Books worth reading #16 - 'Regenesis' by George Monbiot

It's quite a trick to be able to write a book that simultaneously depresses you but also makes you feel optimistic for the future. But George Monbiot does it with Regenesis.

As with all of George's books, this one is very well researched (a third of the book is the references section alone) and beautifully written - the first chapter on soil is worth the cover price alone. Who knew that the brown stuff in your garden was so fascinating?

The focus of the book is on how we currently feed the population of the planet. Existing farming systems are completely unsustainable, are poisoning rivers and seas, depleting soils and destroying wild habitats, and killing off wildlife. These systems are also fragile, dependent on weather and temperature - both of which are going through extraordinary changes -and the transport of goods. As we've seen in recent years with issues like Brexit, the Covid-19 epidemic and extreme weather events, it doesn't take much for us to suddenly find the supermarket shelves empty. 

However, it's not all doom and gloom. There are people out there who are getting it right - farmers who share their cultivated land with wild plants and animals and refuse to use insecticides and fertilisers. As the result, Nature's living systems keep the soil fertile, draw down carbon and produce the same size yield of crops as farms using damaging traditional methods. 

Regenesis is an essential read for anyone interested in the future health of the planet. We should all have an interest in how our food is sourced and how it affects our world and the future that our children and grandchildren will inherit. 

This is an enlightening and enjoyable read that provides answers to many questions that we should all be asking.