The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast

What's it like to be young in an industry where the average age is nudging 60 (and climbing)? Why would you want to join it, and what happens if no-one does?
On this week's episode, Stuart Oates sits down with Summer Wyatt-Buchan, Craig Alexander Byrne and Jessica Walker – three members of Nuffield's Next-Gen class of 2026 to find out what really matters to the UK's next generation of farmers, what they think about the big regen debate and why they decided to visit no less than 45 farms around the UK  – plus what they discovered along the way.
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the most exciting names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026, sponsored by The Rothschild Foundation. To listen to more podcasts recorded live at this year's festival, read this month's newsletter or visit our podcasts page.
Learn more about the Nuffield Farming Next-Gen Scholarship and find out how to apply at https://www.nuffieldscholar.org/scholarships/nuffield-farming-next-gen-scholarships
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Timestamps
0:00: Introduction – what is the Nuffield Farming Next-Gen Scholarship?
01:50: Personal journeys into regenerative agriculture
04:45: Insights from farm visits
08:44: Reflections on the Nuffield Farming experience
12:27: Community engagement and social metrics in farming
15:34: The debate on regenerative certification
20:08: Bridging the gap between conventional and regenerative farming
25:04: Advice for future scholars

Could the rise of GLP1s such as Ozempic be a catalyst for more sustainable farming?
Sounds ridiculous right? But for anyone eating less, the calories you do consume need to really count. As more and more people use anti-obesity medications (the UK is already Europe's largest market for GLP1s and uptake is projected to increase dramatically), the focus on nutrient density is only going one way. The public is waking up to what nutrient density actually means, and crucially, what it means for their health.
If nutrient dense food depends upon nutrient dense soil – and the route to nutrient dense soil is agroecological farming – will this create greater demand for sustainable farming practices?
Join Stuart Oates and expert panellists Dan Kittredge (founder of the Bionutrient Food Association), Dr Lucy Williamson (author of Soil to Gut and award-winning registered nutritionist), and Tom Pearson (Nuffield farming scholar and medical doctor) to find out what might happen next. 
 
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.

Missed the action at this year's Groundswell-SFT Podcast Tent? Don't worry – we've rounded up some of the highlights 💚
Key themes include the organic versus regenerative divide, nutrient density, and that all important soil to human health connection.
 
We'd like to thank all our incredible podcasters and guests for making  the inaugural Podcast Tent such a hotbed of debate, ideas and inspiration – and huge thanks to Groundswell and The Rothschild Foundation for their generous support.
 
 
We'll be sharing links to all of the podcasts recorded at this year's festival in our upcoming newsletter (out 5th August) – sign up via our website: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/newsletters/
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
These conversations were recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.

In this very special edition of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden sat down with John Cherry and Joanna Bowen, creators and co-founders of Groundswell.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Glastonbury of the Food and Farming world was even bigger and better this year - and for the first time, hosted its very own Podcast Tent (a collaboration between the Sustainable Food Trust and Groundswell, and generously supported by The Rothschild Foundation). Patrick was joined by Groundswell co-founders John and Joanna to talk through how what started as 400 people in a field in 2016, has today transformed into one of food and farming's most anticipated events with over 10,000 eager participants from farming, food and beyond. 
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.
End track 'Assurance' courtesy of and licensed through Soundstripe.
 
Timestamps
0:00: Welcome to the SFT Podcast Tent!
00:43: The origins of Groundswell
2:56: Transitioning from conventional to no-till farming
5:55: Inspired by American farmers and the No-Till Alliance
8:56: The first Groundswell
14:45: The organic versus regenerative divide
19:45: The power of storytelling in agricilture
26:07: What does the future of Groundswell look like?
34:10: Making regenerative agriculture profitable
41:13 Goodbye!

In this episode of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden is joined by doctor, broadcaster and bestselling author Chris van Tulleken for a wide-ranging conversation about ultra-processed food, public health, farming and the future of our food systems.

Best known for his TV appearances and ground-breaking book Ultra-Processed People, Chris has played a major role in bringing the realities of ultra-processed food into public debate. In this discussion, the conversation explores the deeper connections between food production, corporate power, human health and environmental damage.

Patrick and Chris examine where responsibility for our broken food system really lies – with consumers, governments or multinational food companies – and discuss the growing influence of ultra-processed food corporations over public policy, scientific research and public understanding of nutrition.

The episode also explores the relationship between farming methods and health outcomes, asking whether the way food is produced matters as much as the way it is processed. From organic farming and pesticide use to food affordability, regulation and the hidden costs of industrial agriculture, the discussion highlights the overlaps between public health and environmental sustainability.

Throughout the conversation, Patrick and Chris find common ground in their belief that meaningful change will require a better-informed public, stronger regulation and a food system that works in the interests of both people and planet.

To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, sign up to our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media: @susfoodtrust.