i think relationship to land is alrealy really important, then i think that we, at our peril, put that to one side when we try to figure out what our solutions are. I am somebody who grew up with absolutely no sense of connection or or drawal towards the natural world and found that in my late twenties,. It has changed my life, and has put me in this seat to talk to to people about how incredible it is to have a relationship with the soil. Am i fear that if we, if we do, you know, come to blows and create silos where only certain solutions are the ones that we will consider laudable and worth while? Then we interrupt the
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