Podcasts about Soil Association

#226: Peter Segger shares his journey from music and metal testing to pioneering organic farming in Wales. He reflects on the legacy of the Soil Association, his encounters with E.F. Schumacher, and the decades-long effort to protect the soul of organic food against industrial takeover.https://realorganicproject.org/peter-segger-farming-small-thinking-big-226Peter Segger is a well-known early adopter of organic practices in the UK, having run a 45 acre mixed fruit and vegetable farm in Wales since 1974. A long time member of the Soil Association and dedicated student of the soil, Peter now sits on the board of the Sustainable Food Trust. He is also the founder of Organic Farm Foods, which is now the largest specialist supplier of organic fresh produce in the UK.The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/directoryWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

In this week's episode, Philly sits down with world-renowned gardener, author, and pioneer of the no dig method, Charles Dowding (@charles_dowding). They discuss the energetic power of soil, the hidden forces affecting farmers globally, and the urgent importance of growing your own food.Expect bold truths, banned phrases, and grounded wisdom as they expose what's really going on behind farming policy, the Soil Association, and the war on food independence. Charles also shares insights from his latest book New Energies for Gardening, a fresh look at the subtle, often spiritual, aspects of growing with intention.Plus, a nod to the brilliance of artisan copper gardening tools, and a sneak preview of what Charles will be bringing to The Wellness Way Festival this August.Wellness Way Festival & Health Hub Tickets On Sale Now. Early bird festival tickets SOLD OUT! Come and meet Charles Dowding in person at The Wellness Way Festival - Aug 8–10, Wasing Woods, Berkshire. This is your chance to connect, grow, and rise together with leaders in natural health, farming, healing and truth.

In this week's episode, Philly sits down with world-renowned gardener, author, and pioneer of the no dig method, Charles Dowding (@charles_dowding). They discuss the energetic power of soil, the hidden forces affecting farmers globally, and the urgent importance of growing your own food.Expect bold truths, banned phrases, and grounded wisdom as they expose what's really going on behind farming policy, the Soil Association, and the war on food independence. Charles also shares insights from his latest book New Energies for Gardening, a fresh look at the subtle, often spiritual, aspects of growing with intention.Plus, a nod to the brilliance of artisan copper gardening tools, and a sneak preview of what Charles will be bringing to The Wellness Way Festival this August.Wellness Way Festival & Health Hub Tickets On Sale Now. Early bird festival tickets SOLD OUT! Come and meet Charles Dowding in person at The Wellness Way Festival - Aug 8–10, Wasing Woods, Berkshire. This is your chance to connect, grow, and rise together with leaders in natural health, farming, healing and truth.

Send Me A Message!! Ben Raskin takes us on a journey through the peaceful coexistence of trees and crops in a revolutionary approach to growing food. As Head of Agroforestry at the Soil Association and author of eight books, Ben shares how his 12 years as an organic vegetable grower evolved into a passion for integrating trees into horticultural systems.The conversation reveals surprising insights that challenge conventional growing wisdom. Did you know vegetable beds sheltered by trees can be 4-5°C warmer than open ground, potentially extending your growing season by weeks? Or that many leafy crops actually prefer partial shade, especially during increasingly common heat waves? Ben expertly explains how trees buffer extreme weather conditions while fostering rich underground fungal networks that transport nutrients across remarkable distances.Practical applications abound for gardeners of all scales. The humble wood chip emerges as an unsung hero – from its use as a soil amendment that boosts fungal populations to its potential as a sustainable peat-free propagation medium. Ben's firsthand experiments reveal that ramial wood chip – material from young branches – offers particular benefits when applied directly to soil without composting.Beyond techniques, Ben shares a compelling vision for food system resilience in an uncertain climate future. Through his work at the Soil Association, he bridges the gap between environmental campaigners pushing for rapid change and farmers navigating practical economic realities. His perspective on diversity and resilience offers a hopeful path forward: systems that prioritize sustainability may yield less in optimal years but deliver consistently when conditions deteriorate.Whether you're a home gardener curious about food forests or a market grower seeking climate adaptation strategies, this conversation provides both philosophical framework and practical tools for working with, rather than against, natural systems. Ready to reimagine your growing space with trees as allies?Support the showIf there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email: info@mastermygarden.com Master My Garden Courses: https://mastermygarden.com/courses/Check out Master My Garden on the following channels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/ Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/ Until next week Happy gardening John

How can farmers integrate trees into vegetable production to enhance yield, biodiversity, and resilience? In this episode of the Thriving Farmer Podcast, we're joined by Ben Raskin and Andy Dibben, co-authors of Silvohorticulture, the first detailed guide on agroforestry for vegetable farms. With extensive experience in commercial horticulture and agroforestry design, Ben and Andy provide practical insights into how farmers can successfully integrate trees into their growing systems. Tune in to learn how agroforestry can optimize farm productivity, improve soil health, manage pests, and reduce costs—all while fostering biodiversity and resilience in changing climates. Episode Highlights: Farming Beginnings: How did Ben and Andy get into agriculture? [1:44] Origins of Silvohorticulture: What inspired their book and approach? [3:15] Managing Tree Roots: How do they prevent competition with vegetables? [15:43] Crop Compatibility: What crops thrive in their agroforestry systems? [19:33] Lessons from Other Farms: What innovative agroforestry practices have they seen?[28:42] Sustainable Coppicing: What tree species are ideal for coppicing? [40:16] Getting Started: What advice do they have for new farmers? [45:34] Hindsight Lessons: What would they change if they started over? [53:02] Don't miss this episode on how silvohorticulture can revolutionize farming by integrating trees with vegetable production! To learn more about Ben and Andy's book, visit Silvohorticulture.   About the Guests: Ben Raskin has 30 years of experience in farming and horticulture. As the agroforestry lead at the Soil Association, he coordinates agroforestry at Eastbrook Farm in Wiltshire, writes books such as The Woodchip Handbook, and serves as an independent consultant. Andy Dibben is an organic vegetable farmer with over 15 years of experience. As Head Grower at Abbey Home Farm, he advocates for removing harmful agrochemicals from food production and promotes sustainable farming practices.

