What we learned in 2021 about food, tech, farmers, scale and love for nature
We are approaching the end of 2021 with over 165.000 streams, 40 interviews, many new stories and people all working to regenerate soils at (more) scale.
A conversation with Kellie Walters, CEO of VRM Biologik, about the different processes and programs they provide on a smaller scale, regional scale, national scale to the Food and Agriculture space in Australia, Malaysia, the USA, and China.
Guaranteeing access to sufficient nutrients to the entire global population, which is set to reach 10 billion by 2050, will force a radical rethinking of the current agri-food system. The industrial, linear model of farming has created diversity-free systems that require enormous quantities of pesticides and chemical fertilisers to keep yields high. Cropping and farming practices, with their intensive use of inputs, have led to the exhaustion and erosion of soil and natural systems. The long-term health and resilience of our ecosystem are in danger. However, this trend can and must be reversed.
John Arbuckle, founder of Singing Pastures, joins us to discuss their uncommon, revolutionary, and regenerative practices of growing pigs.
Fattoria La Vialla di Gianni, Antonio e Bandino Lo Franco has managed hectares of land using organic farming since 1978. With La Vialla’s communication manager Annette Mueller we discuss why we need to invest more money in the fertility and biodiversity of the soil and also the estate’s success in direct-to-consumer distribution.
A conversation with Mellany Klompe, the Co-founder of Soil Heroes and the Director of the Soil Heroes Foundation about how measuring nutrient density is key towards having farmers as well as consumers on board with regenerative transition.
What is the role of profit in scaling regeneration? How do we sell credits for biochar? What is enhanced weathering and why does it matter? How can we deploy billions in restoring ecosystems, increasing biodiversity, and storing a lot of carbon permanently? Jim Mann, founder of The Future Forest Company, joins us to talk about the wonders of enhanced weathering co-deployed with biochar and why this experiment deserves billions of dollars of investment.
This time Koen van Seijen is joined by Dimitri Tsitos of Mazi Farm and Matteo Mazzola of Iside Farm. Listen to their informal chat!
Russ Carrington, manager of Knepp Regenerative Farms, on how and why did one of the most well-known rewilding examples in the world has recently started a regenerative farming enterprise.