UK Archives | Sustainable Food Trust

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SFT Podcast: Should we be eating salmon?

Alice Frost — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:16:41 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

In this episode of the SFT Podcast, we take a deep dive into the realities of salmon farming – one of the UK’s most significant food industries and its largest food export.

Prompted by a recent open letter questioning whether farmed salmon can ever be considered sustainable, Patrick and Stuart explore the environmental, ethical and nutritional implications of modern aquaculture. Drawing on Patrick’s firsthand experience with organic salmon certification in the 1990s, the conversation traces how the industry has evolved – and why its foundations are now being challenged.

From feed production and ocean pollution to sea lice, disease, fish escapes and the impact on wild salmon populations, this episode examines the complex web of issues surrounding farmed salmon. The discussion also considers the wider consequences for marine ecosystems, public trust in food systems, and the difficult balance between economic importance and environmental responsibility.

As always, the conversation remains open and exploratory – asking whether a more sustainable model is possible, what alternatives might look like, and what this means for consumers trying to make informed choices about the food they eat.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels.

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

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Owen Shiers on reviving black oats in Wales and the balance between valuing culture and making a profit in farming

Alice Frost — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:11:50 +0000

For this episode of the SFT Podcast, we hear from Owen Shiers – Welsh folk singer, researcher, grain grower and cultural historian.

In his late 20s, Owen was rewarded a scholarship from the Finzi Trust to research folk music in Ceredigion, where he grew up – a moment which he describes as the ‘beginning of his journey’. What was originally intended to be an exploration of culture, became an exploration of agriculture as Owen came to learn about the significance of black oats in Wales. During his research, Owen crossed paths with Gerald Miles, an organic farmer from Pembrokeshire, and Iwan Evans Coedfadre, a Welsh folk singer and farmer.

Whilst Gerald had been searching for black oats for 20 years, having all but disappeared and been replaced by more modern varieties of oats, Iwan was the last farmer in Wales to be growing them. Through this research, Owen was able to connect Gerald and Iwan, which led to the creation of the Llafur Ni Network (‘Our Cereals’) – a project they co-founded with the Gaia Foundation, bringing together farmers and growers across Wales to revive black oats and other rare welsh grains.

Owen’s music (Cynefin, Owen’s ‘musical brainchild’) is firmly rooted in the customs and cultural vernacular of Ceredigion. His most recent album Shimli, explores the intersection between music, poetry, food and the natural world. Stick around until the end of this episode to hear ‘Y Medelwr’ (The Reaper Man) from Owen’s latest album, and for an explanation about the origins of the song.

Elsewhere in the episode, Patrick and Owen also talk about the impact that religion has had on Welsh folk music; how the cultivation and preservation of seeds compares to that of the cultivation of wool and other animal by-products; and they ask, how can we create economic opportunities for people in a food and farming system which is often working against the principles of sustainability?

You can listen to Cynefin’s music here and follow him on Instagram.

If you’d like to find out more about the Llafur Ni Network and how Owen first came to meet Gerald and Iwan, watch this film from The Gaia Foundation and Andy Pilsbury.

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

This conversation was recorded in January 2026.

Featured image courtesy of Owen Shiers.

Timestamps

0:00: Welcome to the SFT Podcast!

0:49: Who is Owen Shiers?

3:17: Exploring the roots of Welsh folk music

5:03: The Methodist Church’s impact on folk music in Wales

7:55: Black Oats in Wales

11:06: What can poetry tell us about farming culture?

13:40: Stuck between a rock and a hard place: valuing culture versus making a profit in farming

17:53: Opportunities in agricultural education

23:40: How do we create economic opportunities for people in a system set against the principles of sustainability?

28:18: The Llafur Ni Network

42:06: How does the cultivation and valuing of seeds compare to wool?

45:28: How can we make sustainable food and clothing more affordable?

49:11: Owen reads some Welsh poetry

51:52: Goodbye!

52:31: ‘Y Medelwr’ (The Reaper Man)

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SFT Podcast: Food security, food sovereignty and self-sufficiency in times of conflict

Victoria Halliday — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:14:35 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

In this episode of the SFT Podcast we’re talking about food security – as the war in Iran shows no sign of easing, with thousands of casualties and many people displaced from their homes, we discuss the impact of the conflict in terms of food security in the Middle East, as well as how agriculture is often weaponised in times of conflict.