Trees and crops—better together! This week on Roots and All, I'm joined by Andy Dibben, co-author of Silvohorticulture, to explore how agroforestry can revolutionise our growing spaces for a more resilient and productive future. Links Silvohorticulture: A grower's guide to integrating trees into crops by Andy Dibben & Ben Raskin Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Andy Dibben you might also enjoy this one from the archives:  235: Woodchip - My guest this week is Ben Raskin, the Soil Association's Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry. Ben is the author of several books on gardening, including Zero-Waste Garden and The Community Gardening Handbook. His latest book is ‘The Woodchip Handbook', which I was very excited to read and even more excited to speak with Ben about, because I've long been a fan of using wood chip in the garden. In the interview, we cover the many uses for woodchip in the garden, how it can help with plant and soil health, what sort of wood makes good chip and the do's and don'ts of using it. 137: Dr Glynn Percival of Bartlett Tree Experts - This episode is brought to you by the team at The Real Soil Company. Launched to the market in 2020 The Real Soil Company proudly offers new organic, peat-free SuperSoil. Packed full of organic nutrients for optimal plant health, SuperSoil's natural ‘boosters' will stimulate quicker plant establishment and better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield.  The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners. Please support the podcast on Patreon

Ben raskin and Andy Dibben have written Silvohorticulture, A Grower's Guide To Integrating Trees Into Crops published in January 2025 by Chelsea Green Publishing.Raskin is head of horticulture and agroforestry for the Soil Association and Dibben is head grower at Abbey Home Farms in Gloucestershire.They say interactions between trees and crops is an under-investigated area and that trees can offer many benefits for food growers.The foreword is by Stockfree Organic farmer Iain Tolhurst who calls this "agroforestry at its finest" and says which trees to choose is "no longer an act of faith".There are negative impacts from planting the trees in the shade, but many crops do not actually need full sun all day.Abbey Home Farms in Cirencester is a 650ha acre mixed organic farm, intercropping into 6ha of veg production with mixed top fruit tree, coppice species for wood chip, as well as peach trees in the glasshouses. Also featured in the book are:Eastbrook Farm in Wiltshire – 200 acre silvopastural system (trialing almonds, apricots, berries and other fruits into a 25year business plan)Shillingford Farm in Devon – 420 acre fruit and veg farm using alley cropping systems Troed-y-Rhiw Farm in Wales – 23 acre mixed organic farm growing top fruit and bush fruit, but outside and in tunnels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is regenerative Barley really the future of sustainable malt, or has its benefit been over-hyped?  In this week's episode, Nick hosts a panel debate to hash it out with experts in the field whether this and other low-impact ingredients are the future of sustainable brewing.Recorded at SIBA Beer X in March 2024, Nick is joined by Greg Piley from Stroud Brewery and Ben Richardson, CEO and co-founder of Zevero, a carbon accounting and decarbonisation platform working with more than 15 breweries across the UK to help them measure and reduce their emissions.  Mark Machin from the Soil Association and Gipsy Hill Brewing Company's co-founder, Sam McMeekin, also add their experience and expertise to the discussion.We'd like to offer a big thanks to Neil Walker, Head of Comms and Marketing at SIBA, for granting us exclusive access to this recording.Very much in keeping with the theme this week, Nick is also joined by Charles Faram & Co group technical director Will Rogers to look at regenerative hop farming and research.THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malting Group (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram

Welcome to a new episode of the Natural Beauty Podcast, where the host Satu Mäkinen talks with the UK-based Soil Association Certification's Paige Tracey.Soil Association Certification is the UK's leading organic certifier offering a wide range of organic and sustainable certification schemes across food, farming, forestry, beauty & wellbeing, fashion & textiles, and catering.In this podcast episode, Paige Tracey shares her behind-the-scenes insights from the world of certifications as well as all about an industry survey made earlier in 2024 pointing to interesting trends.Paige Tracey was also on board the Expert Jury of the European Natural Beauty Awards 2024.You can follow Soil Association Certification on social media, such as Instagram, and learn more about the certification on their website at soilassociation.org/certification.You can also contact the Soil Association directly by calling +44 1179142406 or by emailing goorganic@soilassociation.org and Paige by emailing ptracey@soilassociation.org.* This episode is brought to you by Evonik Service Solutions. Learn more about Evonik > *Natural Beauty Podcast is a platform sharing behind-the-scenes about the European Natural Beauty Awards – a recognition and promotion program for outstanding natural cosmetics products and sustainable beauty tools.Each year, the awards honour the best natural cosmetics products in Europe as well as industry professionals who have significantly contributed to the growth of the sector.The annual event unites brands, distributors, retailers, industry experts, and media from 35+ countries in one space for a more quality and sustainable beauty industry.To learn more about the European Natural Beauty Awards, such as this year's shortlisted cosmetics, jump to europeannaturalbeautyawards.com.Join the conversation also on our social media channels; on Instagram, and LinkedIn.To stay updated, make sure you have subscribed to this podcast.Disclaimer: This podcast is for entertaining and educational purposes only. If you have health concerns, seek professional medical advice.(Music from Pixabay.)

