Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future

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As kites and skylarks fly above his fields, Cherry says he first became interested in conservation agriculture – or no-till farming – after speaking to others who were trying it. An iconic book for our times that completes a powerful trilogy and achieves another ‘first’. Sixty Harvests Left will be the first book to show that, far from being ‘a necessary evil’, factory farming is threatening the very survival of our planet and that ending the industrialisation of the countryside is key to saving our children’s future. While the claims of “only 60 harvests left” were “overblown”, Dr Ritchie said they should not detract from the fact that soil erosion is a problem.

This new book, from award-winning author Philip Lymbery, is the first to reveal that factory farming is as big a threat to humanity as climate change. Using detailed research, compelling stories and insightful analysis, Philip paints a vivid picture of the climate, nature and health emergencies humankind faces. The solutions he presents have the regenerative, nature-positive farming focus on soil and the interconnectedness of all life on our planet. We could switch from agricultural land use to forest or grassland. This is the most effective way to extend soil lifespans, but it reduces the land available for farming. As the global population increases, and demands for food rise, we need to find ways of protecting our cultivable soils. If we can increase crop yields we have the opportunity to reduce the amount of arable land we need to meet this demand.

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As we perhaps move in a different direction under a new prime minister, this issue should come to the fore. Feeding the behemoth of the NHS would be so much less of a burden on the public finances if it was understood in Whitehall that many of the problems of obesity, diabetes, dementia, poor mental health, infertility and cancer would simply disappear if we all ate a healthier diet. Despite the plethora of dubious research funded by big business, there is no healthy substitute for the essential nutrition provided by meat, fish, dairy and eggs. The challenge is to keep on producing enough of it in such a way that the planet is not harmed.

Furthermore, while agriculture may be one of the factors driving erosion and nutrient depletion, many modern farming practices such as no-till and synthetic fertiliser applications may actually be helping alleviate (rather than drive) this. In fact, according to many objective measures, modern, evidence-based farming techniques are more sustainable than those of an idealised past. Quite a different picture to that painted by the headlines.I like this book so much I have written one more extensive review, which can be found in ECOS ( https://www.ecos.org.uk/book-review-s...). Dame Joanna Lumley In this beautifully written book Philip Lymbery describes how intensive agriculture harms the environment and inflicts suffering on sentient animals. But after visiting with and talking to those on the front line – scientists, farmers and food providers, he is able to show that there are sustainable alternatives. And that they are working. There is indeed hope for the future of our planet, and each one of us can play a part. I urge you to read ‘Sixty Harvests Left’.