The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast

Could the rise of GLP1s such as Ozempic be a catalyst for more sustainable farming?
Sounds ridiculous right? But for anyone eating less, the calories you do consume need to really count. As more and more people use anti-obesity medications (the UK is already Europe's largest market for GLP1s and uptake is projected to increase dramatically), the focus on nutrient density is only going one way. The public is waking up to what nutrient density actually means, and crucially, what it means for their health.
If nutrient dense food depends upon nutrient dense soil – and the route to nutrient dense soil is agroecological farming – will this create greater demand for sustainable farming practices?
Join Stuart Oates and expert panellists Dan Kittredge (founder of the Bionutrient Food Association), Dr Lucy Williamson (author of Soil to Gut and award-winning registered nutritionist), and Tom Pearson (Nuffield farming scholar and medical doctor) to find out what might happen next. 
 
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.

Missed the action at this year's Groundswell-SFT Podcast Tent? Don't worry – we've rounded up some of the highlights 💚
Key themes include the organic versus regenerative divide, nutrient density, and that all important soil to human health connection.
 
We'd like to thank all our incredible podcasters and guests for making  the inaugural Podcast Tent such a hotbed of debate, ideas and inspiration – and huge thanks to Groundswell and The Rothschild Foundation for their generous support.
 
 
We'll be sharing links to all of the podcasts recorded at this year's festival in our upcoming newsletter (out 5th August) – sign up via our website: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/newsletters/
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
These conversations were recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.

In this very special edition of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden sat down with John Cherry and Joanna Bowen, creators and co-founders of Groundswell.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Glastonbury of the Food and Farming world was even bigger and better this year - and for the first time, hosted its very own Podcast Tent (a collaboration between the Sustainable Food Trust and Groundswell, and generously supported by The Rothschild Foundation). Patrick was joined by Groundswell co-founders John and Joanna to talk through how what started as 400 people in a field in 2016, has today transformed into one of food and farming's most anticipated events with over 10,000 eager participants from farming, food and beyond. 
Find more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in food and farming, at our main podcast page. Keep up to date with news, policy updates and more by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in the SFT Podcast Tent at Groundswell in July 2026.
End track 'Assurance' courtesy of and licensed through Soundstripe.
 
Timestamps
0:00: Welcome to the SFT Podcast Tent!
00:43: The origins of Groundswell
2:56: Transitioning from conventional to no-till farming
5:55: Inspired by American farmers and the No-Till Alliance
8:56: The first Groundswell
14:45: The organic versus regenerative divide
19:45: The power of storytelling in agricilture
26:07: What does the future of Groundswell look like?
34:10: Making regenerative agriculture profitable
41:13 Goodbye!

In this episode of the SFT Podcast, Patrick Holden is joined by doctor, broadcaster and bestselling author Chris van Tulleken for a wide-ranging conversation about ultra-processed food, public health, farming and the future of our food systems.

Best known for his TV appearances and ground-breaking book Ultra-Processed People, Chris has played a major role in bringing the realities of ultra-processed food into public debate. In this discussion, the conversation explores the deeper connections between food production, corporate power, human health and environmental damage.

Patrick and Chris examine where responsibility for our broken food system really lies – with consumers, governments or multinational food companies – and discuss the growing influence of ultra-processed food corporations over public policy, scientific research and public understanding of nutrition.

The episode also explores the relationship between farming methods and health outcomes, asking whether the way food is produced matters as much as the way it is processed. From organic farming and pesticide use to food affordability, regulation and the hidden costs of industrial agriculture, the discussion highlights the overlaps between public health and environmental sustainability.

Throughout the conversation, Patrick and Chris find common ground in their belief that meaningful change will require a better-informed public, stronger regulation and a food system that works in the interests of both people and planet.

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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.