The Soil.
The health of our planet starts and finishes with the soil. Many cultures used to believe that we were of the earth, literally. Sculpted from the ground we walked on.
And you can understand why. No soil, no humans.
It’s still true today.
Our ancestors knew just how important healthy soil was to our survival as a species and undertook long and treacherous journeys in search of more fertile lands. They were looking for soil full of life, from which more life could spring.
They understood something that modern farming has forgotten: rich soil results in superior food, in terms of taste and health.
Today, however, modern farming practices are destroying microbially rich and diverse soil systems. Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemical inputs kill the soil (the earth) and leave it lifeless.
As a result, lots of farms have lost so much of their natural soil biome that they’re now entirely reliant on artificial fertilisers to grow any food at all. In extreme circumstances, some areas are even experiencing desertification, a process by which land is degraded to such an extent that all biological productivity is lost. Nothing lives in a desert.It’s estimated that the earth’s fertile soil is being degraded at a rate of 24 billion tonnes per year, which has devastating consequences for the surrounding environment. As the soil becomes more arid, it loses its ability to retain water, which can lead to flooding. Tonnes of (chemically polluted) topsoil runs off into rivers, which in turn results in the poisoning of natural bodies of water and renders them lifeless too.But there are farms doing it differently.
White Oak Pastures in the US are demonstrating how using regenerative farming practises benefits the entire local ecosystem.
Not only do they not use any pesticides, but they go as far as to restore nature’s cycles, sequestering lots of carbon into their soil in the process.
On average, factory farmed beef gives off roughly 33 pounds of CO2 for every pound of beef produced. In comparison, White Oak Pastures store 3.5 pounds of CO2 in their soil for every pound of beef produced. You read that right, red meat production done right is carbon negative.
So, grass-fed beef farming and holistic land and animal management can be tools to help reverse man-made climate change.
It’s estimated that if organic and regenerative farming was used across every farm in the UK, at least 23% of agriculture’s current greenhouse gas emissions would be offset. That’s why at Oath, all our burgers and sausages are sourced from the best regenerative farms from across the UK.
People sometimes mix up organic and regenerative farming. Both are steps in the right direction. Here’s a very quick breakdown…
Organic farming aims to protect the Earth’s soil and the environment, whilst producing food as naturally as possible. Under the organic standards, food can not be genetically modified (GMO) and strict limitations are applied to the use of chemical inputs. For example, organically certified farms are restricted to using 15 pesticides derived from natural ingredients such as garlic.
(It’s also worth remembering that there didn’t used to be organic and non-organic food. There was just food. And now we have to pay extra not to be poisoned by the things we eat).
However, truly regenerative farms tend to rely on their skill and understanding of the ecosystem over the use of chemicals. The Biggest Little Farm documentary highlights this perfectly when they allow their ducks to eat the snails that are consuming their crops.
Step back. Observe. Help nature find its own answer.
That’s the regenerative way.
Compare this to conventional farms, who rely on the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that destroy the soil and damage the health of humans and animals that consume them. These chemicals are designed to kill insects, weeds and fungi but when consumed on food, they destroy gut microbes, which play a vital role in both human and animal health.
The gut microbiome is an extraordinary mix of bacteria and fungi, which plays a critical role in nutrient delivery as well as acting as the front line for your immune system. People like Dr Zach Bush are demonstrating that Glyphosate, the base ingredient in the world’s main and most infamous herbicide ‘Roundup’ also destroys the junctions between the gut wall. Ever heard of ‘leaky gut’?
This results in massive inflammation, allergies and a whole host of other issues.
When our gut lining cells can’t communicate effectively, it throws out our bodies ability to carry out apoptosis. This term refers to programmed cell death, a process that a healthy body does naturally when a cell becomes damaged. However, if this is impaired, cells that are damaged can multiply instead, which can have a devastating impact on human health.
Eating organic and properly prepared foods prevents any of this from happening. That’s why you’ll never see us sell a product that’s not organic or from regenerative farming practices where these chemicals aren’t used.
One final term you’ll hear a lot in these circles is grass-fed and grass finished…
Raising cattle in an environment where they’re truly free to roam on clean pastures for the entirety of their life is the gold standard for animal welfare and nutrition.
Oath cattle spend as much of the year as weather conditions allow outdoors, eating a natural diet of grass (and whatever other goodies are growing in those rich fields). When inside (at night or when it’s too cold), they have plenty of space and are fed hay (dried grass and plants), which results in them living a low stress and anti-inflammatory life.
The areas on which the cattle graze are systematically rotated to ensure the soil is protected and nutritionally rich. Finally, antibiotics are only used when absolutely necessary. Farming cattle in this way results in fertile soil, which can sequester carbon. As well as healthy, happy animals that when consumed are greatly beneficial to human health.
How our cattle are raised sits in stark contrast to factory farming.
Under these systems cattle are often kept indoors and in too confined a space for large periods of their life. They are fed an unnatural diet, often including genetically modified feed like soy, covered in artificial chemicals. This leads to the animal living a stressful and inflamed life, which in turn requires routine antibiotic use.
It’s not uncommon for hormones to be used to promote growth and boost weight gain. Factory farming practices are cruel, damage the earth and result in a nutritionally inferior end product. We believe that to achieve true health for this planet and all its inhabitants, we need to move away from these disconnected farming practices and instead work with nature.
Regenerative and organic farming does just that.
So come with us, we’re going back the way we came.
J, R & N