Under-nutrition harms health, but so does over-nutrition. The Bill and Melinda Gate's foundation has just released their Goalkeepers' report - highlighting the detrimental impact that poor nutrition is having on children's health.  Rasa Izadnegahdar, director of Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition & Health at the foundation joins us to explain how they are targeting nutritional interventions. Also this week, a new investigation in The BMJ has found that the UK government's  Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition - the people who help guide the UK's nutrition policy - have competing interests with the food industry. We hear from Chris van Tulleken, University College London; Rob Percival, the Soil Association; and Alison Tedstone, chair of the Association for Nutrition.   Reading list: Goalkeepers Report 2024 UK government's nutrition advisers are paid by world's largest food companies, BMJ analysis reveals    

In this episode, after a week of torrential rain and floods washes away newly drilled cereal crops, we ask: will it really be another wet autumn?We find out why Defra policy is on hold ahead of the Autumn Budget – in a special interview with NFU president Tom Bradshaw.We discover how farmers are measuring their environmental and social impact –and making their businesses more profitable as a result.You can find out more about environmental and social baselining by visiting Soil Association Exchange and the Lloyds Banking Group. And we speak to Andrew Brewer – the newly crowned Carbon Farmer of the Year, courtesy of the Farm Carbon Toolkit.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and specialist arable reporter Louise Impey.To contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk.In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

It's time for the second Big River Watch of the year. It's a chance to spend time observing the health of your local river between the 6th and 12th of September. The River Dee trust are taking part in the forthcoming survey and Keilidh Ewan, education and outreach officer for the trust gave Mark some more information.A new trial is underway in Scotland which could cut the harmful emissions associated with manure on farms. Two farmers are trying out a system called Bokashi which the Soil Association hopes may lead to improvements in the soil while also being a little kinder to the environment. Rachel spoke to farmer Andrew Barbour at Glen Fincastle and Field Lab Co-ordinator Audrey Litterick who explained what this process actually involves.Producer Phil met up with Ada Campbell, chair of Langass Community Woodland Trust to have a walk round one of the few forested areas on north Uist and hear the story of Hercules the bear.Rachel recently bumped into an artist in Aberdeenshire who was on her way to a farm to collect a fleece for one of her new collections. Lucy MacDonald who is also a weaver likes to use local materials including wool and plants to make her work sustainable, traceable and authentic. Rachel joined her as she visited Diana Milligan and Cobweb – one of Diana's rather interesting looking Ryeland Sheep.The Isle of Rum has been designated as Scotland's first International Dark Sky Sanctuary by DarkSky International. The designation recognises the efforts of the community to protect and promote the island's starry skies and nocturnal environment. Isle of Rum Community Trust Director Fliss Fraser joins Mark and Rachel live to tell them more about Rum's dark skies and the benefits the nocturnal environment brings to us and to the natural world.The forest trails near Aberfoyle in the Trossachs have become increasingly popular in recent years for mountain bikers and gravel riders keen to get away from busy roads. The waymarked trails, in the shadow of Ben Lomond, have been named Gravelfoyle. Now, in a bid to attract more people to them a pilot called Parkride has been taking place; a bit like Parkrun but replacing running with biking. Alongside it parents can drop off their kids at ‘Bairns On Bikes' where professional coaches teach youngsters basic and more advanced bike skills. Linda Sinclair went along to find out more.Claudia Zeiske is a long distance walker and she has been walking from mountain to sea across Aberdeenshire. Mark met up with Claudia at the end of her journey at a place called Gadle Braes in Peterhead in what was a very blustery day to find out why exactly she had undertaken the walk Lucy MacDonald's an artist who uses local fleeces and plants in her work. After she's sorted through the fleece and given it a wash, she will put it through a carding machine before spinning it and weaving it. Rachel watched her in action at her studio in Aberdeen.

Image credit: Sustainable Food TrustMeet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found here. About Ben and  RuralPod MediaBen Eagle is the founder and Head of Podcasts at RuralPod Media, a specialist rural podcast production agency. He is also a freelance rural affairs and agricultural journalist. You can find out more at ruralpodmedia.co.uk or benjamineagle.co.uk If you have a business interested in getting involved with podcasting check us out at RuralPod Media. We'd love to help you spread your message. Please subscribe to the show and leave us a review wherever you are listening. Follow us on social mediaInstagram @mtf_podcastTwitter @mtf_podcastWatch us on Youtube here

A recent E-coli outbreak is thought to have been caused by contaminated salad leaves. There have been over 200 confirmed cases of food poisoning across the UK caused by e-coli bacteria found in manure, with nearly half those affected admitted to hospital. So how does the bacteria get into the salad, and what are farmers doing to prevent it?As part of our week looking at salads, we visit Evesham Vale Growers in Worcestershire, where they grow 500 acres of spring onions outside and some 70 acres of premium tomatoes in glasshouses. Alongside salad production, they grow crops including maize and wheat to feed anaerobic digesters for gas and electricity, and there's a solar farm. Some of the gas and electricity is used to heat and light the glasshouses - insulating them somewhat from fluctuating energy prices.The Soil Association, which campaigns for sustainable and organic food and farming, has published it's list of demands in the run up to the election. It wants the next Government to 'grow green jobs' by backing sustainable British farming and protect the NHS by supporting healthy and sustainable food.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

We'll hear from Jerry Alford from the Soil Association, Beth Metson from the Soil Association Exchange - and Lauren Baker from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food will tell us that we need to respect farmer experience and indigenous knowledge as much as we do peer-reviewed science. I'll talk to Neil Nicholas from Coleg Sir Gar about slurry spreading, and Charlie Taverner from the FFCC will tell us what the UK government's got wrong about food security. First up, I discuss the 'Land squeeze' report with Nettie Wiebe from IPES-Food. Nettie Wiebe, IPES-Food - 0' 42'' Lauren Baker, Global Alliance for the Future of Food - 11' 40'' Jerry Alford, Soil Association - 25' 40'' Beth Metson, Soil Association Exchange - 34' 42'' Neil Nicholas, Coleg Sir Gar - 44' 35'' Dr Charlie Taverner, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission - 52' 01'' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

Send us a message.In this episode of the Microbiome Medics Podcast, we are joined by Lee Holdstock from the Soil Association to explore the vital connection between soil health and human microbiomes. Our discussion highlights the benefits of organic farming practices for soil health, biodiversity, and ultimately, human well-being. We delve into the efficiencies of nature in organic farming, emphasizing the need to transition towards sustainable practices for healthier soil and more nutritious food choices. The conversation also addresses the impact of intensive farming on animal welfare, the nutritional advantages of organic food, and the challenges of promoting organic farming to consumers. We underscore the importance of upholding organic farming standards, certification processes, and the role of healthy soils in supporting human health. Ultimately, we advocate for supporting organic and sustainable farming methods, improving agricultural policies, and making informed food choices for a healthier future.This podcast is brought to you in collaboration with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.Disclaimer:The content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.

