Doug Gurr on natural history and our broken planet
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Release Date: 05/27/2022
Molly Biddell on rewilding at Knepp estate and measuring social impacts
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
After both appearing on the Grazing for Good: Livestock and Biodiversity in the UK panel at ORFC earlier this year, SFT CEO, Patrick Holden, sat down once again with Molly Biddell, Head of Natural Capital at Knepp Estate – a 3,500-acre rewilding project in West Sussex – for an episode of the SFT Podcast. Her work involves leveraging nature markets and policy for Knepp, and the . She also works part-time at Hampton Estate, a family-run regenerative farming business, facilitates the and is a columnist for Farmers Weekly. In this episode, Patrick and Molly talk about the work going on at...
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Rupert Sheldrake on bridging science and spirituality
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Following their session together at this year’s Oxford Real Farming Conference – – SFT CEO, Patrick Holden, and renowned biologist and author, Rupert Sheldrake, reconnected to record an episode of the SFT Podcast. Rupert’s impressive career started at Cambridge University where he studied Natural Sciences, before receiving a scholarship to attend Harvard University, studying History and Philosophy of Science. Rupert later returned to Cambridge where he gained a PhD in Plant Development. This eventually led him to India, where he worked at The International Crops Research Institute for...
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Dr Federica on the link between environmental health and nutrition and the importance of improved public food education
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
This month we bring you a special edition of the podcast, recorded at London Climate Action Week as part of Extreme Hangout’s live podcast series. Our CEO Patrick Holden is joined by Dr Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE, with a special guest appearance from Professor Tim Spector, Founder of ZOE, for the first half of the episode. Dr. Federica Amati’s career boasts a plethora of academic achievements – alongside her position as Head Nutritionist at (the science and nutrition research company), Dr Federica also holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research, a masters in Public...
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Max Jones on the importance of preserving traditional food practices and knowing the story behind our food
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
For this episode of the SFT podcast, Max Jones – transhumance guide and traditional foods archivist – visits our CEO, Patrick Holden, on Patrick’s farm in Wales. Alongside his work as a transhumance guide – the practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in accordance with the seasons – Max Jones is also a writer, photographer, educator and founder of , a project which aims to reconnect people with their food and educate them about the traditional food practices of the past, which still exist in some parts of the world today. From rare cheese production...
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Nic Renison on her approach to regenerative grazing
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
To coincide with the release of our new report, the latest guest on the SFT Podcast this month is Nic Renison. Nic is a regenerative farmer based in Cumbria where she farms alongside her husband, Paul (Reno), at Cannerheugh Farm. The daughter of dairy farmers, Nic grew up within the conventional, high production agricultural environment, growing food with little thought of the environment. This all changed in 2012 when Nic and Reno had a 'light bulb' moment after visiting an organic farm in Northumberland, which inspired them to start employing more regenerative farming methods. In 2018,...
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Richard Higgins on the influence of Sir Albert Howard and why we should be using human manure as fertiliser
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Richard Higgins, chairman and CEO of Good Gardeners International, is our guest on the latest episode of the SFT Podcast. Alongside being CEO of Good Gardeners International (GGI), Richard is also a philosopher, fungi specialist, holistic scientist, and Director of Sustainable Agriculture London. He grew up on a mixed farm in Somerset and studied his National Diploma in Agriculture (NDA) at the Royal Berkshire College of Agriculture on Farm and Grassland Management. He later completed a 10-year postgraduate study of the soil fertility works of Sir Albert Howard while travelling and teaching...
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Jamie Feilden on the transformational power of farm visits for young people and the value of an educated public
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Joining our CEO, Patrick Holden, for this episode of the podcast is Jamie Feilden, founder of Jamie’s Farm. Jamie Feilden founded Jamie’s Farm in 2009, a charity which seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable children through farming, food and therapy. 15 years later, Jamie’s Farm works with over 2,300 children a year across seven farms, and aims to offer as many children as possible an opportunity to improve their wellbeing, boost engagement and develop key life-skills, whilst spending time on a farm. In this episode, Jamie shares with Patrick how his experiences as a history...
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Dani Nierenberg on US agricultural policy shifts and the future of sustainable farming
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Kicking off series five of the Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden, SFT CEO and organic dairy farmer, catches up with Dani Nierenberg, President of Food Tank. Dani Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Dani co-founded Food Tank with Bernard Pollack, a nonprofit organisation focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organisation, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Dani has...
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Iain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part two)
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst. “We need to bring farming back into society. It’s become completely divorced from society.” Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. For over 40 years, Tolly has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold...
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Iain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part one)
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst. Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. For over 40 years, Iain has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree...
info_outlineDoug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, sits down with Patrick to discuss the challenges facing the world, key among them the impact of agriculture. In a wide ranging conversation, they consider what needs to be done to fix ‘our broken planet’, to borrow a phrase from the museum’s current exhibition looking at ways to repair the world. Gurr aims to inspire people to become advocates for the planet. The discussion – sometimes challenging and contentious – considers the role of the museum in our culture and how it can look forward as much as back.
Gurr started as director at the Natural History Museum in 2020. He came from a background in business, notably working for Amazon UK and Amazon China, but has long supported the work of charities such as the British Heart Foundation, the National Gallery, the Science Museum and others, as a board chair or trustee.