We also reflect on how the conflict has impacted food security in the UK, and what steps could be taken to ensure the country is more food secure and our farming sector is more resilient in the face of local and global shocks.

This week, Patrick and Stuart are also joined by Megan Perry, the SFT’s Head of Policy & Campaigns. Megan has a degree in international politics and has been working with the SFT for 12 years, heading up our work the UK’s small abattoir sector. Alongside her experience at the SFT, Megan has also spent time visiting and supporting organisations and individuals working in the agriculture sector in places like Palestine and Lebanon who have been significantly affected by the ongoing conflict.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Feeding Britain report: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/feeding-britain/
Food sovereignty report: https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/pathways-towards-food-sovereignty-in-lebanon/?tztc=1
Tim Lang: UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/07/uk-stockpile-food-climate-shocks-war

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.

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SFT Podcast: Finding Harmony, the evolution of agricultural education and influencing the influencers

Alice Frost — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:15:10 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

To mark the release of the recent documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision – exploring his Majesty King Charles III’s lifelong commitment to the environment and his philosophy of Harmony – in this episode of the SFT Podcast, Patrick talks to Stuart about his involvement in the documentary and recalls first meeting the King in 1982. They also explore the philosophy of Harmony in more depth, including how we can bring harmonious practices into our everyday lives and why achieving this is now more important than ever.

Elsewhere in the episode, Patrick and Stuart talk about the evolution of agricultural education and the importance of influencing the influencers to enable a transition to more sustainable food and farming practices.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org or send us a message via any of our social media channels – let us know what you’d like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about next time!

Timestamps:

0:00: Welcome back!

0:33: Patrick talks about his relationship with King Charles, first meeting him in 1982, the development of Highgrove Farm and their shared passion for organic farming

4:01: The King’s book: Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World

5:55: We are not separate from nature, we are part of nature

10:45: Striving for Harmony in a world of conflict

13:36: To achieve Harmony, where do we start?

18:02: Harmonious practices in our everyday lives

25:48: Patrick’s involvement in Finding Harmony

28:36: ‘Seeing is believing’ experience at Highgrove Farm

30:17: The evolution of agricultural education and need for reform

37:53: The history of Dumfries House

43:14: The interconnectedness of faiths/The King’s influence on connecting different faiths

44:52: How do we transform farming to become part of the solution, rather than the problem?

49:35: Influencing the influencers

53:31: What’s coming in future episodes

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.

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Julian & Miriam Rose on developing England’s first community-led estate and the complexities of inheriting land and wealth

Alice Frost — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:30:53 +0000

Sir Julian Rose and his daughter, Miriam Rose, of the Hardwick Estate – England’s first community-owned estate – joined our CEO, Patrick Holden, on the SFT Podcast.

Julian Rose was one of the pioneers of organic farming in the UK. In the late 1960s, Julian inherited ownership of the Hardwick Estate and by 1975 the 375-acre farmland had been converted to organic status. Forty years later, the Rose family have made the decision to transfer ownership of the Estate to the local community, seeking to move away from a history of private aristocratic ownership.

Following closely in her father’s footsteps, Miriam says she identified as a ‘natural environmentalist’ from a very young age having grown up on the farm, and has been a fierce advocate ever since – including spending eight days incarcerated in Iceland after protesting the country’s aluminium industry’s impact on the rivers. Nowadays, Miriam sits on the board of Trustees of the Hardwick Estate, overseeing its direction, which is otherwise managed by the Hardwick community.

In this episode, Julian and Miriam go into more detail about how this community-owned model works, as well as the risks involved with this approach, and they discuss whether or not this model could be scaled. They also talk about the complex feelings they have towards land-ownership and the inheritance of wealth.

Find out more about the Hardwick Estate here.

This conversation was recorded in October 2025. Featured image courtesy of www.julianrose.info/.

Timestamps

0:00: Welcome Julian and Miriam!

01:04: The history of the Hardwick Estate and how the Julian came to inherit the Estate

9:05: Patrick and Julian’s involvement in the early organic movement – including the beginnings of the UK’s organic food standards

12:15: Miriam’s early beginnings as an environmentalist and her role at Hardwick

15:12: Becoming England’s first community-owned estate

22:35: How does the community ownership model work?