What exactly do the Soil Association mean by a Worm Hunt, and why do they want us to dance for these wriggly ecosystem warriors? Can venture capital really help to scale the transition to regenerative agriculture? Why has deer management become such a divisive issue in Scotland? And the latest UK Peatland Code revision is now open for consultation. Interviews with: Dr Renée Kerkvliet-Hermans from the IUCN UK Peatland Programme - 0'25'' Alex Burton, Head of Worms at the Soil Association - 7'57'' Simon Evill from Pelican Ag - 12'51'' Tom Turnbull from the Association of Deer Management Groups - 22'13'' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

Tom Hunt is an eco-chef who has been championing the right food for years. He is passionate about inspiring people to think creatively about cooking and eating.  He writes a column for the Guardian on Food waste, founded a zero-waste restaurant in Bristol, has lived off-grid with his family and recently created a genuinely Happy Meal with the Soil Association. He catches up with Ollie Lloyd and recounts stories of cooking with the legendary Francis Mallamann, milking goats as a child before school and his plans for a new ice cream brand. Edited by Stella Gent

Sarah Langford, author of Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Can Change the World, joins the Slightly Foxed Editors and presenter Rosie Goldsmith round the kitchen table to tell us how and why she gave up her career as a criminal barrister to become a farmer, and about the woman who was her inspiration: Eve Balfour, the extraordinary aristocrat, founder of the Soil Association and author of The Living Soil. Farming was in Sarah's family. So when her own family's circumstances changed and her husband was looking for a new direction, they said goodbye to the city and moved with their two young children to Suffolk, where they found themselves taking on the running of her father-in-law's small arable farm. It was a steep learning curve and Sarah soon realized that the farming landscape had changed dramatically from the one she remembered: ‘My grandfather Peter was a hero who fed a starving nation. Now his son Charlie, my uncle, is considered a villain, blamed for ecological catastrophe and with a legacy no one wants.' Needing to learn more, she describes how she travelled the country, hearing moving and inspiring human stories from small farmers who are farming in a new – but completely traditional – way, working to put more into the land than they are taking out of it, relying on natural processes like crop rotation and grazing animals rather than using chemicals to give life to the soil. This is regenerative farming – a hard row to hoe but with huge potential benefits for the planet as well as for us and other species. Sarah and her husband are now practising it on their own farm. It's a huge and fascinating topic, and other farming books and writers are touched on – A. G. Street's Farmer's Glory, Adrian Bell's Corduroy trilogy and Apple Acre, today's James Rebanks's English Pastoral. Other related recommendations are From Mouths of Men by the rural historian George Ewart Evans, and the delightful Rivets, Trivets and Galvanized Buckets, the story of a village hardware shop by Tom Fort. For episode show notes, please see the Slightly Foxed website. Opening music: Preludio from Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major by Bach Hosted by Rosie Goldsmith Produced by Philippa Goodrich

Five interviews today - on topics ranging from the constant struggle for tenant farmers to dangers of slurry pollution. 1'08'' Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network discusses the NFFN's general election manifesto, which includes a call for a fit-for-purpose farming budget 12'29'' Peter Powell from the Welsh Dee Trust talks about the terrible impact farm slurry can have on rivers 20'34'' Vicky Vanderstichele from North Star Transition tells me that scale is critical when it comes to financing nature-based solutions 32'09'' George Dunn, the chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, tells me about the often poor relationship between tenant farmers and their landlords 42'35'' And finally, Robin Walter from the Soil Association, makes the case for regenerative forestry. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

When we think about sustainable nutrition, many of us will think about plant-based eating. There is no doubt that switching to a plant-based diet helps the sustainability cause in multiple ways, but the bigger picture is far more nuanced than that. Every consumer, ingredient, product and brand has their own context, which makes generalising about environmental impact very difficult.  In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded live at our Inspiring Nutrition event in London in 2023, we look at how some of the complexities in this area might be addressed. Attend our Sustainability events in April Our panel discusses consumer demands, legislation, and labeling. They unpick the food industry's role in climate commitments, the nuances of communicating effectively with consumers in this area, and how to avoid unintentional greenwashing.  Guests: Emma Piercy, Head of Climate Change and Energy Policy, Food and Drink Federation Lucy Williamson, Award Winning Nutritionist, Lucy Williamson Nutrition Fay Cooke, Chief Impact and Financial Officer, Yeo Valley Lee Holdstock, Trade Relations Manager, Soil Association

The Soil Association, has called for a ban on any new intensive broiler farms being set up in the UK. The organic farming group has published a new report called "Stop Killing Our Rivers" which says it's impossible to manage chicken meat production without harming the environment, especially rivers. The report says the chicken meat sector has been expanding at a rate of one million birds per month, since 2014 and has now reached more than a billion birds per year. All week we're looking into the many - often imaginative - ways byproducts and waste from agriculture are turned into something useful. A renewable energy company is using poultry litter to generate electricity at their five power stations in England and Scotland. We visit their station at Thetford, in the heart of chicken farming in East Anglia where every week 11 thousand tonnes of poultry waste are delivered and used to generate electricity.Sheep farmers are benefiting from a spike in prices as Ramadan and Easter are both celebrated this month. Both events traditionally look to lamb as their meat of choice on these occasions, farmers, processors and retailers, have all geared up for a busy time. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Felicity Evans and James Williams dig into the issues that prompted Welsh farmers to protest outside the Senedd with Dr Hazel Wright of the Farmers' Union of Wales and Andrew Tuddenham of the Soil Association in Wales. And BBC Wales social affairs correspondent India Pollock reflects on the opening week of evidence to the Welsh leg of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

In this episode Bunny chats to Craig Sams and Jo Fairley in their town garden.  Craig and Jo have set up several successful businesses both together and separately, including The Beauty Bible, Whole Earth Foods, Green & Black's, Carbon Gold and The Perfume Society. Craig has been chairman and held other positions for the Soil Association too.  Both are keen organic gardeners and foodies. They have an old walled garden in Hastings that looks out to the sea. Jo successfully uses strong contrasting colours – reminiscent of their Green & Black's packaging, in their house and garden. They have a huge lemon verbena ( Aloysia citrodora) tree, around 3m high and wide with a mature woody trunk, a stunning olive tree which Jo used to woo Sam, and which moved house with them from London. There are also Echiums, Pittosporums and other more tender plants. 

