Tom sacliffe, sara langford and claire ratinal are all passionate about the natural world. They could fill this whole programme talking happily about the unseen complexities contained in a handful of dirt. But they have their disagreements too with george monbio writing that farming is the most destructive force ever to be unleashed by humans. Perhaps claire's book unearthed describes her journey from life as a city dwelling documentary maker to a country living vegetable grower. And we're going to get on to the disagreements d in a bit but it was very striking to me that every single one of your books contains the moment at which you crouch down, you dig into the soil and lift something
The environmentalist George Monbiot argues that farming is the world’s greatest cause of environmental destruction, but few people want to talk about it. In Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet he presents a vision for the future of food production. He tells Tom Sutcliffe that new ideas and technologies from soil ecology to laboratory-grown food could change the way people eat while regenerating the landscape.
But many farmers believe that they have been unfairly accused of ecological mismanagement, and that they are uniquely placed to restore the earth and provide a sustainable future. Sarah Langford has returned to her country roots after working for many years as a criminal barrister in the city. In her book, Rooted: Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution she shows how a new generation of farmers are set on a path of regenerative change.
While Sarah Langford comes from a family of farmers, for many city dwellers it can be difficult to cultivate a connection with the earth. In her memoir, Unearthed: On Race and Roots and How the Soil Taught Me I Belong, Claire Ratinon, explores how she grew up feeling disconnected with the natural world and with family stories of slave ancestors forced to work the land. Through learning to grow her own vegetables and especially the food of Mauritius, she has finally felt able to put down roots.
Producer: Katy Hickman