In conversation with James Rebanks

The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast

In this week’s podcast, Patrick talks to James Rebanks, farmer and best-selling author of The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District (2015) and English Pastoral: An Inheritance (2020). Starting off with James’ own story - which is simultaneously traditional and quite exceptional for a Cumbrian shepherd - the conversation then turns towards the challenges faced by our food and farming systems. The pair discuss the undeniable impact of Sir David Attenborough’s new documentary and film (Extinction: The Facts and A Life on Our Planet), which both beautifully depict the core environmental issues of our time, but also raise somewhat of a question around the topic of agriculture. As Patrick voices his concerns regarding the theme of rewilding, James highlights the more pressing need for a transition towards regenerative agriculture. Using his own experience as an example, he explains the various ways in which rewilding can in fact be seamlessly integrated into farm management: replicating, where possible, wild ecosystems, welcoming more biodiversity onto our farms, and rebuilding soil fertility. The two agree that this transition cannot be achieved without the fundamental role of livestock: ‘If we’re going to farm sustainably, with lots of biodiversity’, James suggests, ‘we need to get back into that mixed rotational pattern’. The major challenge, however, is widening the public understanding of this concept.