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It will be shaped by the meat paradox. "Should we eat animals?" was, until recently, a question reserved for moral philosophers and an ethically minded minority, but it is now posed on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, on social media and morning television. The recent surge in popularity for veganism in the UK, Europe, and North America has created a rupture in the rites and rituals of meat, challenging the cultural narratives that sustain our omnivory. In The Meat Paradox: Eating, Empathy, and the Future of Meat (Pegasus Books, 2022), Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, searches for the evolutionary origins of the meat paradox, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated. Every society must eat, and meat provides an important source of nutrients. But every society is moved by its empathy. We must all find a way of balancing competing and contradictory imperatives. This new book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of our empathy, the psychology of our dietary choices, and anyone who has wondered whether they should or shouldn't eat meat. Rob Percival is Head of Policy at the Soil Association, Britain's leading food and farming charitable organization. He has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize as well as the Thompson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

So, is Organic beauty really better...and what does it really mean to be an organic beauty brand?This episode is sponsored by The Soil Association.At its core, organic beauty refers to products made with ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This method of production emphasises a more natural and sustainable approach to skincare, steering clear of harmful chemicals that may find their way into conventional beauty products.Now I have been doing loads of research for this episode and came across some really interesting stats - hilariously the source isn't one I would have ever expected, Hollywood Mirrors makers of Dressing table mirrors, but hey ho! The organic industry experienced 10-year consecutive revenue growth of 13% between 2019 and 2020, making £13.8 million. The UK has over 14,000 certified organic ingredients and 15,000 all natural products in the beauty industry.Soil Association Certification is the UK's leading organic certifier offering a huge range of organic and sustainable certification schemes across food, farming, forestry, fashion & textiles and beauty & wellbeing. It is wholly owned by the Soil Association Charity, which campaigns for a world where the links between climate, nature and health are respected. Soil Association is a founding member of the international COSMOS standard, the largest international standard for organic and natural cosmetics. This is desperately needed in a world where cosmetics can be labelled as “organic” even if they have 1% organic ingredients!Paige Tracey is the Business Development Manager for Non-Food at Soil Association Certification, leading on the communications for the organisation's Beauty, Wellbeing and Textiles Organic certification schemes. She has been recognised for her strong impact to date in the world of organic and natural cosmetics, being named one of Natural Product News's “30 under Thirty” finalists for two years running, as well as being named their 2022 Rising Star in “Who's Who in Natural Beauty”. She has been a judge for Marie Claire UK on both their Sustainability Awards and their Skincare Awards.Subscribe to this podcast in all places where you listen to podcasts and drop us an email at info@sustainablyinfuenced.com, or follow us on Instagram and TikTok Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#154: UK Soil Association trustee, Sustainable Food Trust co-founder, and organic dairy farmer Patrick Holden sits down with Dave to discuss the path forward for the organic movement, as activists on both sides of the pond try to inspire our governments and corporate powers to take note of our competence in the restoration of Earth's systems.Patrick Holden is a longtime member-turned-trustee of the Soil Association founded by Lady Eve Balfour. He is also the co-founder of the UK's Sustainable Food Trust, and a farmer in his own right. His family just celebrated their 50th year working the land on their organic dairy in Wales. Patrick is a kindred spirit in the decades-long Organic Movement, whose work is focused on the best ways to re-imagine and re-institute a food system that rewards true stewardship of the land, human health, and community.https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/about-us/ To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://realorganicproject.org/patrick-holden-organic-needs-top-down-botttom-up-in-middle-action-episode-one-hundred-fifty-four/The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Regenerative agriculture is seen by some as the future of farming; we discuss the hope and the hype. Joining the discussion are regen Shropshire farmer Michael Kavanaugh, part of the Green Farm Collective which recently won the Farming for the Future category at the BBC Food and Farming Awards; Helen Browning, an organic farmer in Wiltshire and Chief Executive of the Soil Association which champions organic farming; and Professor Mario Caccamo, CEO and Director of NIAB, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, which describes itself as the UK's fastest growing crop science organisation.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Welcome to another enlightening episode of "The Wellness Way with Philly J Lay." In this episode, we are joined by two remarkable women, Jo Webber and Marion Mackonochie, who now lead Pukka Tea. Together, they share their insights into the world of herbalism, the importance of organic and sustainable practices, and their initiatives with the Soil Association to educate children in London about the health benefits of herbs and spices.Episode Highlights:Meet Jo and Marion: Get introduced to Jo Webber and Marion Mackonochie, the dedicated leaders of Pukka Tea, and learn about their passion for herbalism and holistic well-being.Pukka's Commitment: Discover Pukka Tea's commitment to providing high-quality, organic herbal teas and their mission to create a healthier, more sustainable world.The Soil Association: Explore the partnership between Pukka Tea and the Soil Association, and the collaborative efforts to promote organic and sustainable practices.Teaching Children About Herbs: Jo and Marion discuss their initiatives in schools in London, where they educate children about the health benefits of herbs and spices, fostering a deeper understanding of well-being from a young age.The Future of Herbalism: Gain insights into the future of herbalism, the importance of sustainable practices, and how herbs can play a vital role in promoting health and balance.Holistic Well-Being: Learn about the holistic approach to well-being, and how herbs and spices can contribute to a more balanced and harmonious life.Key Takeaways:Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jo Webber and Marion Mackonochie as they share their journey at Pukka Tea, their partnership with the Soil Association, and their dedication to educating children about the health benefits of herbs and spices. Discover how herbs can play a pivotal role in holistic well-being and a sustainable future.Connect with Jo and Marion at Pukka Tea:Pukka Tea Website: https://www.pukkaherbs.comPukka Tea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pukkaherbs/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An aristocrat in an eye patch, a jazz saxophonist, a crime novelist and a pioneering organic farmer. Lady Eve Balfour was born in 1898 into the political elite - her uncle was A J Balfour, who was Prime Minister from 1902-05. But from the age of 12 she wanted to be a farmer and, after studying at agricultural college, made her dream a reality. She started experimenting with organic farming, and eventually published a book called The Living Soil, which lead to her founding the organic farming body, the Soil Association. Seen as somewhat of a crank, she faced opposition from fellow farmers and politicians alike. Meanwhile, her personal life was as fascinating as her agricultural life. She lived in a run-down farmhouse with her female partner, played saxophone in a jazz band and co-authored a series of best-selling crime novels. Presenter, Matthew Parris, is joined by former Director of the Soil Association, Patrick Holden, and Sarah Langford, a farmer and author who claims a "borderline obsession" with Lady Eve. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

