Six Steps Back to the Land: Why we need small mixed farms and millions more farmers

An exploration into how we can have truly sustainable, resilient and productive farms.

In the 1930s, nutritionists claimed that the increase in population size would soon make it challenging to eat enough protein, which they thought was only obtainable from meat. Mercifully, this is not true. Although meat does offer a nutritional bonus, we do not need vast amounts of it and could get all our protein from plants. The world has lots of food problems still - from issues surrounding fertile soill to agroforestry and livestock - but there are solutions.

Colin Tudge coined the expression ’Enlightened Agriculture’ to describe agriculture that is expressly designed to provide everyone, everywhere, with food of the highest standard, nutritionally and gastronomically, without wrecking the rest of the world. In his enlightening book, Six Steps Back to the Land, he explains how we can achieve truly sustainable, resilient and productive farms, looking at why we need to rethink our approach to farming, how we can move to low-input mixed farms, and how tightly-integrated farms employ many skilled people, as well as the practicalities in today’s world and how to deal with those.

Informative, uplifting and deeply inspiring, Six Steps Back to the Land is perfect for anyone with an interest in our food chain, and includes lots of ideas on how to get involved and make a difference.

Colin Tudge is a biologist, science writer and author, who has a passion for food and agriculture. His previous books include Why Genes Are Not Selfish, The Secret Life of Trees and The Secret Life of Birds. Now a freelance writer, Colin has worked with Farmers’ Weekly, New Scientist and BBC Radio 3. He has a passion for food and agriculture, and is closely involved with the Campaign for Real Farming and the Funding Enlightened Agriculture network, which support SMEs in the sustainable food and farming sector.