Meet the speakers... ffinlo Costain

Farmers must be properly supported by the government as they transition to regenerative farming.

This is the belief of ffinlo Costain, chief editor of 8point9.com. Mr Costain has a wealth of experience working with farmers transitioning to regenerative farming systems through the think tank FarmWel.

The industry needs to start focussing on broader ecological security rather than just emissions, which have been allowed to become a ‘distraction’, he says.

“A lot of people think food security is about producing enough food, but this won’t be possible in the future unless we address production, climate, biodiversity, and soil health together. Parts of the Arab Spring revolution were closely linked to harvest failure in Russia,” he explains.

He adds: “We need to be honest about the challenges we face to inspire real change. Fossil-fuel-reliant farming is doomed to fail.”

He believes farmers must move away from systems that are reliant on fossil energy to ones that harness natural capital.

“We need to remember the way we farmed in the past while applying the knowledge and technology we have now to sustain production.”

To achieve this, he believes the government’s budget for agriculture needs to be doubled.

During his talk at the British Cattle Breeder’s Conference on 23 January, Mr Costain will address these points. He will also explain why having an active breeding programme is central to regenerative transformation and what traits are required to make it successful.