, with Christmas vegetables being used as loss leaders in supermarkets. They discuss nose-to-tail eating, share Patrick's carrot-growing journey, and reflect on making the most of festive meals and holiday food traditions. The conversation finishes with New Year's resolutions and ideas for a few ways to access 'flow state' to help us to be present in our day-to-day lives.
To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you'd like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about in the next episode!
Our CEO, Patrick Holden, recently sat down for a conversation with Sir Tim Smit, former archaeologist, music producer and founder of the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. In this episode, Patrick and Tim talk about the emerging dangers of forever chemicals for the environment and human health, reconceptualising what we mean when we talk about farms and their importance for mental health and wellbeing, and why the integration of food and farming into the national curriculum "shouldn't be fringe, it should be right at the core".
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.
And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in December 2025.
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. In this week's episode, Patrick and Stuart talk about forever chemicals and the increasing awareness of their impact on human health – as recently investigated in an episode of the BBC's Panorama. They also discuss the politicisation of regenerative agriculture; Patrick shares his thoughts on the publication of new research reviewing the safety of the widely used herbicide, Roundup, and asks what a post-Roundup farming future might look like; and Stuart reflects on his camel farming journey and how at one point he had the largest camel farm (21 camels!) in mainland Europe.
To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you'd like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about in next week's episode!
Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:
https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/
https://bsky.app/profile/susfoodtrust.bsky.social
https://www.facebook.com/SusFoodTrust
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/
Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:
https://fossilfreefarm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/
https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. In this episode, Patrick and Stuart reflect on some events they've recently attended including COP30 in Brazil and AGRITECHNICA in Germany. Meanwhile, on abattoirs, Stuart shares what he learnt from his first visit to a slaughterhouse, Patrick talks about mobile abattoirs, and the two discuss the 'demonisation' of the consumption of animal fats.
Patrick also touches on the demise of small dairy farms and describes how farmers being told to 'get big or get out' when it comes to their farming methods, and later on in the episode, Stuart discusses some of the developments being made in agri-tech that he came across at AGRITECHNICA.
To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org.
Watch the SFT Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@sustainablefoodtrust6605
Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:
https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/
https://bsky.app/profile/susfoodtrust.bsky.social
https://www.facebook.com/SusFoodTrust
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/
Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:
https://fossilfreefarm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/
https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices. In this episode, Patrick and Stuart report live from two big events in the food and farming calendar - COP30 in Brazil and Agritechnica in Germany - covering everything from the power of showing up and building connections to the rights of agricultural workers and indigenous peoples.
Watch the SFT Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_AeZT35qk
Find out more about Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:
https://sustainablefoodtrust.org
https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/
https://www.tiktok.com/@susfoodtrust
Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:
https://fossilfreefarm.com
https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/
https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu
https://www.tiktok.com/@camelstu
What's really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming's top voices.
Watch the SFT Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYoPEVtp3UU
Find out more about Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:
https://sustainablefoodtrust.org
https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/
https://www.tiktok.com/@susfoodtrust
Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:
https://fossilfreefarm.com
https://www.instagram.com/camelstu/
https://www.youtube.com/@farmerstu
https://www.tiktok.com/@camelstu
At this year’s Regen Gathering on the island of Jersey, our CEO, Patrick Holden, had the chance to meet with the event’s co-founder, India Hamilton, for the latest episode of the SFT Podcast.
Alongside founding Jersey’s Regen Gathering – an annual event which brings together a diverse range of people and ideas to discuss the innovative food, farming and finance approaches that are taking place on Jersey – India is also a chef, food systems expert and heads up HYPHA Consulting, a regenerative consultancy committed to pioneering sustainable futures within the rural economy and food system. In 2018, India was also involved in developing The Sustainable Cooperative (SCOOP), a consumer-led cooperative which aims to create a more sustainable supply of food on Jersey.
In this episode, Patrick and India talk about the beginnings of the Jersey Regen Gathering and how its conception was inspired by other food and farming events like Groundswell, what the Jersey government is doing to support their farmers and how this differs from what’s happening in the UK, and the connection between public health and our food systems.
To connect with India, follow her on LinkedIn. To find out more about the Regen Gathering, visit the website where you can also find details of this year’s Jersey Farming Conference, taking place in November.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in September 2025.
After both appearing on the Grazing for Good: Livestock and Biodiversity in the UK panel at ORFC earlier this year, SFT CEO, Patrick Holden, sat down once again with Molly Biddell, Head of Natural Capital at Knepp Estate – a 3,500-acre rewilding project in West Sussex – for an episode of the SFT Podcast. Her work involves leveraging nature markets and policy for Knepp, Weald to Waves and the River Adur Landscape Recovery project. She also works part-time at Hampton Estate, a family-run regenerative farming business, facilitates the Upper Adur Farming Cluster group and is a columnist for Farmers Weekly.
In this episode, Patrick and Molly talk about the work going on at Knepp Estate – ‘a radical rewilding experiment’, says Molly – including the success they’ve had so far in terms of an increase in biodiversity, carbon sequestration and habitat restoration. They also talk about the role of projects like Knepp Estate to improve public awareness of rewilding and more sustainable agricultural methods, before finishing the episode with a discussion on measuring the climate, nature and social impacts of such projects.
To hear more from Molly, you can read her column for Farmers Weekly here. To find out more about Knepp Estate, visit: https://knepp.co.uk.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in May 2025.
Following their session together at this year’s Oxford Real Farming Conference – Land, Food and Spirit – SFT CEO, Patrick Holden, and renowned biologist and author, Rupert Sheldrake, reconnected to record an episode of the SFT Podcast.
Rupert’s impressive career started at Cambridge University where he studied Natural Sciences, before receiving a scholarship to attend Harvard University, studying History and Philosophy of Science. Rupert later returned to Cambridge where he gained a PhD in Plant Development. This eventually led him to India, where he worked at The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), to develop a more holistic approach to biology and science: “the mechanistic, materialist paradigm was too limiting and constricting” resulting in the idea of ‘morphic resonance’. Rupert has also authored more than 100 technical papers and nine books, including Science and Spiritual Practices.
