Back to the Roots

When asked about what the appropriate scale should be for an agricultural or even food system, Vandana Shiva responded with “Agriculture is care for the land, so the scale needs to be at the scale that care can be given”. This enlightening response set the tone for an evening of thoughtful discussions on what it means to participate in the webs of life through food and the growing of food. 

“If you don’t like the system, don’t depend on it.” Andy Cato, founder of Wildfarmed, shared his motivations and journey on regenerative agriculture, including honest learnings about what it means to work with the land and being part of an ecosystem.

Vandana adds, “Regeneration is the humble admission of how living systems work”, and she is hopeful that food is a conversation that has the potential to enable harmony. “A truly circular system is one that recycles life, not waste”, prompting us to rethink how we should participate in the webs of life of the food system that we are all part of, and be part of the movement to enable the flow of life.

Above are some reflections on the Back to the Roots panel discussion jointly organised by Advaya and Chelsea Green Publishing. For those interested in finding out more about the incredible work of Vandana Shiva, you can read more about it in her latest movement biography Terra Viva. And for those curious to learn more about regenerative agriculture, here is a list of some great resources thoughtfully curated by Wildfarmed.