Pioneering Projects
In line with our mission to expand the reach and impact of regenerative agriculture, we partner with aligned groups and undertake pioneering projects exploring system transformation towards a food system where people, land and animals truly flourish.
We work with a variety of groups from across the agri-food sector including NGO's, Policy makers, Universities, Retailers, Food Producers and Restaurants. With these partners, we design and deliver bespoke research and development projects with an aim to expand understanding of and improve implementation and uptake of regenerative food systems.
Breed Sovereignty Project
Our flagship project Breed Sovereignty project looks to explore and promote the role of diverse livestock trait selection in successful regenerative farming systems.
The genetic traits of the majority of livestock are typically held and developed by very few, very large breeding companies. This has resulted in only a handful of breeds forming the majority of livestock that we farm globally, selected with productivity as a primary goal. Selection for these highly productive animals has often resulted in poor animal health, poor environmental health, and poor social outcomes. Furthermore, when placed into a system that is not reliant on supporting inputs (e.g. without high levels of antibiotics or a soy-based diet) these animals may not thrive.
Taking a regenerative approach to trait selection requires consideration of the entire context in which animals are produced, beyond productivity alone.
Through a series of interviews this project is exploring and assimilating the approach that current regenerative practitioners are taking in ensuring the correct traits are selected for their system. The project is also exploring gaps in knowledge and resource regarding trait selection with an aim to fulfil these gaps in future phases of the project.
The Breed Sovereignty project is supported by sankalpa.
Impeckable Poultry
Within the Regenerative farming community we are seeing the rise in interest in small scale Perkins & Salatin style ‘chicken tractors’ being adopted. At Planton Farm we have also built and trialled our own. While it is really encouraging that people are looking to incorporate additional enterprises on their farms, the deeper issues associated with poultry production are not always being addressed. For example, the lack of alternative breeds, chickens behavioural needs (canopy requirements), the pesticide use and deforestation associated with soya feed, and many other interlinked challenges.
At the centre of all of it we seem to have also forgotten that its only 100 years or so ago, before the age of the hatchery, that chickens sat on their eggs and raised their young - people took a few eggs and a few chickens to feed their family, but only as many as their flock could sustain.
Impeckable Poultry is a project to redesign chicken production. A blueprint that could be adopted by any farmer. Ultimately we are aiming for a dual-purpose bird where hens rear their own young. We will require a few steps in between, and some trials and tribulations to get there.
Part of the evolution of Impeckable Poultry has been the questioning whether we should we even eat chicken - it’s not native to the UK and really geese, as grazers would be the most sustainable in our climate. Yet for the time being few people want to eat geese and the UK’s appetite for Chicken is not going away. Through this project we will also explore models of how much animal protein we should be eating. We will also take citizens on the journey with us to redefine our attitudes to this protein source that is so economically cheap yet so expensive in terms of its externalities.
If you are interested in partnering with us, if you would like to be involved with or support one of our current projects directly, or if you think we could help with your research needs please get in contact.