How soil is shaping our plates: what I’ve learnt from leading climate and food voices

June in the UK is a flurry of climate and sustainability events - focussed at people at every step of the food system. My work crosses soil, cheffing & nutrition which means I attend a smorgasbord of events to get a real ‘view from the hill’. Here are my top takeaways from the month:

Geopolitics is dominating the narrative

No matter what we’re seeing in the newspapers, the Straits of Hormuz issues won’t be a quick fix. We’re likely to see food inflation in the UK climb even higher by the end of the year not just due to imports but also because fertiliser moving through the straits has been hugely affected - negatively affecting yield for farmers this year. This is a great argument for more localised food growing and less chemical inputs, but in reality we don’t have enough eco-conscious food systems in the UK to feed everyone (3% UK land is farmed organically for example).

Soil health is taking centre stage - and the vital connection to nutrition is beginning to be spoke about (wahoo!)

The conversation around ultra processed foods over the past few years IMO has done wonders for getting us to this point. Farmers that are on the journey transitioning their soil to lower inputs (and those that are there) are getting more involved in these conversations - Will from Willy’s ACV regularly talks about the health benefits of organic, and it’s exciting to see farmers get excited about how food could be a crucial support for human health at a point where we are sicker than ever.

GLP-1’s are already beginning to shape our food landscape - and nutrient density is the aim of the game

The whole reason I started The Life Larder was to help people understand the link between nutrient dense soil and nutrient dense food. GLP-1’s have brought this centre stage; as people are able to eat a lot less, what is on the plate becomes more important.

Nutrient density; the amount of true nutrition (protein grams, phytonutrients etc.) need to be at their highest levels in the food we eat if we’re not eating a lot - and the answer to this is food grown in harmony with nature (studies regularly show that organic fruits and veggies and pasture raised meats are way higher in polyphenols and omega 3’s respectively).

Organic, Regen, Agroecological, Biodynamic, Nature Friendly Farming - which should we put our money on?

Ark put this really well: ‘the vocabulary has arrived but there is still no agreed pathway’. I deliver workshops with Tomorrow’s Kitchen for universities and colleges - every time I lecture Bsc and Masters students studying sustainable food there is real confusion about what these terms mean, and what they truly do for our world and ecosystem. If we want them to go mainstream, we need to get better at explaining them (a HUGE part of my work.

What I have seen overwhelmingly is how many more individuals and brands are interested in nature friendly farming and nutrient dense food - what remains to be seen is how many truly get on the bus vs. saying the right things. It’s certainly an interesting time for our fields and our plates.