This episode takes a slightly different turn from our usual episodes, with less focus on agriculture, and more on the role of spirituality in science. During this episode, Patrick and Rupert discuss bridging the gap between spirituality and science, they ask whether farms could be considered ‘holy places’, Rupert explains his theory of morphic resonance and talks about his involvement with the British Pilgrimage Trust.
To find our more about Rupert and his work, visit https://www.sheldrake.org, and follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in April 2025.
Timestamps:
0.00: Intro
0.55: Welcome Rupert!
1.11: Patrick and Rupert at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) 2025
2.20: Rupert’s career beginnings
3.59: What is ‘morphic resonance’?
4.53: Is there a connection between morphic resonance and epigenetics?
6.43: Building a bridge between science and spirituality
8.58: The influences of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Rudolf Steiner
11.20: Rupert’s spiritual journey
17.00: What is a ‘holy place’?
21.59: Choral Evensong and its place at conferences like ORFC
27.56: Rupert’s involvement with the British Pilgrimage Trust
32.25: Could farms be considered ‘holy places’?
34.10: Rogation Sunday and patronal festivals
40.21: What’s drawing people back – regardless of religion – to holy places and patronal festivals?
43.07: Revaluing the parish and local community
48.36: Saying grace at mealtimes
53.30: Thank you Richard
54.21: Outro
This month we bring you a special edition of the podcast, recorded at London Climate Action Week as part of Extreme Hangout’s live podcast series. Our CEO Patrick Holden is joined by Dr Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE, with a special guest appearance from Professor Tim Spector, Founder of ZOE, for the first half of the episode.
Dr. Federica Amati’s career boasts a plethora of academic achievements – alongside her position as Head Nutritionist at ZOE (the science and nutrition research company), Dr Federica also holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research, a masters in Public Health and is an Association for Nutrition (AfN) Registered Nutritionist.
She has also authored Recipes for a Better Menopauseand the Sunday Times Bestseller, Every Body Should Know This. Her approach focuses on improving overall dietary quality throughout the life course, using food as the best tool to transform health.
During their conversation together, Patrick and Dr Federica talk about the importance of reconnecting people with how their food is grown, the current culture of litigation and fear of the wrong kinds of bacteria in our foods and how environmental health and nutrition are intrinsically linked. The final 20 minutes of this episode features a Q&A segment from the audience.
This episode was recorded and produced by Extreme Hangout.
To find out more about Dr Federica, follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in June 2025.
For this episode of the SFT podcast, Max Jones – transhumance guide and traditional foods archivist – visits our CEO, Patrick Holden, on Patrick’s farm in Wales.
Alongside his work as a transhumance guide – the practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in accordance with the seasons – Max Jones is also a writer, photographer, educator and founder of Up There The Last, a project which aims to reconnect people with their food and educate them about the traditional food practices of the past, which still exist in some parts of the world today.
From rare cheese production in the heights of the Alps, to traditional wild salmon smoking in the republic of Ireland, Max Jones’ journey to seek out and learn more about traditional food practices has taken him all over the world and led him to meet the people working hard to preserve these essential practices that are at risk of being left behind and forgotten.
In this episode, Max and Patrick talk about the threat to traditional foods including modern technology and health and safety regulations, as well as the presence of an off-the-record 'food counterculture' that exists to protect ancient practices.
To find out more about Max, follow him on Instagram, and visit the Up There The Last website and Substack page.
You can also read the article that Max wrote for the SFT about the importance of preserving traditional food practices, here: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/preserving-the-practices-of-traditional-foods/.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in August 2024.
To coincide with the release of our new report, Grazing Livestock: It's not the cow but the how, the latest guest on the SFT Podcast this month is Nic Renison. Nic is a regenerative farmer based in Cumbria where she farms alongside her husband, Paul (Reno), at Cannerheugh Farm. The daughter of dairy farmers, Nic grew up within the conventional, high production agricultural environment, growing food with little thought of the environment. This all changed in 2012 when Nic and Reno had a 'light bulb' moment after visiting an organic farm in Northumberland, which inspired them to start employing more regenerative farming methods. In 2018, alongside Liz Genever, Nic co-founded Carbon Calling – a conference created for farmers, by farmers, to share ideas and exchange knowledge on all things farming and regenerative agriculture.
During the episode Nic and Patrick discuss Nic's early farming influences, her and her husband's journey from conventional to regenerative farming methods and the origins of the Carbon Calling conference, and how it supports the wider farming community.
To find out more about Nic and Cannerheugh Farm, follow their journey on Instagram and visit their website here.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Richard Higgins, chairman and CEO of Good Gardeners International, is our guest on the latest episode of the SFT Podcast. Alongside being CEO of Good Gardeners International (GGI), Richard is also a philosopher, fungi specialist, holistic scientist, and Director of Sustainable Agriculture London. He grew up on a mixed farm in Somerset and studied his National Diploma in Agriculture (NDA) at the Royal Berkshire College of Agriculture on Farm and Grassland Management. He later completed a 10-year postgraduate study of the soil fertility works of Sir Albert Howard while travelling and teaching from China to Hawaii.
In this episode, Richard talks to Patrick about Sir Albert Howard’s influence on his own career, how agriculture intersects with the work of Good Gardeners International – including the charity’s demonstration farm, its innovative composting system and the value of human manure as fertiliser.
Visit Good Gardners International here to find out more about their work and follow them on their social media channels @GoodGardenersINTL.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Joining our CEO, Patrick Holden, for this episode of the podcast is Jamie Feilden, founder of Jamie’s Farm.
Jamie Feilden founded Jamie’s Farm in 2009, a charity which seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable children through farming, food and therapy. 15 years later, Jamie’s Farm works with over 2,300 children a year across seven farms, and aims to offer as many children as possible an opportunity to improve their wellbeing, boost engagement and develop key life-skills, whilst spending time on a farm.
In this episode, Jamie shares with Patrick how his experiences as a history teacher in Croydon led to the inception of Jamie’s Farm, as well as discussing his recent involvement in the SFT’s Beacon Farms Network, and why an educated public is key to achieving positive change across our food and farming systems.
Visit Jamie’s Farm here to find out more about their work and follow them on their social media channels at @JamiesFarm.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Kicking off series five of the Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden, SFT CEO and organic dairy farmer, catches up with Dani Nierenberg, President of Food Tank.
Dani Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Dani co-founded Food Tank with Bernard Pollack, a nonprofit organisation focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organisation, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Dani has an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.
In this first episode of the new series, Dani and Patrick discuss the impact of an extractive approach to agriculture upon our planet and our health. They consider how we can switch to a more regenerative approach – one that restores the soil, conserves water, and reduces the need for agrichemicals. Dani shares her insights on the recent shake-up in US politics and what the new administration could mean for food and farming, as well as exploring challenges relating to certification, labelling and consumer engagement.
The conversation also examines the true cost of industrial food production, which typically isn’t reflected in the retail price, and unpicks some of the sustainable agriculture challenges currently being faced in California and beyond. Commenting on what gives her hope for the future, Dani gives plenty of reasons to be optimistic, including opportunities for young people in agriculture and the huge potential for collaboration within the food and farming sector.
Visit Food Tank here to learn more about their work.
And you can find Dani on LinkedIn and X.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 – Intro
- 0:43 – Welcome Dani!
- 1:28 – Food Tank’s impressive global reach
- 3:06 – Dani’s path to agriculture & sustainability
- 4:40 – The Peace Corps’ influence on Dani’s work
- 6:45 – The California wildfires
- 10:35 – Extractive agriculture in America
- 11:55 – What does the transition to more sustainable food & farming systems look like?
- 13:54 – How will the new US administration impact food and farming?
- 19:03 – How can we reach a wider audience?
- 21:22 – What did the Democrats achieve on food & farming in the last four years?
- 23:50 – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joel Salatin
- 25:59 – Barriers for young farmers in the US
- 26:46 – Groundswell film
- 27:31 – The challenges with certification in organic farming
- 30:56 – The agrochemical industry’s attempts to silence critics
- 32:53 – The importance of uncomfortable conversations and unusual collaborations
- 33:34 – True Cost Accounting
- 39:53 – Taking 'Feeding Britain' international
- 41:16 – Goodbye and thank you!
- 42:11 – Outro
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst.
“We need to bring farming back into society. It’s become completely divorced from society.”
Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England.
For over 40 years, Tolly has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and there have been no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm for over 30 years. To build soil fertility, Iain uses green manures as part of a crop rotation, as well as using vegetable and woodchip compost from waste materials.
With his extensive knowledge and experience of organic food production, Iain also delivers educational talks across the UK and beyond, and runs a consultancy service giving advice on organic conversion and production, helping to train and educate farmers and growers for the future.
During this episode, Patrick and Tolly explore the economics of farming and what it means to pay the ‘right price’ for our food. Tolly also talks about the productive capacity of Tolhurst Organic and how they’re feeding the surrounding community through their veg box scheme. Patrick and Iain delve into the current state of the UK farming sector amidst the changing policy around farm subsidies and how this is affecting both organic and conventional farmers, before closing with a conversation on the importance of demonstration farms for informing and educating people about the story behind their food and the need to incentivise farmers for this.
To find out more about Iain and Tolhurst Organic, follow @tolhurstorganicveg on Instagram, or visit www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk.
This conversation has been split into two episodes – for part one click here, or find the episode wherever you get your podcasts from.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst.
Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England.
For over 40 years, Iain has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and there have been no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm for over 30 years. To build soil fertility, Iain uses green manures as part of a crop rotation, as well as using vegetable and woodchip compost from waste materials.
With his extensive knowledge and experience of organic food production, Iain also delivers educational talks across the UK and beyond, and runs a consultancy service giving advice on organic conversion and production, helping to train and educate farmers and growers for the future.
During this episode, Patrick and Iain recount how they first met in 1981 when the UK Organic Farming movement was still in its infancy, and Iain shares the origin of his passion for horticulture, including his earliest influences. They also discuss the impacts of World War II on agriculture in the UK and what lessons we can learn from this, before digging into Iain’s farming practices including the use of wood chip, as well as a discussion around the the role of livestock.
To find out more about Iain and Tolhurst Organic, follow @tolhurstorganicveg on Instagram, or visit https://www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk.
This conversation has been split into two episodes – tune in for part two on Wednesday 10th April.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Xor Facebook.
Julius Roberts – a first-generation farmer and chef with a passion for seasonal cooking and self-sufficiency – joins Patrick Holden for this episode of the SFT podcast.
After studying sculpture at university, Julius worked as a full-time chef in London before moving to a smallholding in Dorset where he now farms. He keeps a range of livestock, including goats, sheep and pigs, and grows a wide variety of vegetables. He’s also amassed an online audience of over one million followers, where he shares delicious, seasonal recipes, inspiring people to think more about the seasonality and provenance of their food. In 2023 he published his recipe book, The Farm Table, which is now a Sunday Times bestseller.
During the conversation, Patrick and Julius discuss a range of issues, including the pressured but inspiring time that he spent working as a full-time chef in London, the role of restaurants in providing a “home for good farming”, and humans’ responsibility to ensure a good life and death for the animals that provide our milk, cheese, meat and more. Talking about his animals, Julius comments, “I feel very privileged to be so close to my food. When you rear animals on the scale that I do, they become companions… and they should be respected… What has happened to the world of meat to make it cheap for us and an everyday commodity is a scar on humanity.”
They also explore the power of storytelling and social media in connecting people with the story behind their food, as well as touching upon the current farmer protests taking place in Europe and the UK.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
In this episode of the SFT podcast, Patrick Holden sat down with John and Alice Pawsey, pioneering organic farmers of Shimpling Park Farm in Suffolk.
As well as farming 650 hectares of arable land and 1,000 New Zealand Romney breeding ewes, Shimpling Park also farms an additional 980 hectares of land for neighbouring farmers, all of which are managed organically. Diversifications on the farm include an extensive environmental scheme to support nature-friendly farming and various renewable energy projects, and the farm regularly hosts school visits and events.
During the conversation, John and Alice discuss their journey from conventional to organic agriculture, as well as their decision to re-integrate livestock into their mainly arable system. They also touch on the role of farms as educational centres to help connect people with the story behind their food, before finishing with a discussion on agricultural policy and what the future of farming looks like for organic farmers, following the introduction of new environmental land management schemes.
John and Alice also feature in the SFT's Feeding Britain from the Ground Up report, as an example of what future farming could look like. To find out more about their farm, watch this video.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
For this episode of the SFT podcast, Patrick Holden travelled to the Cotswolds to catch up with Dame Prue Leith – renowned restaurateur, cook, novelist and judge on the hugely popular Great British Bake Off. Prue recounts the incredible life she has led, from growing up in South Africa during Apartheid, to living in France where she discovered her passion for cooking.
Prue and Patrick’s far-ranging discussion takes in everything from the value of cooking from scratch and the insidious rise of ultra-processed foods to the importance of connecting chefs with the provenance of their ingredients and the role of economics in enabling widescale uptake of organic and regenerative farming methods.
Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen launches on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday 24th February, and you can find out more about autobiography I’ll Try Anything Once here.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
As we reach the halfway point in this current series of the SFT podcast, Patrick Holden becomes the interviewee in a conversation with Dave Chapman on all things organic.
Dave is the co-founder of the Real Organic Project, a farmer-led movement based in the US which aims to strengthen people’s understanding of the organic movement, including the traditional values and practices. Dave has devoted much of his life to organic farming and is also the co-founder of Vermont Organic Farmers.
In this episode, Patrick and Dave both share how they came to be involved in the organic movement in the UK and US respectively, and reflect on how the movement has changed over time and continues to develop across the world. Later on in the episode, they discuss the challenges associated with commercialising organic standards and how in doing so this risks diluting the philosophy and basic principles behind the movement. Speaking from the US, Dave also talks about how organic standards there have deteriorated in recent years with the rise of so-called organic CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and hydroponics, and how this could influence the organic standards of other countries around the world.
To find out more about the Real Organic Project, visit https://realorganicproject.org.
This episode is also available to listen to on the Real Organic Project’s website here.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Kicking off the new year and marking our fourth episode in the latest SFT podcast series, Patrick Holden meets with Ian Wilkinson at this year’s Oxford Real Farming Conference. Ian is the Managing Director of Cotswold Seeds which boasts a bespoke seed catalogue, supplying 15,000 farmers across the UK with green manures, cover crops, herbal leys and more. He is also the co-founder of FarmEd, an organisation based at Honeydale Farm, a diverse 107 acre mixed farm in the Cotswolds, operating as a space for education and connection around sustainable farming and food systems.
During the episode, Patrick and Ian discuss the history behind events like the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) and the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC), recalling earlier iterations of both and how each has developed over time. Ian delves into the origins of organic seed, the evolution of Cotswold Seeds and the importance of demonstration farms as beacons for knowledge-sharing and on-farm education. Patrick and Ian also take a moment to highlight the potential of true cost accounting to reveal the hidden costs behind so-called ‘cheap food’ and why good quality, organic food appears so expensive.
To find out more about Cotswold Seeds, visit cotswoldseeds.com and for more information about FarmEd, visit farm-ed.co.uk.
This episode doubles up as a dual podcast, in which Patrick and Ian both take turns interviewing one another. You can also listen to the episode on FarmEd’s spotify channel here.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
For the third episode of the SFT podcast, and closing out 2023, Patrick Holden caught up with Sarah Langford – a criminal and family barrister, turned organic farmer and author of the critically acclaimed book, Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Can Change the World.
Sarah spent 10 years as a barrister living in London, during which time she also wrote her debut book, the Sunday Times bestseller In Your Defence: Stories of Life and Law, to highlight the stories of those she represented and the legal system she was once a part of. In 2017, with her husband and two sons, she decided that it was time to leave the city and get back to the land in Suffolk, where she and her husband took on the management of his small, family farm.
In this episode, Sarah shares with Patrick her journey from barrister to farmer, as well as her love of the land and belief in the power of farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange in driving the transition to more sustainable systems. Finally, Sarah reflects on the life of her farming heroine, Lady Eve Balfour.
You can find out more and keep up with Sarah by following her on Instagram (@sarahlangfordwrites) and X (@wigsandwords), or by visiting her website: www.sarahlangfordwrites.com.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.
While in Dubai at COP28, Patrick caught up with Helmy Abouleish, who – through his work as CEO of sustainable development initiative, SEKEM – has launched a soil carbon credit scheme in Egypt, bringing together around 40,000 farmers who are mainly smallholders farming biodynamically and organically.
With food and agriculture a central theme at this year’s COP, the SEKEM model, which honours farmers for their ecosystem services, including saving water, improving soil carbon, planting trees and increasing biodiversity, is a focus of conversation.
From reclaiming desert land to natural pest control, cattle management and composting, Helmy describes how SEKEM has brought life to the desert in Egypt.
The initiative is about much more than just farming, with schools, a university, medical centre and arts department serving the local community. “It’s not only about the tractor” says Helmy, “it’s also about the music.”
“The spirit of COP needs to be about collaboration, synching our differences and acting in the common interest.”
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to the main podcast page on our website at sustainablefoodtrust.org. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook @SusFoodTrust.
In this first episode, Patrick Holden meets Sophie Gregory – one of the UK’s most prominent first-generation dairy farmers. With a passion for connecting more people with the origins of their food, Sophie talks to Patrick about how she first got into farming, her plans for her Nuffield scholarship on the future of organic, and why she feels education on food and farming is so essential.
Want to find out more about Sophie and her farm? Find her on Instagram: @farmer_in_training To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to the main podcast page on our website at sustainablefoodtrust.org. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook @SusFoodTrust.