The Agroforestry Show was held on 6th-7th September 2023 and was organised by The Soil Association and the Woodland Trust. Many thanks to all of the contributors to this podcast episode including Helen Browning, Ben Raskin, Rhodri Owen, Liam Armstrong, Connor Kendrew, Chris Jones, James Ramskir Gardiner and Will Simonson. For more information on the Agroforestry Show click here.For the Agroforestry Handbook click here.  Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found here. About Ben and  RuralPod MediaBen Eagle is the founder and Head of Podcasts at RuralPod Media, a specialist rural podcast production agency. He is also a freelance rural affairs and agricultural journalist. You can find out more at ruralpodmedia.co.uk or benjamineagle.co.uk If you have a business interested in getting involved with podcasting check us out at RuralPod Media. We'd love to help you spread your message. Please subscribe to the show and leave us a review wherever you are listening. Follow us on social mediaInstagram @mtf_podcastTwitter @mtf_podcastWatch us on Youtube here

This is the audio version of a webinar in which the chief executives of RSPB, Soil Association and Nature Friendly Farming Network discuss the Consensus for Food, Farming and Nature - hosted by Farm Gate, which is now part of 8point9.com Panellists: Helen Browning - Chief Executive, Soil Association Beccy Speight - Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Martin Lines - Chief Executive, Nature Friendly Farming Network Panel chair - ffinlo Costain, Editor, 8point9.com Find out more about the Consensus - https://www.foodfarmingnature.org/ Poll results from webinar 1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Ecological security is essential for food production, human wellbeing & prosperity Results: 100% agreement with 91% Strongly Agree and 9% Agree 2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: New technology will have the most important role in helping the agriculture sector meet net zero Results: 5% strongly agree 19%agree 32% neutral 32% disagree 12% strongly disagree 3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The UK Government has overlooked the link between food and a resilient society Results: 66% Strongly agree 24% agree 7% neutral 4% disagree --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

In this episode, Aruni talks to Patrick Holden, CBE  a UK organic dairy farmer, campaigner for sustainable food and farming, and co-founder with Anthony Rodale of U.K. The Sustainable Food Trust and U.S. Sustainable Food Alliance. They discuss how Patricks  interest in farming were sown during his London childhood. Holden kept a variety of animals, ranging from mice and rabbits to budgerigars and myna birds, and would spend hours in his back garden studying the amphibians that migrated to the ponds he had dug as a boy. And about in n 1971, aged 20, Holden when he spent a year in the San Francisco Bay Area and how he was strongly influenced by the green movement that was gathering momentum at the time. As a result, Holden returned to the UK and worked for a year on an intensive dairy fam in Hampshire before studying biodynamic agriculture at Emerson College (UK).Holden then joined the back-to-the-land movement in 1973 and, using the knowledge gained from his childhood, studies and experiences in California, formed a community farm in Bwlchwernen, Wales. After the community dispersed, Holden continued to run the farm now known as Holden Farm Dairy - now the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales. Enterprises have included an 80 cow Ayrshire herd, the milk from which goes to produce Hafod, a cheddar style cheese; oats and peas; wheat for flour milling; and carrots which he grew for supermarkets for 25 years.Alongside farming, Holden's other work has included the development of organic standards and the market for organic foods, founding British Organic Farmers, trustee of the Soil Association, and director of the Soil Association (1995-2010). He is also a patron of the UK Biodynamic Agricultural Association and The Living Land Trust, as well as an advisor and participant in the Prince of Wales Terra Carta initiative. In 2010, Holden founded the Sustainable Food Trust, an organisation based in Bristol, UK that works internationally to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable food systems. Key activities of the organisation include influencing government policy on sustainable agriculture; advocacy for true cost accounting; development of an internationally harmonised framework and metric for measuring on-farm sustainability; campaigning for the re-localisation of supply chains, including small abattoirs; and linking healthy diets to sustainable food production.

