Grassroots Rising

Ronnie Cummins is founder and director of the Organic Consumers Association, a US-based network of more than 2 million consumers 'dedicated to safeguarding organic standards and promoting a healthy, just and regenerative system of food, farming and commerce.' He has been an activist his whole life and uses this experience to set out a roadmap for regeneration with five drivers: grassroots awareness, political mobilisation and marketplace demand; carbon farming, reforestation and ecosystem restoration; politics and public policy; and public and private investment. For anyone who wants to play an active part in this essential process of regeneration to replace the current degenerative policies, this is an absolutely vital handbook, based on a positive, solutions-oriented message. The arguments and proposals are set out with clarity and force in an attempt to overcome powerlessness and inertia in making a contribution towards systems change – single issues are all connected and none provide a complete solution.

The big picture is that the health of the soil, plants, animals and humans is one and indivisible and, as Sir Albert Howard pointed out 80 years ago. We need a profound shift in public consciousness, political power, public policy, farm practices, business practices, consumer practices, investments and international relations in bringing in a regenerative Green New Deal that is not just disguised technocracy. The good news is that we vote with our consumption, but this is also what keeps existing food systems in place, reinforced by addiction – 70% of what Americans currently eat is effectively junk food. His counter message is that 'industrial, GMO tainted, pesticide-laden, factory-farmed foods are bad for your health, bad for farm animals, bad for small farmers, bad for the environment and, as we are starting to understand, bad for the climate.' However, it is encouraging to learn that smallholders in fact feed 70% all the world's people with 25% of the resources. Progress depends entirely on global civil society, as industrial agriculture, pharmaceuticals and food have captured not only regulatory agencies, but also politicians of all parties through lobbies and campaign contributions. If you would like to be part of this, please see www.regenerationinternational.org and www.organicconsumers.org where you can also sign up to their excellent newsletter.