Sebastian Pole is a herbalist, best known for establishing organic tea and supplement brand Pukka herbs.
In this episode, Sebastian describes his journey from ‘WWOOF’ (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteer to herbalist, finding inspiration in India after experiencing the healing powers of herbs first hand. He explains the value high quality, organic herbs hold for those who grow them and those who consume them, and why the sale of Pukka to multinational brand Unilever offered a unique opportunity to improve business practice.
Find out more about Pukka herbs www.pukkaherbs.com
or to buy seeds for your own herb garden visit www.earthsongseeds.co.uk
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Dr Claire Whittle is a farm vet, Nuffield scholar, but above all, a dung beetle enthusiast.
In the UK, there are 60 species of dung beetle, which fall into the categories of 'dwellers', 'stealers' and 'tunnellers'. Each beetle plays a vital part in breaking down dung, improving soil health, suppressing pests, and even reducing greenhouse gas emissions and flood risk.
A recent study showed that many of our dung beetle species are in serious trouble, with almost 50% categorised as scarce or threatened nationally. A key cause of this? Agricultural practices that damage the fragile dung biome.
In the podcast, Claire explains the important role dung beetles can play in preventative care, crucial in a world of ever-increasing drug resistance. She explains how dung beetles are vital to a return to homeostasis and ecological health on farms, and what farmers can do to help these critical critters.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Wilding, by Isabella Tree
The Secret Life of Cows, by Rosamund Young
Silent Earth, by Dave Goulson
Silent Spring, by Rachel Carlson
Keep up to date with Claire Whittle’s work via Instagram, and Dung Beetles for Farmers.
More Sustainable Food Trust Podcasts
Support the Sustainable Food Trust
Follow Sustainable Food Trust on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn
Dr Claire Whittle is a farm vet, Nuffield scholar, but above all, a dung beetle enthusiast.
In the UK, there are 60 species of dung beetle, which fall into the categories of 'dwellers', 'stealers' and 'tunnellers'. Each beetle plays a vital part in breaking down dung, improving soil health, suppressing pests, and even reducing greenhouse gas emissions and flood risk.
A recent study showed that many of our dung beetle species are in serious trouble, with almost 50% categorised as scarce or threatened nationally. A key cause of this? Agricultural practices that damage the fragile dung biome.
In the podcast, Claire explains the important role dung beetles can play in preventative care, crucial in a world of ever-increasing drug resistance. She explains how dung beetles are vital to a return to homeostasis and ecological health on farms, and what farmers can do to help these critical critters.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Wilding, by Isabella Tree
The Secret Life of Cows, by Rosamund Young
Silent Earth, by Dave Goulson
Silent Spring, by Rachel Carlson
Keep up to date with Claire Whittle’s work via Instagram, and Dung Beetles for Farmers.
More Sustainable Food Trust Podcasts
Support the Sustainable Food Trust
Follow Sustainable Food Trust on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn
This week Patrick is joined by Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology, author, and co-founder of personalised microbiome and nutrition analysis company ZOE. They discuss the microbiome of the human gut and its similarities to the microbiome of soil, exploring how farmers might influence the diversity of several microbiomes through their practices, and how legislation might be altered to support microbial diversity.
See more of Tim Spector's work via Twitter, his website and his books
Listen to Tim speak on the BBC Food Programme More Sustainable Food Trust Podcasts Support the Sustainable Food Trust Follow Sustainable Food Trust on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn
A special edition podcast covering our 2022 Fir Farm Conference: A Roadmap to Sustainable Farming.
Find out about more events on our website.
Arizona Muse is considered an icon in the modelling world and has starred in campaigns for the world’s best-known fashion houses. She is an activist, educator and founded DIRT, a charity that promotes and supports biodynamic farming. Arizona has also spent time as an impact-consultant for brands looking to lower their environmental impact.
Muse joins Patrick to discuss her journey from super model to environmental activist and the similar challenges that are currently facing fashion and food. They discuss why biodynamic farming is so relevant today, and how we can all take inspiration from peoples who know their place is within nature rather than beside it.
Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, sits down with Patrick to discuss the challenges facing the world, key among them the impact of agriculture. In a wide ranging conversation, they consider what needs to be done to fix ‘our broken planet’, to borrow a phrase from the museum’s current exhibition looking at ways to repair the world. Gurr aims to inspire people to become advocates for the planet. The discussion – sometimes challenging and contentious – considers the role of the museum in our culture and how it can look forward as much as back.
Gurr started as director at the Natural History Museum in 2020. He came from a background in business, notably working for Amazon UK and Amazon China, but has long supported the work of charities such as the British Heart Foundation, the National Gallery, the Science Museum and others, as a board chair or trustee.
Journalist and broadcaster Dan Saladino joins us for this episode. Dan is best known for his work as a food writer, and for his long-term contribution to the BBC's Food Programme.
Dan’s recently published book Eating to Extinction:The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, involved 10 years of travel and research, exploring the plight of unique food systems which are threatened and rapidly disappearing. Inspired by Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, Dan explains the impact of industrialisation on our farming systems and what this means for our food culture. Starting with the Sicilian orange groves of his childhood, the past leads to the present and questions of whether the diversity of our food can be saved, and the need to exert collective pressure on the existing food system and demand food with a better story.
Patrick is joined by Dr Michael Antoniou, leading Molecular Geneticist and Head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at Kings College London. A must-listen for anyone interested in learning more about the impact genetic modification, gene editing and pesticides are having on our personal and planetary health.
Climate friendly farming doesn't just impact the food on our plates. This week's guest, fashion designer Anya Hindmarch, recognises that the fashion industry's huge part to play in reducing waste and the use of toxic chemicals, and sourcing materials in a more sustainable way. Anya explains to Patrick how she was inspired by the closed-loop system that exists in nature to design a compostable leather bag, addressing the difficulties of sourcing regenerative hides, and using methods of production which prevent the leech of chemicals into the soil when the bag comes to the end of its life.
Patrick and Anya discuss the potential of the Global Farm Metric to translate into clear standards and labelling for customers wishing to shop sustainably - so watch this space!
