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Six Inches of Soil Coming Soon...

United Kingdom
Soil
regenerative farming
biodiversity

Guest blog by Six Inches of Soil

The last two years have been a whirlwind. Six Inches of Soil has gone from an idea to a nearly completed documentary, in fact, the first major documentary feature film about the regenerative farming revolution in Britain. Writing this blog in September 2023, I can’t believe that in just a few short months, we’ll be screening the film around the country, encouraging people, young and old, both inside and outside the farming community, to come and watch it and to fully understand the damage that has been caused to British soils over the last one hundred years. And to highlight why it’s all of our responsibility to try to do something about it.

Industrial farming has totally transformed Britain’s rural landscapes, supported by generous government subsidies and the demand for cheap food. The post-Second World War introduction of artificial pesticides and fertilisers, giant fields of monoculture crops, removal of meadows and hedgerows, and intensive use of machinery has massively increased crop yields, reducing hunger and revolutionising the food economy.

Six inches of soil

But this miracle of modernity has come at a terrible and often hidden cost. Industrial agriculture has taken a huge toll on biodiversity, polluted our seas and freshwater sources, turned animals into little more than factory-produced products, depleted our soils of nutrients and emptied rural areas of meaningful, sustainable jobs. In the UK alone, over six million hectares of soil is at risk of compaction and erosion, arable soils have lost about 40 to 60% of their organic carbon (DEFRA), only 14% of English rivers meet good ecological status, and the UK has lost half of its biodiversity since the 1970s (RSPB). 

Some farms have become huge while tens of thousands of farmers have had to leave the sector, unable to survive financially. Industrial agriculture also plays a significant role in heating our planet, and this system has been exported around the world.

The food system we have today is both a miracle and a disaster

Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy (2021)

Disconnected from our food

Food production in Britain is now dominated by a handful of supermarket retailers and food processing companies.  As a society, we’ve become so disconnected from the way in which our food is produced, packaged and transported. Most of us seem happy with the ‘choice’, ‘convenience’ and ‘good value’ that supermarkets seem to offer. We are also addicted to junk food, which is contributing to an unfolding public health crisis.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. The aim of our film is to sound the alarm but also to give hope, to educate the audience and to inspire behavioural change.  Following three new entrant farmers, Anna Jackson, an 11th-generation regenerative arable and sheep farmer based in Lincolnshire, Adrienne Gordon, a small-scale vegetable farmer based in Cambridgeshire and Ben Thomas, who rears 100% pastured beef in North Cornwall, we’ve captured the highs and lows of the regen farming life.

We’ve introduced the trio to many experts across the food and farming sector, which has inspired wonderful conversations that we’ve filmed in the hope that these can be carried forward into action.

Thanks to a second incredibly successful Crowdfunder in June, 289 wonderful supporters enabled us to reach a total of £37,609, which is allowing us to finish the post-production process and create a stylish piece using quality production values.

We’ve shared our journey widely via our social media channels and our newsletter to more than 5,000 followers, and every day, more people who are excited about what we are creating are joining us. We’re also very grateful to be working closely with our partners, including NFFN, who have been helping to spread our message far and wide.

In the coming months, we’ll start publishing screening dates and venues, so keep an eye on our website and sign up for our newsletter for our regular news and updates. Screenings will take place in conjunction with our partners, so watch this space!

We can’t wait to share our film with you. See you soon!