My guest this week is Ben Raskin, the Soil Association's Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry. Ben is the author of several books on gardening, including Zero-Waste Garden and The Community Gardening Handbook. His latest book is ‘The Woodchip Handbook', which I was very excited to read and even more excited to speak with Ben about, because I've long been a fan of using wood chip in the garden.  In the interview, we cover the many uses for woodchip in the garden, how it can help with plant and soil health, what sort of wood makes good chip and the do's and don'ts of using it. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: The Syrphids What We Talk About  Sourcing woodchip Making your own Different species of tree woodchip Runoff when storing woodchip Do we need to store or compost woodchip before we use it? The uses for woodchip in the garden What is ramial chipped wood and what can it be used for?  The benefits of using woodchip as a mulch Avoiding suppressing self-seeders Woodchip and carbon retention What happens to woodchip if treated as ‘waste'?  About Ben Raskin Ben Raskin has worked in horticulture for more than 25 years, developing a wide range of experience both in practical commercial growing and wider policy and advocacy work. As the Soil Association's Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry, he provides growers at all levels of production with technical, marketing, policy, supply chain and networking support. He is currently implementing a 200-acre silvopastural agroforestry planting in Wiltshire. Ben is the author of several previous books on gardening, including Zero-Waste Gardening (2021), The Community Gardening Handbook (2017) and three volumes of the Grow Together Guides aimed at families with young children: Compost, Grow, and Bees, Bugs, and Butterflies. Additionally, Ben co-chairs the Defra Edibles Horticulture Roundtable and sits on the boards of the Organic Growers Alliance and Community Supported Agriculture Network UK. Links  The Woodchip Handbook by Ben Raskin www.benraskin.uk Innovative Farmers Field Lab - willow woodchip for apple scab (with Glynn Percival) Innovative Farmers Field Lab  - peat free woodchip propagation substrate (with Iain Tolhurst) Other episodes if you liked this one: Dr Glynn Percival's episode where he talks about tree health and the various uses of different mulches in terms of suppressing diseases A recording of Iain Tolhurst, where he talks about his use of ramial woodchip Patreon

On today's episode, Francesca sits down with Charlotte Wood, Florist, and founder of WildWood London to talk about her career pivot into floristry, what drives her and what made her step foot outside the corporate world and go it alone.  This is a wonderful episode with lots of advice and insights. Please share this episode with one other person you feel needs to hear it. Thank you for listening, BMH x Sponsor: Fatty's Organic Spirits About Fatty's Organic Spirits Launched in November 2017, by sole founder Philippa ‘Fatty' Gee, Fatty's Organic Spirits have continually pushed boundaries to carve out a new avenue for the conscientious consumer within the spirits industry, positively reinforcing the attitude of drinking better, drinking organic, drinking sustainably. A multi-award-winning organic brand approved by the Soil Association and featured in Vogue, Grazia, the Metro, the Times and many more. https://www.fattysorganicspirits.com/  https://www.instagram.com/becoming_more_human/  https://wildwoodlondon.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodlondon/?hl=en    

Rob Percival is a writer, campaigner and food policy expert with The Soil Association. His commentary on food and farming has featured in the national press and on prime time television, and his writing has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize and the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Food Sustainability Media Award. He works as Head of Food Policy for the Soil Association.The Meat Paradox is his first book, and goodness, it's been a world changer - since its hardback publication, Rob's become a global superstar: invited to speak to groups across the spectrum of industry and culture about the nature of our relationship with the food that we eat. We left our first conversation each feeling that we'd just begun to scrape the surface of possibility and it would be good to talk again. We had scheduled another podcast for later this year, but I saw that the book had just come out in paperback and that coincided with our having a total technological crash in this week's interview. So Rob really kindly agreed to fill in at super short notice so that we could talk more about life and death and food and the nature of the meta-crisis. There's so much to this that really cuts to the core of who we are and where we're heading as a species, and we ended - again, feeling that there was more to say. But in the meantime, we explored the nature of the food system, the concept of precision fermentation, what makes 'whole' foods and how we might feed the world without industrial agriculture.  Rob gave his one big suggestion for moving things forward - stop eating chicken. At the end, we opened another huge topic and began to explore the nature of death, and who our fear of the unknown leads us to denial of the meta-crisis and, in the end, denial of death itself. So we'll be back when Rob's next book comes out, but in the meantime, here are more thoughts on the social, political, practical and moral aspects of how we take in the building blocks of life. Radio 4 Book of the Week https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hf27Rob's website https://rob-percival.com/about/The Meat Paradox in paperback https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-meat-paradox-brilliantly-provocative-original-electrifying-bee-wilson-financial-times/9780349144573Rob on Twitter https://twitter.com/Rob_Percival_Previous Episode https://accidentalgods.life/the-meat-paradox/Green Alliance https://green-alliance.org.uk/GA Report  https://green-alliance.org.uk/publication/shaping-uk-land-use-priorities-for-food-nature-and-climate/Bionutrient Food Association https://www.bionutrient.org/

This week we talk with the fabulous Fabienne, DJ, business owner, presenter and influencer, in this inspiring interview we find out what becoming more human really means to Fabienne and how she navigates her career in the creative industries Djing for some of the biggest brands in the world like icon Stella McCartney and starting out life with L'oreal. We're so thankful to Fabienne for sharing her personal story with us and we hope you enjoy listening. Follow Fabienne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_fabiennesworld/?hl=en  Becoming More Human: Career Chapter is sponsored by Fatty's Organic Spirits. Fran hosts this special series and talks with a whole host of wonderful humans about their careers. About Becoming More Human: Career Chapter This career special highlights trailblazers who have woken up to the way they balance their careers and their personal life. By no means is anyone perfect, but these wonderful humans are inspiring and courageous in the way they approach change in their life. This podcast will give you the listener bite-sized chunks of inspirational content which will hopefully inspire you to think differently about your own personal career journey. About Fatty's Organic Spirits Launched in November 2017, by sole founder Philippa ‘Fatty' Gee, Fatty's Organic Spirits have continually pushed boundaries to carve out a new avenue for the conscientious consumer within the spirits industry, positively reinforcing the attitude of drinking better, drinking organic, drinking sustainably. A multi-award-winning organic brand approved by the Soil Association and featured in Vogue, Grazia, the Metro, the Times and many more. https://www.fattysorganicspirits.com/ https://www.instagram.com/becoming_more_human/

Welcome to farming fashion, our three part series co-produced by Southeast and South West England Fibresheds and Farmerama Radio. In this first episode we speak to farmers who grow and produce yarns from their own flocks and explore what regenerative fibre farming, and adding value to that fibre, really looks like on the ground. The first voices we hear from are Leila and her mother Ellen from Tamarisk Farm, a Soil Association certified mixed farm on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. Then we hear from Katie Allen of Loopy Ewes, a designer and shepherdess who designs and makes her own knitwear collection using the fleece from her flock of native breed sheep in Gloucestershire. The final voices we hear are Jen Hunter and Andy Wear from Fernhill Farm, Somerset - one of the country's largest native breed sheep farms which is one of the country's largest fibre farms and now certified regenerative by A Greener World.

