Joel Salatin aims for a new agenda for sustainable farming
Salatin calls for a renewal of the symbiotic relationship between livestock and land.
Representatives of farming, the retail sector, the health community, and government have come together to explore the ways in which UK farming systems can be made more sustainable.
At a breakfast discussion led by United States farming pioneer, Joel Salatin, leading figures from the food industry shared their thoughts on the potential health and environmental benefits of food produced under his methods.
The breakfast was attended by approx. 100 people, and marked the beginning of three days of discussion on how sustainable farming practices can be practicably implemented in the UK on a large scale. It was hosted by the Sustainable Food Trust, the leading global voice on sustainable food, and Brunswick Group.
Commenting on the breakfast discussion, Joel Salatin said: “We need to rediscover the complementary relationship between livestock and the land. Farming has become a mechanical process, when it should be part of a natural system, working symbiotically with the land we live on and the people we live with.
“Our current farming systems make no sense environmentally, they strip our food of nutritional value, and they are commercially self-destructive. There is a better way of feeding our families and communities.”
Patrick Holden, the Founding Director and Chief Executive of the Sustainable Food Trust, added: “I am certain that this morning’s breakfast will be a real catalyst for change in Britain. We have wonderful farms here, and great farmers. We are also benefitting from consumers who are more discerning about the food they eat, and supermarkets and food manufacturers that are more willing to listen and experiment.
“Our job is now to translate the spirit of the breakfast into a programme for change that will help to make the commercial case for sustainable food here in the UK.
“It was an invaluable to have Joel with us today. Joel’s vision represents a profound change in the way we could farm, and we are looking forward to seeing his experience put into action during the rest of his visit.”
Joel and Patrick were joined on the panel by: Richard Quinn, the CEO of Farmcare, the largest land-holder in the UK; Dr Zoe Harcombe, author and nutrition commentator, and Henry Dimbleby, co-Founder of Leon and the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
