About this episode
Tom and Chloe sit down with Clare from Planton farm to explore what regenerative agriculture really means. Drawing on Claire’s journey from the conventional food industry into regenerative farming, the conversation explores why our current food system is under strain and how working with nature offers a viable, hopeful alternative.Together they explore soil health, livestock grazing, culture change in farming, and the realities farmers face when trying to shift away from extractive systems. From cattle as “ecosystem engineers” to the surprising role chickens can play in regeneration, this episode is a grounded, honest look at food, farming and the mindset shifts required to restore landscapes while keeping farms viable.Key topics & chapter markers[00:00] – Introduction and contextClare joins the podcast after visiting the Grange Project, sharing her background and passion for grazing livestock and regenerative farming.[03:56] – What regenerative agriculture actually meansA clear explanation of regeneration as the opposite of degradation – restoring soil, water, biodiversity and people – and why there is no single “recipe” for doing it well.[05:24] – Regenerative vs organic farmingHow organic and regenerative systems overlap, where they differ, and why organic certification doesn’t automatically guarantee soil regeneration.[07:05] – The challenge of definition and greenwashingWhy regenerative agriculture lacks certification, how the term can be misused, and the importance of asking one key question as a consumer: what is this regenerating?[08:48] – Why the current food system is strugglingA look back to post-war agriculture, the drive for volume, the rise of chemical inputs and the unintended consequences for soil health, nutrition, biodiversity and resilience.[13:16] – Economics of regenerative farmingWhy high-input, high-output farming is hitting a ceiling, how rising input costs are eroding margins, and why some farmers turn to regenerative approaches for financial survival as much as environmental reasons.[15:02] – Culture change and farmer mindsetFarming as identity, pride and tradition – and why regenerative farming challenges deeply held ideas about tidiness, productivity and what “good farming” looks like.[20:28] – Roots to RegenerationClare explains the two-year Roots to Regeneration programme, designed to support farmers and food-system professionals through deep, supported transition rather than surface-level change.[24:23] – Cattle, climate and eating less but better meatWhy grazing animals can be central to regeneration