 “Everyone deserves a meal” is one of the mottos of organic gardener Sarah Mead as she tackles garden pests – and is the thread running through this month's podcast. Fiona takes a tour of Sarah's beautiful, Soil Association-certified organic garden at Yeo Valley dairy farm in Blagdon, and find out how she works alongside wildlife rather than trying to eradicate pests. “It's critical to leave things alone so you don't break the food chain because once you've done that you've lost the battle,” says Sarah, who uses sacrificial plants, companion planting and copper tape to help manage whitefly, slugs and other challenges in the six-and-a-half-acre garden. “Organic gardening is all about being hands off. It's less work in the long run: less digging, less mowing, less spraying. It can be done on a large scale or a small one. Just start by apply one principle and keep going.”  To mark Veganuary, Fiona and Chris also discuss veganic gardening, and moving away from animal-based ingredients in the garden. They touch on the value of plant-based diets that encourage us to grow and eat more vegetables, which are great for our health and for biodiversity. And they also share their love of feeding the birds in winter - and look forward to Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of this month.

Wildlife and conservation groups have criticised the government for the late publication of legally binding targets for environmental protection. The Wildlife Trusts and the Soil Association say failing to set key clean water targets is unacceptable and they also criticise a reduction in overall tree planting targets. However, DEFRA says the targets, which are requirements under the Environment Act "will drive forward action to tackle climate change, restore our natural capital and protect our much-loved landscapes and green spaces." A new deal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and protect 30% of land and oceans across the world by 2030, has been agreed by almost 200 countries at the UN biodiversity summit, COP15. The Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said the UK played a leading role in negotiations and the UK pledged up to 29 million pounds to help developing countries meet the ‘30by30' land target and other projects. Preliminary results of a new paper which has yet to be peer-reviewed, is reporting that the number of earthworms in soil may have reduced by a third over the last 25 years. The study by British Trust for Ornithology researchers collated 100 years of data. The Soil Nutrient Health Scheme is being rolled out by the Department for Agriculture in Northern Ireland and the Agri Food and BioSciences Institute, taking soil samples from 700,000 fields to provide farmers with detailed information on their soil. All week we're focusing on rural communities at Christmas. It's a time of year when we often spend a little more on food and at the Penllyn Estate in Cowbridge in Wales is encouraging shoppers to buy local produce over the festive season. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

We hear from the former Defra boss who now says the best bit of the deal with Australia is the termination clause, and the angry reaction. As one supermarket rations its sales and another's started importing from Italy, we ask what's going on with home-laid British eggs. Defra officials shared the revised plans on the post-Brexit farm payments for England with invited stakeholders at a meeting earlier this week. The Soil Association says it's “alarmed” that Defra might be watering down ELMS and the Country Land and Business Association says it's concerned that ‘unhelpful rumours' are damaging confidence in the schemes. All week we're talking about trees. We visit a farmer in Wiltshire who's using a grant scheme provided by the Woodland Trust to replant hedgerows removed over the past 50 years. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

As one supermarket rations its sales and another's started importing from Italy, we ask what's going on with home-laid British eggs. Defra officials shared the revised plans on the post-Brexit farm payments for England with invited stakeholders at a meeting earlier this week. The Soil Association says it's “alarmed” that Defra might be watering down ELMS and the Country Land and Business Association says it's concerned that ‘unhelpful rumours' are damaging confidence in the schemes. All week we're talking about trees. Today we visit a farmer in Wiltshire who's using a grant scheme provided by the Woodland Trust to replant hedgerows removed over the past 50 years. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

For hundreds of thousands of years, we lived as forager-hunters, our lives intimately entwined with the lives - and then deaths - of the animals that we ate.  And then we cut that link and now we eat meat in plastic packages with cute pictures on the front to remove our awareness of the death that has arisen. And yet at our deepest levels, we know that meat is murder.  How do we resolve this paradox?Rob Percival is a writer, campaigner and food policy expert. His commentary on food and farming has featured in the national press and on prime time television, and his writing has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize and the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Food Sustainability Media Award. He works as Head of Food Policy for the Soil Association. The Meat Paradox is his first book and it's one of the best, deepest, and most genuinely engaging that I've read of the many that seek to address the huge cultural divide that surrounds our consumption of meat.   This is a book that delves into neuroscience (denial, cognitive dissonance and the lies we tell ourselves), indigenous spiritual/shamanic practice, ancient ancestral practice as depicted in cave paintings that were created over a span of 30,000 years (that's a long time for an art form) and the actual experience of what it is to stand in an abbatoir and make eye contact with a cow as she walks into the stun cage. Reading this book will change your life.  Talking to Rob on the podcast was a joy and an inspiration and we ranged across all of these subjects and more.  We didn't get to the last-line dedication to Odin, which I had thought would be the core of the podcast, but then I discovered in the pre-recording conversations that Odin is a rescue dog (which is wonderful, but not quite the backbone of a shamanic/spiritual podcast that I'd imagined). Nonetheless, this is a deeply felt, deeply touching podcast that delves deep into the very meat of our identities in the modern world. The Meat Paradox: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-meat-paradox-brilliantly-provocative-original-electrifying-bee-wilson-financial-times/9781408713815Web: rob-percival.com https://rob-percival.com/Twitter: @rob_percival_ https://twitter.com/Rob_Percival_IPES report: The Politics of Protein: http://ipes-food.org/pages/politicsofproteinSustainable Food Trust Report: 'Feeding Britain': https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/feeding-britain/LRB: A Million Shades of Red by Adam Mars-Jones: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/adam-mars-jones/a-million-shades-of-red