Exploring the future of farming with Wildfarmed’s Andy Cato

Discover what it takes to build an equitable sustainable food system, from adopting regenerative approaches to preserving biodiversity.

Andy Cato, Grammy-nominated musician and one-half of Groove Armada, joins us to talk about a more restorative and sustainable way of growing food. Cato is also co-founder of Wildfarmed, a UK company that aims to change the way farming has long been done, prioritising planet-friendly practices to preserve biodiversity.

In this podcast episode, Cato is joined by WGSN’s Executive Editorial Director Bethan Ryder and WGSN’s Director of Food & Drink Jennifer Creevy. Hear from the arable and livestock farmer about his efforts in promoting sustainability in the food sector, from farming to creating a community of fellow farmers and working with schools to educate the next generation.

Mass-market availability

“At the beginning of Wildfarmed, we said this is the long road to Greggs (a British bakery chain). If food from functioning ecosystems are on the high street, then we’ve made a difference. We can’t just have functioning ecosystems that feed rich people. It’s not going to change enough ecosystems and it’s not going to solve anything. 

“So it’s about how we can get on the high street, which is why though it’s a small start, it’s a source of incredible pride that we’re now there. And hopefully that can be not just for us, but for other groups of growers growing things in these kinds of ways, opening the door for other people doing similar things.”

Developing effective communication

“In Germany, there were two schools that offered burgers and chips and everyone was eating those all the time. In the first school, the message was: “Stop eating burgers and chips, they’re really bad for you.” And the response was an increase in people eating burgers and chips. 

“In a different school the message was that the food companies who are making these burgers and chips know what this is doing to you. They know the consequences of this type of nutrition on your long-term health and they don’t care and you’re being taken for a mug. The consumption of burgers and chips then plummeted, so it’s important how you phrase these things.”
– Andy Cato, co-founder of Wildfarmed

To hear the full discussion, tune into episode 66 of our Create Tomorrow podcast, Soil Health to Gut Health and the Future of Farming with Andy Cato, on Anchor, Apple and Spotify.