Is this the new rock and roll?

It's the latest trend in agriculture, but what does 'regenerative farming' actually mean? Sarah Langford explains why good old-fashioned farms are making a comeback

- Sarah Langford

THIS summer, two very British festivals took place. Both saw crowds of people in Wellingtons and denim cut-offs gathering in fields to the camp, drinking beer, and dance a summer's evening away. Those attending Somerset's Glastonbury Festival had come for the music. Those at Groundswell in Hertfordshire, however, were there to share ideas about something being described as 'the new rock and roll': regenerative farming.

In 2017, brothers John and Paul Cherry hosted the first Groundswell festival in a shed on their farm when 450 farmers came together to discuss techniques such as direct drilling and cover cropping. Six years on, that number has swelled to 5,000.

Regenerative farming seems to have captured the imagination of both government and big business-George Eustice, Secretary of State for Defra, chose Groundswell to launch the Government's new Sustainable Farming Incentive, and the fast-food chain McDonald's is trialling regenerative-grazing methods. However, with no agreed definition or regulation, what does regenerative agriculture actually mean?

The answer must be seen in the context of the past 70 years when chemicals and machinery achieved the job of feeding the world. Now, enough food is produced globally to feed up to six billion more people than currently exist, although it doesn't always get to those it should. The unintended consequences of this have caused catastrophic damage to our wildlife and soils, contributed to global warming, fuelled an obesity crisis, and created a food system that means 40% of all food produced is either lost or wasted.