In this episode, Patrick Holden speaks to Simon Fairlie, farmer and former co-editor of The Ecologist magazine. The two discuss Simon’s new book, Going to Seed, plus advice on how anyone can get involved in the world of agriculture.
Simon advises, “Go WWOOFing and make connections, plus renting land is a lot cheaper than buying. Younger people come to our farm who are looking for something different in farming generally, and they go onto work at others places and get more accomplished, and perhaps they go and establish their own farm.”
In the first episode of our new podcast series, Patrick Holden, CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust is joined by life-long activist and former monk, Satish Kumar, who has been inspiring global change for over 50 years.
In his 20s, Satish undertook a peace-pilgrimage for nuclear disarmament, walking without money from India to America. Now in his 80s, Satish has devoted his life to campaigning for ecological regeneration, social justice and spiritual fulfilment. An acclaimed author and international speaker, Satish founded The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity that seeks a just future for all. To join Satish in protecting people and planet become a member of Resurgence (with 20% off), entitling you to this charity’s change-making magazine, Resurgence & Ecologist.
In this latest episode, Patrick Holden is joined by Andy Cato, musician and farmer. From gigs to diverse grains, Andy describes his journey into farming and why he founded Wildfarmed.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick Holden is joined by Thomasina Miers, co-founder of restaurant chain Wahaca, which has won numerous awards for its food and sustainability credentials. Thomasina’s passion lies in food and the environment, co-founding the Pig Idea in 2015 in an effort to tackle food waste, she is a trustee of Chefs in Schools and is an ambassador for the Soil Association. In 2019 she was awarded an OBE for services to the food industry, and continues to be a pioneer of sustainability in the world of hospitality and beyond.
This week, Patrick is joined by Josiah Meldrum, co-founder of East-Anglia based Hodmedods, a company who are known for their UK grown grains and pulses, but who are also pioneers of food resilience, advocates of a return to long-forgotten crops and initiators of innovation in kitchens across the country.
In episode six of the Sustainable Food Stories podcast series, Patrick Holden is joined by Gunhild Stordalen, founder and executive chair of the EAT Foundation and one of the world’s leading environmentalists and food campaigners. On the eve of COP26, Patrick and Gunhild discuss how the world can transition into a more sustainable food system, and by working together, will help advance this transition.
In this latest Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden talks to Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) and a fellow, organic farmer in Wales. On the premises of Fir Farm in the Cotswolds, Patrick talks to Sue about her journey into farming, from her Welsh heritage, to attending Atlantic College, and later becoming the Chief Executive of the FFCC.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick is joined by Lord Benyon, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DEFRA. Lord Benyon is himself a farmer and landowner and was a Member of Parliament for 15 years, serving as Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries during the coalition government. During the conversation, Lord Benyon shares his thoughts on regenerative farming, the land sharing vs land sparing debate and the importance of small, family farms.
In our latest episode, Patrick is joined by Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of the recently re-published book Defending Beef. Nicolette began her career as an environmental lawyer and was a vegetarian for 33 years before becoming a cattle rancher and an advocate for the role of livestock in sustainable farming systems.
In episode two of our second podcast series, Patrick is joined by Tom Watson, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Tom was also a speaker at The Sustainable Food Trust's 2019 Farming and Climate Change event at Fir Farm in Gloucestershire, during which he shared his health journey. Tom and Patrick discuss challenging orthodoxies around nutrition and agriculture as well as the recent publication of the UK’s National Food Strategy.
In the opening episode of our new podcast series, Patrick Holden is joined by vegetarian cook and bestselling author, Anna Jones. The conversation begins by exploring a question that is on the minds of many, ‘what should I eat to be healthy and sustainable?’. While Anna and Patrick’s responses to the question differ slightly, they remain for the most part united by a shared goal – the transition to more sustainable food systems.
In the final podcast of the series, Patrick Holden speaks to John Sauven, the Executive Director of Greenpeace, about transforming food and farming systems in order to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss - touching on the land sparing vs land sharing debate, as well as true cost accounting and sustainable diets.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick speaks to Dr Harpinder Sandhu – global expert in food and farming systems, based at the University of South Australia, in Adelaide. Harpinder talks about his pioneering work on measuring farm sustainability, before moving on to address the ongoing farmer's protests in India.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick speaks to Alice Waters – founder of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, International Vice President of the Slow Food Movement, and widely celebrated for her work with the Edible Schoolyard Project.
Alice's revolutionary understanding of food as a political act and a tool to influence positive change underpinned the various subsequent stages of her remarkable career and she believes now is the time for a ‘delicious revolution’.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick Holden speaks to Dr Zach Bush – the internationally renowned, multi-disciplinary physician, founder of Farmers’ Footprint.
Together, they discuss the intricate intersections between the microbiome, nutrition and chronic diseases, highlighting the devastating impact of chemical herbicides and pesticides on both soil and human health.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick talks to Tim Mead, founder and CEO of Yeo Valley - the UK's largestorganic dairy brand, based just outside of Bristol, at Holt Farm.
Tim starts by telling us how it all began, from when his parents bought the family farm in North Somerset, over 60 years ago, to Yeo Valley becoming the 3rd largest yoghurt brand in the UK. He explains that the changes the dairy market has witnessed over the past few decades have been considerable, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to make a living from their produce. However, by strengthening the market for organic dairy, he hopes to encourage more environmentally sustainable and financially viable farming methods, on a wider scale.
In our first podcast of 2021, Richard Dunne, The Harmony Project’s Director of Education, speaks to a very special guest - Lord John Bird, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Big Issue who in 2015 became a people’s peer in the House of Lords.
With the Future Generations Bill, Lord Bird hopes to challenge the status quo around education, and introduce a new kind of pedagogy - one which fosters children’s innate curiosity and passion for knowledge, and nurtures our environmental, social, cultural and economic wellbeing in the years to come.
In this pre-Christmas podcast, Patrick speaks to a very special guest - his daughter, Alice Holden. Currently working as head grower at Dagenham farm, Alice is considered one of the UK’s pioneering female growers.
