Embrace local foodstuffs and “grow what wants to grow”: Monty Don

Don was one of the big-name writers at the Hay Festival on Aarah last weekend, and as President of the Soil Association in the UK, is one of the outspoken architects of the ‘organic food’ movement.

“There are now a tiny handful of firms who control certain basic products like soy and beef,” Don said. “The organic movement is intended to counteract that, by saying you can maintain and sustain productivity by working with nature, rather than imposing short term fertility on it.”

Embracing this concept means embracing local foodstuffs, Don explained, and “growing what wants to grow in a place.”