Regenerative farming: We need to support farmers – not shame them

So, what’s not to like and why isn’t every farmer doing it?

From conversations I have had with many farmers, there are countless examples of individuals who don’t identify or align themselves under the regen banner but are passionate about the same goals and, in practice, are carrying out many of the same actions, they just don’t want to put a label on it.

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There are those who have been farming ‘regeneratively’ for decades – what farmer doesn’t want to pass on healthier soils to the next generation? However, now their regen practices are being celebrated by policy makers there is frustration that this new farming age is in fact not so new after all.

I’m personally not a fan of labels, history has taught us that they lead to division. In the case of regen, I’ve been told by many there is a fear that if they profess to be prescribing to this approach, they could be shaming other practices and they don’t want to be doing down others in the industry.

This summer, I have been visiting farms all over the UK, getting a better understanding for the patchwork of businesses which make up our vibrant farming sector. My visits have included everything from self-professed conventional systems, where livestock are fed with grain and synthetic fertilisers are still applied, as well as those where livestock are purely pasture-fed and machinery has been kicked off the farm, to cut down on fossil fuel usage.

I might describe what appears to be two different systems, but both ultimately are producing food and many of the more conventional systems are also integrating nature, planting trees and hedgerows, building organic matter into their soils. They are likely also to be producing more food, albeit more intensively, knowing that maintaining, or where possible, increasing domestic food production, must also be a priority, alongside delivering for nature and climate.

Now, these more conventional systems still have room to grow, to look to find alternatives to spraying pesticides and to reducing chemical fertilisers but telling them they are killing the soil – and the planet – isn’t going to inspire anyone to move any faster. If anything, history should also teach us that this approach leads to rebellion.

Rottal Estate where huge swathes of the upland estate have been returned to nature (Image: free)

There needs to be more empathy and respect for farmers: change does take time. Less than a century ago, farmers were being instructed to rip out their hedges, increase their crop yields and livestock numbers to produce more food after the war. So now that farming has been told to respond to a new crisis, one that requires them to rethink their livestock numbers, replant those hedges and nurture those soils, they must be given time and support to do so.

So how on earth do we stop the division and begin to mainstream regen thinking, to get more farmers on board with delivering for nature and climate, whilst also making a profit?

This week I attended the Pasture for Life summer study tour, which involved a gathering of farmers who are committed to grazing their livestock on a purely pasture-based diet. I arrived in the Scottish Borders at Benson Wemyss Farms, managed by Matthew Griffin, and was joined by 40 farmers who had come from as far as Wales, to learn more about their regen journey, reducing inputs, building soil health and supporting biodiversity.

There was no vilification of conventional farming systems. Instead soil expert Michael Barton shared insights into some of the trials they had been carrying out looking at a new composting system which they are using to better inform their decision-making on the farm. During a walk around the trial plots, he was able to demonstrate the difference between soils which had been applied with compost and those which had received a synthetic nitrogen fertiliser application.

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The results were astonishing. The compost application had resulted in more nutrient-dense and species-rich soils, much higher in natural nitrogen levels than the plot which had received a synthetic nitrogen application.

I’m not a soil scientist, so my take-home was less the detail of the study but the way in which it was shared and the potential it offered. It taught me that conducting research like this, which practically demonstrates better management and results, alongside the way in which this message is communicated, is going to be crucial to changing minds and altering practices. Barton was passionate and highly technical, but his approach to storytelling struck a blend which was both informative and inclusive, inspiring others to follow.

During the same visit, I met a farmer from Aberdeenshire who told me a fascinating story about a chance meeting with Jamie Oliver 25 years ago, where the chef inspired him to convert to organic, which at the time was another label and new concept very few were practicing. He said that on return to the farm to announce this to his team, his farm manager immediately handed in his notice, terrified of change. In the end, he convinced him to stay, on the promise that this would be a new journey which they would tackle together, one step at a time. To this day, neither have looked back.

What these conversations have taught me, plus the many others I have been lucky enough to share in farm kitchens, sheds, factories and parlours, is that when politicians announce that we are on a net zero journey, the emphasis must be on the journey. A journey which must be met with some urgency but has to be one that ensures we do not alienate or vilify those who have further to travel but inspires and encourage all passengers to get on board.