In this pre-Christmas podcast, Patrick speaks to a very special guest - his daughter, Alice Holden. Currently working as head grower at Dagenham farm, Alice is considered one of the UK’s pioneering female growers.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick speaks to Guy Hayward, the Director and Co-Founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust, a charity dedicated to renewing the ancient tradition of pilgrimage in Britain.
Patrick and Guy discuss the intersections between pilgrimage, food and farming and explore the idea of journey across agricultural landscapes that ‘makes food sacred again’.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick talks to Darina Allen, renowned chef, best-selling author, and co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School on the South coast of Ireland.
‘Ballymaloe Cookery School was born out of desperation’, explains Darina, as she recounts the heart-warming story of how it all began, and what first brought her to Ballymaloe House – where she met her husband Tim Allen, who she opened the school with in 1983. Today the school maintains a world-class reputation for its cookery courses, attracting people from all walks of life. Based upon the slow food philosophy and ‘farm-to-fork’ cooking, the school aims to teach about cooking within the wider context of the landscape, the seasons, and agricultural sustainability.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick talks to Sophie Throup, the Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing for Wm Morrison plc. Morrisons is the UK’s 4th largest supermarket chain, with almost 500 stores across the country. Patrick is keen to gain a clearer understanding of one of the major influencers of our food systems: the consumer. Are customers actually interested in the provenance of their food? Do they understand the weight of their purchasing power, and the impact of their choices on wider food systems? Throughout the conversation, Sophie explains that in reality, there is no simple answer to such questions. The topics of customer demand, and the corresponding supermarket supply, are of course part of a far more complex picture, in which various external factors come into play.
In this week’s podcast, Patrick talks to James Rebanks, farmer and best-selling author of The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District (2015) and English Pastoral: An Inheritance (2020). Starting off with James’ own story - which is simultaneously traditional and quite exceptional for a Cumbrian shepherd - the conversation then turns towards the challenges faced by our food and farming systems. The pair discuss the undeniable impact of Sir David Attenborough’s new documentary and film (Extinction: The Facts and A Life on Our Planet), which both beautifully depict the core environmental issues of our time, but also raise somewhat of a question around the topic of agriculture. As Patrick voices his concerns regarding the theme of rewilding, James highlights the more pressing need for a transition towards regenerative agriculture. Using his own experience as an example, he explains the various ways in which rewilding can in fact be seamlessly integrated into farm management: replicating, where possible, wild ecosystems, welcoming more biodiversity onto our farms, and rebuilding soil fertility.
The two agree that this transition cannot be achieved without the fundamental role of livestock: ‘If we’re going to farm sustainably, with lots of biodiversity’, James suggests, ‘we need to get back into that mixed rotational pattern’. The major challenge, however, is widening the public understanding of this concept.
In this week's podcast Patrick talks to Livia Firth MBE, Co-founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age and founder of the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC).
During the conversation, Patrick and Livia discuss the parallels between the social and environmental footprints of food and fashion, and how consumers can use their purchasing power to affect change and transform the fashion industry.
An important part of this transformation is an understanding of the provenance of our clothing. "Natural products have superiority over synthetic fibres" says Livia, calling herself a "huge fan of wool".
In this podcast, Patrick speaks to his long time friend, fellow environmentalist and campaigner Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, and former Director of Friends of the Earth. The conversation touches on differences in opinion between conservation organisations and farming groups, and the ways in which this may have led to a separation of policy and public understanding of the relationship between food production and nature.
Jonathon highlights the need to link climate change action and renewable energy - "If we really wanted to treat the climate as the emergency that it is, we could have 100% of the electricity that the entire world needs coming from renewable energy by 2030" says Jonathon.
On food and farming change, Jonathon explains why “addressing food waste and massive reductions in the amount of intensively reared, factory farmed meat" are vital in maintaining a habitable planet for future generations.
In this week's episode Patrick speaks to author and former Conservative member of the European Parliament Stanley Johnson. Since 1951 his family has farmed on Exmoor, on the Devon-Somerset border, and Stanley still manages the farm there today.
During the conversation, Stanley and Patrick discuss agricultural trade with the European Union, the opportunity for food and farming to form a central part of COP21, animal welfare standards in relation to the Agriculture Bill and the current 'war on obesity'.
This week Patrick is joined by scholar and environmental activist Dr Vandana Shiva. Together they discuss the influence of Sir Albert Howard on sustainable farming principles, the de-colonisation of agriculture as well as the importance of biodiversity and true cost accounting.
"If you change the metric, you realise that cultivating biodiversity can heal the earth" says Vandana, adding that "good food [also] cultivates the wilderness of our gut microbiome".
"It's time to reclaim wilderness as a state of being in harmony, a state of being in peace with nature, a state of being healthy. The meaning of health is to be in balance".
In this episode, Patrick speaks to author and wellbeing entrepreneur, Liz Earle, who has been a familiar face in the world of health and wellbeing for over thirty years, building brands from beauty to publishing, based on living well in every sense. Liz is a passionate advocate for sustainable and regenerative agriculture and how this impacts our own personal health as well as that of the wider environment. During the conversation, Patrick and Liz discuss how our food choices impact our health and the environment, what it means to 'buy local', and the opportunity to change our food and farming systems.
In this week's podcast, Patrick speaks with young horticulturalist Huw Richards, who tends an 11 acre plot in West Wales and shares his growing experiences with a large online audience.
Huw shares what led to his childhood passion for growing, his ambition to "make food growing less complicated" and his belief that "seasonal and local diets are the most sustainable".
During this special podcast, The Harmony Project's Richard Dunne speak to Serena Murdoch, a 16 year old from Kent, passionate about climate justice and environmental activism.
Serena is a volunteer for the UK Student Climate Network and the Teach the Future Campaign. She is also involved with the charity Action for Conservation, and is part of the Youth Leadership Group for the conservation initiative, the Penpont Project, in Wales. During the podcast, Richard and Serena discuss the future of education, as well as Teach the Future's demands for a reform of the education system - repurposed around the climate emergency and ecological crisis.
