A thought-provoking new book has just been published, bringing together leading world authors to explore the roles of both regenerative farming and diet in transforming our food systems.

Regenerative Farming and Sustainable Diets: Human, Animal and Planetary Health  delivers joined-up thinking from leading authors and thinkers from across the world, making a strong case for an urgent move away from industrial agriculture towards regenerative farming and the promotion of plant-based diets.

It informs and inspires about how we should produce, distribute and consume food, critical issues for all life on this planet. Chapters reflect different approaches and perspectives, explaining how it is within our power to create lasting systemic change.

Chapters discuss broad ranging issues from climate change and biodiversity conservation to animal sentience, intensive farming and corporate power, plus the role of financial markets and food businesses. The book concludes with chapters discussing the routes in policy and practice to transforming the food system and achieving real-world change.

Dozens of leading thinkers contribute insights

Amongst the 49 internationally respected contributors who provide well-informed and clear insight are: -

• Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of IPES-Food and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
• Dr Vandana Shiva, physicist, environmental campaigner and founder of Navdanya
• Stefanos Fotiou, Director of the FAO Office of Sustainable Development Goals, and Director of UN Food Systems Coordination Hub at FAO and co-author Dr Rathana Peou Norbert-Munns, Policy Expert at the Office of Sustainable Development Goals, FAO
• James Bailey, Executive Director, Waitrose
• Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and founding Director of the CFAES Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at Ohio University
• Molly Anderson, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Food Studies and Director of the Food Studies Academic Program, Middlebury College
• Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor at the College of Economics and Management at China Agricultural University
• Xiaolong Feng, Professor (Associate) at the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, the College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University
• Dr Shireen Kassam, Consultant Haematologist and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician
• Professor Tim Benton, Distinguished Fellow in the Environment and Society Centre, Chatham House
• Professor Dr André Leu, International Director of Regeneration International
• Carl Safina, Endowed Chair for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University
• Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, President of Eurogroup for Animals and Board member of the World Federation for Animals
• Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon Restaurants, the Sustainable Restaurant Association and the charity Chefs in Schools
• Seth Watkins, farmer in Iowa and former United Nations Food Systems Champion

The book is available in hardback (£135) and paperback (£32.99). Given the importance of the content, the editors have agreed an Open Access ebook. Royalties will go to Compassion in World Farming.

Global experts endorse book

“This inspiring book cuts through so much of today's wretched jargon about regenerative farming, and tells it as it is: it's impossible to regenerate agriculture today without significantly reducing meat consumption” Jonathon Porritt, campaigner and author

“This must-read book emphasises the importance of regenerative farming, agroforestry and permaculture. These methods of farming work with rather than against nature, restore biodiversity, and help to slow down climate change. They can become truly sustainable and feed us for generations to come.” Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder - the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace.

“If Earth is to have a future, humans will need to live differently within the web of life that feeds us …. The keys to tomorrow’s plates are in this wide-ranging, challenging, surprising, and ultimately hopeful collection of some of the planet’s finest thinkers on the future of food.” Raj Patel, author, filmmaker and academic.