ECO CAMBRIDGE
THE PLOT THICKENS SIX INCHES OF SOIL CAMBRIDGE-BASED FILM DIRECTOR COLIN RAMSAY TELLS ALEX FICE ABOUT THE BRITISH FARMERS TRANSFORMING THE WAY FOOD IS PRODUCED
revolution is coming. That’s the message from farmers across the country who are daring to diverge from mainstream
DITCH CHEAP MEAT If you enjoy meat, try to eat less of it and pay more for higher-quality cuts. We suggest chatting to your local butcher, to ask exactly where the meat has come from. MIND YOUR VEG Try to buy seasonal veg, grown locally. Sign up to schemes like Cambridge Organic to get locally sourced veg delivered straight to your door! CHECK THE ORIGIN Always look at packaging to see how far food has travelled – and try not to buy it from halfway around the world. Small changes, big impact COLIN OFFERS HIS TIPS FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD HABITS
A third of all soils have degraded globally Cambridge, called From the Ground Up , Colin discovered first-hand what a difference could be made by changing the way we farm our land. “I remember visiting a farm near Wilbraham in early December, and being astounded by how much life was still there, with an incredible cover crop of legumes and these massive sunflowers,” he recalls. “We did a few digs; the soil was industrial practices and returning to the roots of traditional farming. In his latest film, Six Inches of Soil , which is currently in production, Cambridge-based director Colin Ramsay seeks to share the story of England’s slowly shifting agricultural landscape. He highlights the issues threatening farming today, and – critically – points to solutions that could save our food system from the brink of collapse. Low pay, crippling demand from supermarkets, unhealthy soils and climate change are just some of the most pressing challenges faced by farmers in England and throughout the world. “East Anglia is one of the most intensively farmed arable areas of Europe, and our soils are in crisis,” says Colin. “A third of all soils have degraded globally and, according to the Soil Association, we lose an acre of topsoil every second. In the UK, we don’t have the dust bowls of America or desertification, but we still have unhealthy soils.” While working on a short film about regenerative agriculture for Carbon Neutral
TRAILBLAZERS Through the Six Inches of Soil and From the Ground Up projects, Colin has met many of the farmers making green choices spongy and full of worms – you could see, smell and feel its vitality. Then we dug in the neighbouring field – the same soil type, arable crop and farming system – but the soil was dead; it was solid like a brick. “That was the penny-drop moment for me. You could see the two systems side by side, the farmers making different choices; one system full of life and the other lacking. I thought, the audience needs to see and feel this.” So, what exactly are farmers doing to rescue our degrading soils? The answer to
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Before buying more food, try to eat the food that’s already in your kitchen – don’t throw it away!
GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY!
Volunteer with local initiatives such as CoFarm and Cambridge Sustainable Food, and seek out farm walks and community events in your area.
64 SEPTEMBER 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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