Happy Regenuary

Started by our friends The Ethical Butcher, it’s the month to consider the impact of everything you eat and try to source as much as possible from regenerative farming.

It’s also the same month when over a quarter of a million people will be taking part in Veganuary – the campaign encouraging participants to try veganism for the 31 days of January. But is there a way to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us?

Whether you’re supporting Veganuary or Regenuary, everyone should be advocating for nutritious food, farmed in tune with nature, that’s accessible to all.

Many believe that industrial agriculture and monocrops – whether part of plant-based or animal-based foods – are not the answers we’re looking for. This is why the trend for factory-made ultra-processed foods, many with the prefix ‘plant-based,’ is even more worrying for us, as a nation. Ultra-processed products are now half of all UK family food purchases, more than any other country in Europe.

The term ‘plant-based’ has been hijacked by people who don’t want us to eat meat, says Yeo Valley Organic’s Tim Mead, who is steadfast about soil and regenerative organic farming. Tim believes that ‘plant-based’ has become a byword for ‘save the planet’ and that recent messaging has overtaken everything we’ve learned from a million years of nature. And it’s helping to drive up “ultra-processed foods, which are essentially new creations of the food industry with very low-cost ingredients in a very attractive product,” says Tim.

He adds: “There is no quick fix to repairing the planet, but just growing and eating plants, and indeed overly processed plant-based alternatives to meat are not the answer. A balanced mixed livestock farming system is the goal. This isn’t new, regenerative organic farming practices mirror ancient farming techniques which were common pre-war when farmers were considered to be heroes not part of the problem.”

Here are some top tips for you to support Regenuary.

Look out for:

• Produce which has been farmed and produced using regenerative agriculture

  - including meat and vegetables

• Sourcing and cooking with seasonal produce - it'll be at its best quality too!

• Try and buy items that have been grown locally

  to reduce excessive food miles

• Avoid imported foods

For more information about regenerative organic farming visit our dedicated website and checkout the Netflix documentary dedicated to regenerative farming, Kiss the Ground.