In this episode, Richard Dunne speaks to the founder of Square Food Foundation, Barny Haughton - a chef, teacher and food educator who believes that food education should be playing a central role in health and education policy both at local and national government level. "If we want resilient food systems, we need resilient communities and if we want resilient communities, we need a food educated society" says Barny. Square Food Foundation teaches people from all backgrounds and of all ages and abilities to cook good food and to better understand the role food plays in every aspect of life.
In this episode, Patrick is joined by Isabella Tree, an award-winning author and travel writer, who lives with her husband, the environmentalist Charlie Burrell, in the middle of a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex. During the conversation, Isabella explains why the Knepp experience challenges conventional ideas about our past and present landscape and points to the positive impact that such an approach can have on farming and nature. "I see rewilding as the webbing that threads through the agricultural landscape", she explains. "It's a way of recovering the systems upon which farming depends".
In this special edition, Richard Dunne, the Sustainable Food Trust's Director of Harmony in Education, speaks to co-founder of the Eden Project, Sir Tim Smit, about his personal experiences of education and fascination with the natural world, as well as what lessons he learnt from the restoration of the Lost Gardens of Heligan and creation of Eden.
Today, Patrick Holden speaks to the Chief Executive of Triodos Bank UK, Bevis Watts, about the ways in which Triodos supports sustainable agriculture. They discuss true cost accounting, the impact of Covid-19 on the banks farming and food producing clients, and finally the role of the public and private sectors in supporting an honest economic system.
In this week's podcast, Patrick talks to President of the National Farmers Union Minette Batters about what we can learn from coronavirus pandemic in terms of the Agriculture Bill, as well as discussing the potential for re-establishing the local food agenda, the role of livestock in sustainable farming systems, and whether or not food should be considered a public good.
In this weeks episode Patrick is joined by Simon Wright, a restauranteur, food writer and broadcaster living and working in West Wales. Simon’s current business, Wrights Food Emporium supplies local and sustainable produce. During the conversation, Simon explains how the current pandemic has affected the business, and shares his commitment to supporting the transformation of the food system in Wales.
This week’s podcast features Patrick in conversation with journalist and broadcaster John Humphrys. Patrick and John have known each other for more than 30 years, initially through John’s involvement with organic dairy farming in West Wales, during which time they have had an ongoing dialogue, both public and private, about the need for changing our food systems and the reasons why it isn’t happening fast enough.
Themes explored during the conversation include – why John believes only a catastrophe will provide enough motivation to persuade people to pay more for sustainable food, how well the supermarkets have performed during the Covid emergency, where John Humphrys does his food shopping, why policy makers are unlikely to introduce the polluter pays principle.
Over the course of the conversation they debate whether the sustainable food movement has been successful along with how the food system has coped with coronavirus and what it will take for people to question where their food comes from more rigorously.
In this episode, Patrick speaks to regenerative farmer Will Harris, based in the United States, in Bluffton, Georgia. At White Oak Pastures, Will farms livestock including cows, pigs, chickens and sheep under a rotational grazing system.
An independent carbon footprint evaluation demonstrates the amount of carbon sequestered each year at the farm, and the environmental benefits this way of farming can provide.
Will shares the rich history of White Oak Pastures, and explains how the coronavirus has affected the farm’s sales. They also discuss the principles of regenerative agriculture, soil building, and the farms fully integrated supply chain.
In this episode Patrick speaks to American farmer and pioneer in regenerative agriculture, Joel Salatin, about local and resilient food systems.
Joel raises livestock at Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is normally sold by direct marketing to consumers and restaurants, however the farm’s direct sales method has had to adapt to the challenges caused by the coronavirus crisis. Joel’s new online order and ‘drive through’ pick-up approach offers hope and inspiration for other farmers having to adapt.
Joel and Patrick discuss the ingenuity of farmers faced with a challenge and the emergence of a new consciousness around resilient, food secure systems.
Weathering the current storm at Polyface, Joel says that “during this time of anxiety and worry, sometimes it’s good to know that the apple blossoms are still on the trees and the honey bees are coming out – it offers a sense of normality in an otherwise abnormal time”.
In the second episode of the Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden speaks to ffinlo Costain and Roland Bonney about how to develop more transparent, welfare-friendly and sustainable livestock farming systems.
ffinlo has worked on farming, land use, food, and sustainability policy for over fifteen years. He is now director of Farmwel, an organisation working to generate momentum towards sustainable and accountable mainstream agriculture and aquaculture, focussing on climate and food security. ffinlo also produces the Farm Gate podcast.
Roland Bonney is Co-Founder of FAI Farms and Benchmark Holdings, a company whose mission is to enable food producers to improve their sustainability and profitability, working across 70 countries. Roland is an experienced agriculturalist who, prior to co-founding the Benchmark group, established his own farming business and then a food chain research and development consultancy for global food retailers, food service and food production companies.
In this episode, Patrick speaks to Green Party politician Caroline Lucas. Caroline has twice led the party and has been the Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion since the 2010 general election.
The coronavirus has exposed the “intense fragility of our current food system” says Caroline.
Reflecting on the impact that the coronavirus is having across the UK, Patrick and Caroline discuss the UK Government’s response to the pandemic, and consider how to help ensure that people can get access to healthy and sustainable food during times of crisis.
Caroline and Patrick also discuss the Agriculture Bill and food security, the importance of local food systems and a green framework for the future.
In the first episode of our podcast we begin with an issue that has sparked much debate in recent months: What constitutes a sustainable diet? And in particular, what is the role of livestock in sustainable farming systems?
Our CEO Patrick Holden speaks to journalist and author George Monbiot about the future of farming in the UK, and the meat versus plant-based diet debate.
This conversation was recorded at the Oxford Real Farming conference (2020) following a lively debate on the topic of sustainable and healthy diets. https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/orfc-2020-linking-sustainable-and-healthy-diets-to-farming-outputs/