24:46: What are the risks involved with this approach?

30:02: 50 years of organic at the Hardwick Estate

32:58: Can this community-owned model be scaled?

33:59: The complexities of inheriting land and wealth

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.

And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

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SFT Podcast: Storm Goretti impact on farmers, SFI updates & ‘nutrient dense’ food ranges

Alice Frost — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:30:12 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

For our first episode of 2026, Patrick and Stuart talk about the extreme weather we’ve experienced, just days into the new year – reflecting on the disruption that Storm Goretti caused, particularly in Cornwall where Stuart farms, they discuss the incredible display of community resilience in response to shocks like this.

Elsewhere in the conversation, Patrick also talks about his time at the Oxford farming conferences – both Oxford Real Farming Conference and Oxford Farming Conference – where the environment secretary announced updates to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) schemes; Stuart discusses Marks & Spencer’s new range of nutrient dense food, and the two also debate the importance of measuring farming system outcomes and explore the challenges that come with this.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you’d like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about next time.

Timestamps:

0:00: Welcome!

0:13: The overproduction of milk affecting price per litre

2:32: The aftermath of Storm Goretti and show of community spirit

6:48: Local procurement vs exports

8:31: ORFC and OFC

13:00: Are big food companies comitting greenwash or should we embrace their regen efforts?

20:38: Defra’s recent announcement on SFI and FiPL

24:07: Should we and how can we measure farming system outcomes?

29:50: M&S’s ‘nutrient dense’ food range

31:48: McDonald’s efforts to champion higher quality food

35:06: What’s Stuart up to in Brazil?

36:08: Patrick’s message on health for 2026

37:17: Global dependence on roundup

41:03: Goodbye!

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

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Tim Smit on forever chemicals and rethinking the meaning of ‘farms’

Alice Frost — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:13:15 +0000

Our CEO, Patrick Holden, recently sat down for a conversation with Sir Tim Smit, former archaeologist, music producer and founder of the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.

In this episode, Patrick and Tim talk about the emerging dangers of forever chemicals for the environment and human health, reconceptualising what we mean when we talk about farms and their importance for mental health and wellbeing, and why the integration of food and farming into the national curriculum “shouldn’t be fringe, it should be right at the core”.

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page.

And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

This conversation was recorded in December 2025.

Featured image courtesy of the Eden Project.

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SFT Podcast: Christmas special

Victoria Halliday — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:35:18 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

In this episode, Patrick and Stuart explore the current distortion of food pricing, with Christmas vegetables being used as loss leaders in supermarkets. They discuss nose-to-tail eating, share Patrick’s carrot-growing journey, and reflect on making the most of festive meals and holiday food traditions. The conversation finishes with New Year’s resolutions and ideas for a few ways to access ‘flow state’ to help us to be present in our day-to-day lives.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you’d like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about in the next episode!

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project:

https://www.instagram.com/susfoodtrust/ | https://www.instagram.com/hafodcheese/

The post SFT Podcast: Christmas special appeared first on Sustainable Food Trust.

SFT Podcast: The rise of forever chemicals and UPFs, multi-purpose willow on farms & camel farming

Alice Frost — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:08:27 +0000

What’s really going on in food and farming? Two farmers – Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust, and Stuart Oates, founder of the Fossil Free Farm project – get behind the headlines to unpack the biggest stories shaping what we eat, how we farm and the future of the planet. Expect lively debate, real-world experience, and unique insights from some of food and farming’s top voices.

In this week’s episode, Patrick and Stuart talk about forever chemicals and the increasing awareness of their impact on human health – as recently investigated in an episode of the BBC’s Panorama. They also discuss the politicisation of regenerative agriculture; Patrick shares his thoughts on the publication of new research reviewing the safety of the widely used herbicide, Roundup, and asks what a post-Roundup farming future might look like; and Stuart reflects on his camel farming journey and how at one point he had the largest camel farm (21 camels!) in mainland Europe.

To join in the conversation, get in touch with us at info@sustainablefoodtrust.org – let us know what you’d like to hear Patrick and Stuart talk about in next week’s episode!

Follow Patrick and the Sustainable Food Trust:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-food-trust/

Find out more about Stuart and the Fossil Free Farm project: