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Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet

Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet

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  • Create Date：2022-08-01 10:51:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：George Monbiot
  • ISBN：0735240396
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Summary

What if there were a way to stop climate change and end global hunger at the same time？

The way we feed ourselves is destroying the planet， and a collection of crises have brought the global food supply to its breaking point。 But it doesn't have to be this way。 With technology that already exists， we could sustainably provide everyone on the planet with a healthy diet。 By cultivating hydrogen-eating bacteria， deep-rooted plants， and much richer communities of insects--coupled with existing technology to reduce our dependence on meat--we can dramatically reduce our carbon footprint， solve world hunger， and halt the sixth extinction at the same time。

George Monbiot is an internationally renowned climate activist， widely known for bringing bold， creative thinking to the climate and ecological crises facing our planet。 Now， he turns his attention to the global food system to offer a reimagining of the way we feed ourselves on a scale to fit the urgency of the problems we face。

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Reviews

Peter ，

Super interessant boek。 Een aantal belangrijke punten:- Kennis van de bodem is erg beperkt。 - Het leven in de bodem veel localer， en er vreselijk veel oppervlakte tussen al die zandkorrels。- Wortels van planten lijken qua symbiose op onze darmen。 Ook wortels hebben een levende omgeving。- Grondgebruik voor landbouw moet drastisch verkleind en de overblijvende grond kan worden gebruikt als nieuwe natuur die veel CO2 kan absorberen。- Veestapel moet gereduceerd worden eerst schapen en koeien wegens Super interessant boek。 Een aantal belangrijke punten:- Kennis van de bodem is erg beperkt。 - Het leven in de bodem veel localer， en er vreselijk veel oppervlakte tussen al die zandkorrels。- Wortels van planten lijken qua symbiose op onze darmen。 Ook wortels hebben een levende omgeving。- Grondgebruik voor landbouw moet drastisch verkleind en de overblijvende grond kan worden gebruikt als nieuwe natuur die veel CO2 kan absorberen。- Veestapel moet gereduceerd worden eerst schapen en koeien wegens grondgebruik en uitstoot van broeikasgassen。- De reductie moet wel drastisch zijn， liefst 95%。 Heel actueel in NL。- Eiwit productie moet fabrieksmatig， met liefst vrij decentraal， zodat landen weer meer zeggenschap over voedsel productie krijgen en logistieke problemen worden vermeden。- De Chef koks van de wereld moeten voor deze industriële eiwitten smaken ontwerpen die aansluiten bij lokale smaak， via precisie fermentatie。Kortom een hip en interessant boek。 。。。more

Simon Davies ，

Ready to be highly resistant to GM’s message and fearing a polemic full of anti-everything rant with no positive suggestions l， I was pulled in to this book by GM’s beautiful， lyrical prose， some compelling argument and several glimpses of possible， practical and attractive possibilities for a better， fairer， healthier world。 If meat eaters like me really could actually want to eat genuinely healthy and delicious food from cheap-to-produce fermented bacteria， that would be wonderful。 And if that Ready to be highly resistant to GM’s message and fearing a polemic full of anti-everything rant with no positive suggestions l， I was pulled in to this book by GM’s beautiful， lyrical prose， some compelling argument and several glimpses of possible， practical and attractive possibilities for a better， fairer， healthier world。 If meat eaters like me really could actually want to eat genuinely healthy and delicious food from cheap-to-produce fermented bacteria， that would be wonderful。 And if that enabled a widespread re-wilding of our planet that locked away carbon and reversed much of the damage we have done - then that would be amazing。 。。。more

Mabelline Grey ，

Farmers are often lionised as custodians of the natural world， when， as this deeply researched and extremely readable book demonstrates， nothing could be further from the truth。 Modern farming practices and livestock and dairy farming， in particular， play a massive part in the current environmental crisis and the terrifying loss of biodiversity。 While I don't share George Monbiot's optimism about the public's willingness to adopt novel foodstuffs， his thesis that we have to use less land and swi Farmers are often lionised as custodians of the natural world， when， as this deeply researched and extremely readable book demonstrates， nothing could be further from the truth。 Modern farming practices and livestock and dairy farming， in particular， play a massive part in the current environmental crisis and the terrifying loss of biodiversity。 While I don't share George Monbiot's optimism about the public's willingness to adopt novel foodstuffs， his thesis that we have to use less land and switch to a plant-based diet is irrefutable。 Every politician， policy maker， and farmer should read this book。 Sadly the vast majority won't。 。。。more

Robert Bowes ，

If you go into this book open minded you will enjoy it。 A very well researched book with great ideas for the future of farming and how we eat。

Stephanie Jane ，

See more of my book reviews on my vegan book blog， HirlGrendRegenesis is a book of two halves。 The first half， which explores the state of global food production and gives particular attention to the health of the soil， is absolutely terrifying。 The second half discovers possible solutions to the man-made farming crisis and does offer some hope， albeit probably too little， too late unless serious systemic change happens within the next couple of years。 George Monbiot is a passionate writer so hi See more of my book reviews on my vegan book blog， HirlGrendRegenesis is a book of two halves。 The first half， which explores the state of global food production and gives particular attention to the health of the soil， is absolutely terrifying。 The second half discovers possible solutions to the man-made farming crisis and does offer some hope， albeit probably too little， too late unless serious systemic change happens within the next couple of years。 George Monbiot is a passionate writer so his book is as gripping as a good novel， but with the unsettling realisation that he is talking about our planet and the imminent end of its stable food supply。 It's a huge concept to get one's head around and even for someone like myself who already considers themselves pretty clued up on the topic， there was a lot in these pages for me learn - and wring my hands over。Monbiot begins by discussing soil - what it actually is and the millions of tiny creatures who live there。 This part is fascinating as， in common with many people I imagine， I rarely give much thought to the soil under my feet unless it's too muddy to hike across。 It turns out the soil pretty much everywhere is in a worryingly poor state of health， mostly due to farming excesses - too many chemicals， too much intensive monocropping， too many animals。 I was reminded of Lenore Newman's book， Lost Feast， in the way that human arrogance is again destroying the natural world to our own cost because we think we know best。 Monbiot provides a dense flurry of facts and figures all demonstrating the imminent crisis and， by the time I had absorbed even a third of them， I was close to tears。 Regenesis is a hard-hitting book and goodness knows it needs to be， but I did wonder if readers would be driven to abandon it despondently before they got to the good news。Regenesis isn't just about what is being destryoed， but also offers several different visions of how things could be put right。 Monbiot visits farms where regenerating soil health has resulted in good crop yields without the need for environmentally destructive chemicals。 He also talks about new crops that don't require annual ploughing， and a Finnish laboratory growing an entirely new kind of protein。 It's all exciting stuff which soon lifted the grey cloud over my head。 I could feel myself becoming enthused by Monbiot's excitement at these new - and not-so new - solutions， the only niggle being that each one is an isolated small-scale project without the huge monetary backing of the agriculture industry。 It's a catch-22 scenario。 While Monbiot rightly identifies a need to move away from global food corporations and return to the greater stability of more localised， independent production， we need to do so without the big money forcing these new solutions to follow the same path as we're currently on。 I feel that Regenesis is such an important book which will hopefully drive some real change in the ways we think about our food and how it is produced。 For such an emotive topic， Regenesis stays level-headed using facts and figures to make its arguments。 I think this approach will appeal to practical and science-led readers in a similar way to Karthik Sekar's book， After Meat。 I hope it does appeal to and influence a wide readership because we're rapidly running out of time。 As Monbiot explains， the needed individual changes are far less disruptive than those we managed under Covid restrictions， but they need to be made and made soon。I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley。* * * * * 。。。more

Joe Bridge ，

9/10 - Coming from a farming background my eyes have been opened considerably re; the negative externalities that arise from British Farming。 In particular I found the book delved into the greenwashing of organic produce and the understudied science behind soil and use of fungi to make food。would recommend x

Elisabeth Bergskaug ，

De siste årene har jeg lest mange sakprosa-bøker om klimaendringer， naturtap og relaterte temaer。 Noen har vært virkelig gode， noen middelmådige， og noen skuffende dårlig researchet og skrevet。 Regensis troner nå øverst som den beste， mest lærerike， innsiktsfulle og øyeåpnende boka av alle jeg har lest i denne sjangeren。 George Monbiot har lest over 5。000 forskningsartikler og titalls bøker i arbeidet med denne boka， og besøkt en rekke gårder i UK underveis。 Det er et imponerende stykke arbeid s De siste årene har jeg lest mange sakprosa-bøker om klimaendringer， naturtap og relaterte temaer。 Noen har vært virkelig gode， noen middelmådige， og noen skuffende dårlig researchet og skrevet。 Regensis troner nå øverst som den beste， mest lærerike， innsiktsfulle og øyeåpnende boka av alle jeg har lest i denne sjangeren。 George Monbiot har lest over 5。000 forskningsartikler og titalls bøker i arbeidet med denne boka， og besøkt en rekke gårder i UK underveis。 Det er et imponerende stykke arbeid som ligger bak， og boken er godt og engasjerende skrevet。 Jeg visste at det sto dårlig til med verdens matsystemer， at de er under press blant annet fra klimaendringer， og at landbruk med dyr kommer med enorme klima-， natur- og miljøkostnader。 Men jeg visste ikke hvor fullstendig ødelagt og ødeleggende dagens form for globalt landbruk faktisk er。 Vi ødelegger den jorda vi er avhengige av for å leve med åpne øyne og enorme pengesubsidier。 Vi lar elvene våre og fjordene våre fylles av møkk uten å reagere。 Vi lar vill natur og dyreliv dø ut fordi vi er kultivert til å ønske et spesifikt type kosthold。 Forbered deg på å bli sjokkert og sint av denne boka。 Monbiot presenterer heldigvis også det som fremstår som gode og realistisk løsninger - hvis vi klarer å endre politikk og kultur。 Det er få bøker jeg vil anbefale så varmt som denne。 Den er så utrolig viktig。 Les den。 。。。more

Glenn ，

Correctly identifies the problems and potential solutions， but falls well short of a political programme to achieve the required changes。

Jane Morrison ，

Well researched， informative， honest （without being doomest） and brings a new vision on food systems， justice and environment。 Many people can explain what's wrong with the current system but what makes Monbiot's books stand out to me is that he always offers an inspiring alternative。 I come out the other side feeling more equipped to know what to do about the systems issues that keep me up at night。 Very skillful and probably the most important book he has written so far。 Well researched， informative， honest （without being doomest） and brings a new vision on food systems， justice and environment。 Many people can explain what's wrong with the current system but what makes Monbiot's books stand out to me is that he always offers an inspiring alternative。 I come out the other side feeling more equipped to know what to do about the systems issues that keep me up at night。 Very skillful and probably the most important book he has written so far。 。。。more

Moray Stiven ，

Extremely well written。

Jack Williams ，

Monbiot's Regenesis addresses one of humanity's most urgent critical challenges - how to sustainably feed the world - with a deeply informed and， at times， poetically moving perspective。 The author's years of activist-minded environmental journalism greatly enrich what is a compelling study of how we might break free of the Global Standard Farm and associated Global Standard Diet。 In Regenesis， Monbiot avoids patronising his reader with any sort of judgemental analysis of modern food consumption Monbiot's Regenesis addresses one of humanity's most urgent critical challenges - how to sustainably feed the world - with a deeply informed and， at times， poetically moving perspective。 The author's years of activist-minded environmental journalism greatly enrich what is a compelling study of how we might break free of the Global Standard Farm and associated Global Standard Diet。 In Regenesis， Monbiot avoids patronising his reader with any sort of judgemental analysis of modern food consumption and production; this is not a holier-than-thou style polemic from a Utopian vegan。 Instead， what Monbiot offers is a thoroughly researched and eminently readable appraisal of why and how we need to move on from standard issue farming as it stands in the 21st Century。 Regenesis does not offer its audience a simplistic singular fix for the issues it discusses and this is its greatest strength。 This is a book about complex systems and how the vital nature of their preservation requires proper， level-headed， thinking。 Solutions to problems are discussed within Regenesis， but the benefits of these solutions are always tempered with a holistic consideration of their drawbacks。 Monbiot isn't offering wide-eyed idealism， his voice is as realistic as it is moving。Whilst we all might well be facing a hellish future upon a desecrated planet， it is in writing like this that we might find our way out。 Monbiot's Regenesis is a sane， rationale interrogation of a problem of terrifying consequence。 However， in heeding what he has to say， we could yet escape the path we're all on。 。。。more

Stan ，

Een hoop geleerd over hoe ons eten wordt gemaakt en hoe er aan de toekomst van landbouw wordt gewerkt。 Zoals altijd bij GM is het activistisch geschreven， en sommige hoofdstukken misschien iets te， maar uiteindelijk is het vooral inspirerend en niet beklemmend。

David Wineberg ，

For thousands of years， the farmer has been portrayed as our stalwart friend， our enduring hero， our selfless savior。 From preschool books to endless tv shows， farmers are held up as the paragons of virtue。 From low commodity prices to high debt and little or no financial benefits for themselves， farmers have our sympathy and appreciation。 They are a public relations agent’s dream。 But George Monbiot is here to burst that bubble。 In Regenesis， Monbiot picks apart the farmer’s role， status， and r For thousands of years， the farmer has been portrayed as our stalwart friend， our enduring hero， our selfless savior。 From preschool books to endless tv shows， farmers are held up as the paragons of virtue。 From low commodity prices to high debt and little or no financial benefits for themselves， farmers have our sympathy and appreciation。 They are a public relations agent’s dream。 But George Monbiot is here to burst that bubble。 In Regenesis， Monbiot picks apart the farmer’s role， status， and responsibilities in the rapid deterioration of the natural world。 Farmers， he says， have an outsized responsibility for our problems。 They are not the solution， at least the way things are structured today。 It’s time someone exposed farming for what it really is – totally destructive。In nine tight chapters， Monbiot explains how soil performs at its optimum， how farmers work hard to ensure it works at its worst， how crops fail， how agribusiness has mangled our foods to near worthlessness， how the rich sit on land and collect huge agriculture subsidies （where the only requirement is that the land be stripped bare）， and how innovators are discovering ways to return the land to health while providing ever better results。It’s a lot to absorb， but through it all， it’s the math that is memorable。 “You would have to ship a kilo of dried peas roughly one hundred times around the world before its greenhouse gases matched those of a kilo of local beef，” Monbiot says， in one of far too many examples to list here。 He says stopping farming is the single most effective move to reduce Man’s carbon footprint。 More than cars， more than plastics， more than anything， farming pollutes。 Livestock is the worst。 Using the UK， where he lives， and its famous focus on sheep， Monbiot has found that nearly a quarter of agricultural land has been set aside for sheep。 That area is twice the areas built up for human habitation – yet results in just 1% of British food。 If you consider all livestock together， it requires 51% of arable land。 This includes endless acres planted solely for animal feed。Here’s how the land grab shakes out: “To produce 100 grams of soy protein， eaten by humans in the form of tofu， requires just over two square meters of land。 To raise 100 grams of egg protein requires just under six square meters。 Chicken protein needs seven， and pork ten square meters。 Chickens and pigs need more land than tofu does because they cannot turn everything they eat into meat， as they have to sustain themselves and build other body parts。 Milk … requires an average of 27 square meters， beef 163 and lamb 185。 Lamb protein， in other words， requires 84 times as much land to grow as soy protein。” Because of all the land an animal requires， it is simply not possible raise enough of them to feed the world the meat it demands more and more of。 The numbers just don’t work。 By dropping meat and dairy from farm production， we would reduce land requirements by 76% and greenhouse gases by 60%。 Livestock is by far the biggest contributor putting Man at risk of raising the global temperature by more than 1。5°C。 We cannot achieve the temperature goal as long as farming remains as is。 Farming will take us all down。But it’s worse。 Only 4% of animals are wild any more – the rest are domesticated。 Farming， Monbiot says， is the biggest cause of habitat destruction。 Of 28，000 species at risk of extinction， 24，000 are due to farming， he found。“I believe farmers have too many rights and freedoms: the right to build giant chicken barns without environmental permits or use vast tracts of land to produce tiny amounts of food; the freedom to trash the soil， pollute the rivers and intimidate neighbors who object。 But in other countries， they have too few， and can easily be evicted by land-grabbers。 While the rights of big companies are guaranteed by international treaties， local people often have no protection， and governments and businesses sometimes collude to throw them off their land。” So it’s complicated， and no one solution fits all。It wouldn’t be so bad if the system worked， but it doesn’t。 Monbiot spends the first chapter outlining how soil actually works without farmers improving it， and it can be astounding。Soil operates much like coral reefs do in the oceans – harboring innumerable lifeforms， co-operating with others， building with still others。 Monbiot says “The soil might be the most complex of all living systems。 Yet we treat it like dirt。” （Yes， he said like dirt。） There is not a single soil ecology institute in the world， he maintains， and all the grant money available is for how to destroy it， not foster it。 Soil is a complex being。 It has several layers we never think about。 For example， the rhizosphere layer harbors the roots of annual plants。 He calls it their external guts。 A whole civilization of bacteria， insects， and microbes make their livings there， and nowhere else。 And it is totally symbiotic。 Plants attract those other beings for the benefits they offer， and the insects and microbes flourish there， while also acting as predators or nutrient providers。 Trees make specific cavities for certain insects。 Fungi string astoundingly long lines of communication between and along the root systems， even connecting trees which use those lines to communicate chemical changes and warnings to each other。 Plowing the plants under takes all the lifeforms along to their deaths as well。 Ants make extensive and complex tunnel systems， which collect moisture and save it， preventing the soil from drying out。 Same for worms。 Separately， they all reinforce their tunnels and holes with homemade cements， giving the soil shape， firmness and springiness。 Compare this to tilled soil， which blows away as dust。 Eight hundred earthworms per square meter is a desirable achievement， not a call for pesticides。 But that’s how farms operate。Tilled soil is dead， sterile and useless as is。 It loses all its nutrient value as the same crops are replanted year after year， draining it of its variety and attractiveness to other life。 Which leads to terrific over-fertilizing， almost all of which is wasted: “There is no correlation between agrochemical use and productivity or profitability，” Monbiot cites in a 2019 paper in Scientific Reports。 It also pollutes rivers on the way to polluting the oceans， as most forms of life cannot withstand the amounts of nitrogen choking the waters。 So farm roadkill include all kinds of fish and crustaceans downstream， a thousand miles away。 For example， the USFDA specifies no one should eat more than four Gulf （of Mexico） shrimp in any 30 day period （a shrimp cocktail contains five）， as they have become toxic to humans from runoff in the cornfields of the Midwest。 Ask a farmer in Iowa and he will tell you: “Not my problem。”Monbiot can also be colorful。 Farmers are not who you think they are。 To make this point， he took a mirror image of his own principles。 It’s worth citing in full， because this is the state of the art:“Let’s shut down the food factories。 Let’s replace the food they make by catching some wild animals—aurochs， wild boar， jungle fowl and a woolly ruminant from Mesopotamia would do—modifying them drastically and breeding them in stupendous numbers。 Let’s separate the young from their mothers， castrate them， dock their tails， clip their beaks， teeth and horns without anesthesia， herd them into barns and cages， subject them to extreme boredom and sensory deprivation for their short， distressing lives， then corral them into giant factories where we stun them， cut their throats， skin， pluck and hack their bloody flesh into chunks that you， the lucky customer， will want to eat （oh yes you will！）。 I’ve done the sums—we’d need to slaughter only 75 billion animals a year。“Let’s kill the baby aurochs， extract a chemical from the lining of their fourth stomachs and mix it with milk from lactating mothers of the same species， to create a wobbly mass of fat and protein。 We’ll stir in some live bacteria to digest this mass， then let their excrements sit till they go hard and yellow and start to stink。 You’re really going to want this！ “Let’s fell the forests， drain the wetlands， seize the wild grasslands， expel the indigenous people， kill the large predators， exclude the wild herbivores， trigger the global collapse of wildlife， climate breakdown and the destruction of the habitable planet。 Let’s fence most of this land for our captive animals to graze， and plant the rest with crops to make them fat。 Let’s spray the crops with biocidal toxins and minerals that’ll leach into the soil and water。 Let’s divert the rivers and drain the aquifers。 Let’s pour billions of tons of shit into the sea。 Let’s trigger repeated plagues， transmitted to humans by the animals we’ve captured， and destroy the efficacy of our most important medicines。“Sure， it will trash everything after a while， but think of the fun we’ll have。 Come on， you know you want this。”The last half of the book deals with people discovering ways around the mess。 Monbiot details examples of land management that works。 Using predators to control pests （if you have aphids， you have a predator problem， not an aphid problem， he discovers。 Spraying for aphids is the wrong response）。 And most promising: a perennial version of wheat called kernza， whose roots grow to over three feet （as far down as the plant is tall） as they participate in the underground society of shared strength and resistance。 Nor do they need to be replanted， or refertilized annually， and they fight off pests themselves。 Also taste better。 Imagine that。And yet， the innovators get stymied。 Big Ag doesn’t want innovation。 It wants uniformity and consistency。 It specifies plants， seeds， pesticides， warehousing and husbandry。 It forces farmers to buy specific goods and services， and finances them， keeping farmers on the hook， disabled from making improvements that might make them different。There is some movement。 In recent years， more and more plant-based meats have become not so much an oddity， but highly sought grocery products。 Monbiot found scientists who employ microbes to substitute for meats。 They can be grown in hours instead of years， in what amount to breweries。 And again， this meat not only tastes as good， but better。He says milk is almost entirely water， and its key ingredients can be made right now without resorting to cows。 Plant-based cheeses and milks are very hot items。 He said if he was in the dairy farm business， he’d get out right now。 Dairy farms are an anachronism。 We can already do this much better than dairy farms do。 Meat is next。But the pressure is on from the old school。 Trade associations sue to prevent the new products from using words like milk， butter or cheese， burgers， sausages or hotdogs。 Governments award subsidies to traditional farmers and giant agribusinesses， not to innovators。 Land clearing is considered a valuable act and is rewarded， while rewilding gets nothing。 The incentives are all perfectly wrong， to the tune of half a trillion dollars’ worth， every year。It’s a complex story with lots backs and forths， ups and downs， thanks to an entrenched industry that has had a chokehold on mankind for 3000 years。 And just as most people don’t know where food comes from， they also don’t know this ugly backstory。 Regenesis makes up for a lot of that， in a very personal， hopeful and engaging way。 Just know that farming is not benign。David WinebergtIf you liked this review， I invite you to read more in my book The Straight Dope。 It’s an essay collection based on my first thousand reviews and what I learned。 Right now it’s FREE for Prime members， otherwise — cheap！ Reputed to be fascinating and a superfast read。 And you already know it is well-written。 https://www。amazon。com/Straight-Dope-。。。 。。。more

Naomi ，

Absolutely fascinating！ I highly recommend this book if you are interested in sustainability， agriculture animal welfare and finding solutions。 George Monbiot presents a well researched， considered book exploring the current agricultural system and how it impacts our planet at a local， and global scale。 He then delves into how people are trying to 'do it differently' and explores whether these methods could be scaled up。 I was particularly struck by the section on perennial vegetables and using Absolutely fascinating！ I highly recommend this book if you are interested in sustainability， agriculture animal welfare and finding solutions。 George Monbiot presents a well researched， considered book exploring the current agricultural system and how it impacts our planet at a local， and global scale。 He then delves into how people are trying to 'do it differently' and explores whether these methods could be scaled up。 I was particularly struck by the section on perennial vegetables and using bacteria for protein。 I would have liked to understand whether insect protein could be part of the mix as well。 But， regardless of the solution， we can all take action now by understanding the impact our food has and change our diet to minimise this。Honestly， everyone should read this！ 。。。more

Colin ，

Brilliant book， essential reading for anyone， which should be all of us， interested in how we ensure everyone is fed and no one starves

Martin Blake ，

Sometimes the most important books are not the easiest to read。 Monbiot describes agriculture as the most destructive activity humans have ever inflicted on the planet， and goes on to show how we sleep-walked here， and how things are continuing to deteriorate。 Along the way there are some interesting points about complex systems， and how they need redundancies， or what are otherwise called inefficiencies， to give them space to adjust to a crisis。 Not surprisingly industrial agriculture is focuse Sometimes the most important books are not the easiest to read。 Monbiot describes agriculture as the most destructive activity humans have ever inflicted on the planet， and goes on to show how we sleep-walked here， and how things are continuing to deteriorate。 Along the way there are some interesting points about complex systems， and how they need redundancies， or what are otherwise called inefficiencies， to give them space to adjust to a crisis。 Not surprisingly industrial agriculture is focused on driving those out。 But there are also good news stories about British farmers who are trying to do things differently， usually with no help from our government， and advances around the planet enabling us to look ahead to a world where we don't have to plough up so much land。Spoiler alert: you may wish to avoid reading this book if you're addicted to eating beef， lamb or chicken。 。。。more

IanFz ，

Mostly a rehash/republication of many of his articles over the years with detail about fermenting meat in vats， why pasture-fed meat is bull， how farming is destroying the natural world， why the Wye river is so slimey， etc。 Lots of interesting bits in there。

Eric Grote ，

Maybe a 4。5 only bc I wanted to keep reading and learning more。 Absolutely fascinating and gives everyone who eats food something to chew on。

Stephen ？ ，

[Just below is the beginning of my review of and response to George Monbiot’s new book。 My entire review and response is much too long for GoodReads and also contains many hyperlinks and video clips。 To view that entire review and response please go to my Regenetarianism blog at this url:lachefnet。wordpress。com/2022/06/22/mo。。。===========================================================With so much dietary and political tribalism nowadays， I find it is very important to listen to and read varying [Just below is the beginning of my review of and response to George Monbiot’s new book。 My entire review and response is much too long for GoodReads and also contains many hyperlinks and video clips。 To view that entire review and response please go to my Regenetarianism blog at this url:lachefnet。wordpress。com/2022/06/22/mo。。。===========================================================With so much dietary and political tribalism nowadays， I find it is very important to listen to and read varying viewpoints including many opposing points of view that challenge my own。 So， I picked-up and read a copy of George Monbiot's new book， Regenesis。 Not sure I was expecting any great insights， but still I felt it was important to read Monbiot's book cover to cover （as well as some of his references） to understand where he was coming from before offering any sort of critique。 While I appreciated Monbiot's realization as to the importance of soil health and shared his concerns about the worst aspects of agricultural production， the short version of my review is that I didn't find much of what Monbiot had to offer very insightful or challenging。 Most of the arguments he puts forth in his book， he's written about in his Guardian column and stated in debates for the past two or three years。 I've also previously critiqued some of those arguments in three previous blog posts。 So， aside from a wrinkle or two， at least for me there wasn't much if any new ground covered in Monbiot's new agenda driven book。 Additionally， with his vilification of livestock， and his push for synthetic meat alternatives， much （not all） of Monbiot's messaging aligns with Bill Gates's agenda and investment strategies。 Gates's philacapitalist foundation The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [BMGF] just "coincidentally" made a significant donation to The Guardian。 As explained in an article in The Nation， philacapitalist organizations like BMGF donate a small percentage of their income to maintain their non-profit status。 They do this strategically to media outlets， institutions and researchers that will generate favorable content （news stories， editorials， policies， and research） that can be used to manufacture consent for their intellectual property [IP] controlled investment strategies。As for a longer version of my review and response to Monbiot's book， please continue reading。 Monbiot got so many things wrong and ass backwards that one could write another book just correcting all of his mistakes and biases。 So my apologies， in advance， for the length of the below reply。After Monbiot made discoveries about soil health， the complexity of soil ecosystems， and illustrated a few of the many problems with agricultural food production， in his new book， Monbiot very absolutely and confidently proposed solutions to all of these problems he described。 He does this despite his rather shallow understanding of pretty much all the topics he discussed in Regenesis。 Being so self-assured and bordering on arrogant about topics he barely knows anything about， seems to be Monbiot's modus operandi。 This Dunning-Kruger Effect is especially pronounced in regards to his understanding of soil science， botany， nutritional science， agricultural food production， paleontology， range science and atmospheric chemistry。 Though to people relatively new to these topics， especially soil science and the adverse impacts of industrial agriculture， Monbiot's self-assured absolutism may be mistaken for actual learning。 It isn't。In order to write this book， Monbiot claims to have read 5，000 papers and a half a shelf of other books on these subjects。 Unfortunately though， it's painfully obvious that Monbiot doesn't possess the critical analytical ability or sufficient background to properly understand or assess much of the research that he read。 He especially didn't understand the methodological limitations all the papers he read to confirm his biases。 Those biases include his adamant belief that any and all livestock is inherently destructive， and that any sort of regenerative system inherently will produce lower yields than industrial systems of food production。 So rather than more nuanced discussions， based on an honest concerted objective effort to search for best agricultural practices， readers are left with over generalizations， worst case scenarios， out of context statistics， a new techno-optimistic meta-narrative and Monbiot's never ending neo-colonial mythological pursuit of pristine wilderness。 This pursuit of myth along with Monbiot's propensity to use out of context statistics are especially ironic given Monbiot's admonitions toward the end of his book regarding the need to contextualize numbers and not rely on myths。 What's even more ironic is Monbiot's insistence on system thinking when Monbiot seems completely incapable of any in depth holistic thought。 A large part of Monbiot's problem is his over reliance on meta-analysis from ivory tower researchers who share his white hat biases。 These researchers also think livestock is the root of all evil。 More importantly many of these researchers in their ivory towers seem to be even more disconnected from their topics of research （food production） than Monbiot。 So keyword searches on computer screens replace any in situ empiricism while activism masquerades as science。 Some of this disconnection is amusing， though most just borders on satire。Monbiot directs some of his most vicious vitriol toward pastured or extensive management especially holistic or regenerative grazing。 Regenerative grazing is a tool to restore soil and ecosystem health。 So naturally Monbiot claims that such grazing management is the absolutely worst kind possible。 Why？ This form of grazing management undermines Monbiot's mission。 Monbiot's mission is to spare land for his myth of pristine wilderness and position precision fermentation as an alternative to meat。 To achieve those goals， he cites predictable references to "prove" that extensive or pastured livestock systems are the worse systems imaginable。 I note "predictable" since these references are the ones typically cited to "debunk" any form of regenerative grazing system that uses or integrates livestock。 So these references include papers by the usual suspects including Hayek， Garnett， Briske and Poore on issues ranging from land use， environmental degradation， soil carbon sequestration and， of course， enteric methane。 More specifically in regards to methane， Monbiot also demonstrates that he doesn't understand how the new GWP* metric works。 How carbon actually cycles and hydroxyl oxidation works seem to be beyond Monbiot's limited ability to system think。 To get a better sense of how Monbiot's arguments against regenerative grazing systems are nothing but a house of cards， it helps to look at some of the specific references that he cited。 So， let's start with a 2018 paper co-authored by animal rights activist Matthew Hayek。 This paper basically argued that there's not enough land to produce the same amount of beef in extensive pastured systems as is currently produced in feedlot production。 This paper relied on slaughter weight calculations as well as forage data from two prior studies by Gidon Eshel （Eshel et al 2014， Eshel et al 2017） another proponent of plant based diets and getting rid of beef production。 Both authors parsed existing data based on a set of assumptions that excluded best practices of forage production as Eshel notes in his introduction as follows: "。。。such beef production changes would be accompanied by enhanced grassland productivity （for example， direct integration of cattle ranching with agricultural， enhanced rotations or increased reliance on legume enriched paddocks） and embedded or broader structural changes that take nimble advantage of resource multi-purposing （for example， high yield silvopasture systems in which beef and timber share the same land。 Here， however， we set out to explore the narrower problem of quantifying "sustainable" beef availability under existing conditions and practices。。。"Hayek made a similar qualification:"。。。Statistical and processed-based modeling can assess under performing areas， which could be optimized through better fertilizing， soil conditioning， and rotational management。 Currently， less than 2% of all agricultural lands in the US undergo a rotation between cropland and pasture， though this type of management is known to increase forage productivity。 The required 30% increase in the overall cattle population must be accompanied by large increases in the productivity of existing pastures， on the order of 40%–370%， to avoid clearing additional native vegetation or competition with the human food supply。。。。"These two aren't soil or range scientists。 They're also not agroecologists。 So neither， in their respective data analysis， accounted for the current state of soil and land degradation。 Thus they didn't account for the increased quality and amount of forage production that's possible with improved soil health， better grazing management， and the increased utilization of integrated systems。 With integrated systems （silvopasture， cover crop grazing， pasture cropping， etc）， crops， specialty crops and livestock can all be raised on the SAME land。 With higher quality forage （more nutrient dense）， higher average daily gains [ADG] can be achieved。Instead these two， in order to push their agenda， used low numbers for average daily gains [ADG] and nowhere near optimal numbers for forage production。 I corresponded with several grazing experts （Dr。 Jason Rowntree， Dr。 Allen Williams， and Dale Strickler） who all independently noted that with adaptive multi-paddock [AMP] grazing management， an ADG of 2。7 to 3。0 could be easily obtained。 AMP is another term for holistic planned grazing [HPG]。。。though not the same thing as short duration grazing [SDG]。 Now what figure did Hayek and Eshel use？ An ADG of 1。4。 An ADG of 1。4 versus 2。8 doubles the finishing times for grass finished cattle。 Thus an ADG of 1。4 will take a lot more forage and time （30 months） than an ADG of 2。7 to 3 that will require instead around 18 to 21 months。 So with better grazing management during all phases of beef cattle production， better grazing management can greatly reduce the amount of forage （and land） needed as well as the gross methane emitted。 I will discuss methane further below。 [My review and response continues at my Regenetarianism blog at this url:lachefnet。wordpress。com/2022/06/22/mo。。。 My blog also includes my full list of references] 。。。more

Chandra ，

WOW。 If you read one book about the climate crisis， food systems， and how the heck we move forward， it should be Monbiot’s Regenesis。 I would have loved to see Monbiot explore deep vs shallow organic farming （as defined by Eliot Coleman）， but this book is overall meticulously researched and flawlessly argued。 Monbiot is such an incredible writer - I have so much respect for the environmental work he does。 And the best part is that his only agenda is averting the worse effects of the climate cris WOW。 If you read one book about the climate crisis， food systems， and how the heck we move forward， it should be Monbiot’s Regenesis。 I would have loved to see Monbiot explore deep vs shallow organic farming （as defined by Eliot Coleman）， but this book is overall meticulously researched and flawlessly argued。 Monbiot is such an incredible writer - I have so much respect for the environmental work he does。 And the best part is that his only agenda is averting the worse effects of the climate crisis and ecocide。 。。。more

Sean Barrs ，

We have the resources to end world hunger。 We have the means to farm sustainably and to protect the environment。 We have the means to regenerate the natural word we continue to destroy。 The answers are all right in front of us。 Monbiot sees them too and he offers a highly compelling case for them。 I urge you to listen and to adopt them where you can。 The truth is we could end so many of the word’s problems by adopting a plant-based diet。 We would save on resources， land usage and pollution。 Not We have the resources to end world hunger。 We have the means to farm sustainably and to protect the environment。 We have the means to regenerate the natural word we continue to destroy。 The answers are all right in front of us。 Monbiot sees them too and he offers a highly compelling case for them。 I urge you to listen and to adopt them where you can。 The truth is we could end so many of the word’s problems by adopting a plant-based diet。 We would save on resources， land usage and pollution。 Not to mention the ending of animal death on an unimaginable scale。 Although there has been a huge amount of progress in accepting these facts over the last decade， I still find it baffling that they receive so much resistance。 What stops us from understanding that change is needed？ Why can’t we evolve and become better？ The future of life on earth is at risk。 The situation is made even worse when we consider the mass bail out we provide to the animal agricultural industry。 Farm subsidies are paid out every year by the world’s governments to landowners who are farming the most unsustainable of foods: animals。 The taxpayer is bailing out the failing industry， which is testimony to the inefficient and uneconomic process it provides。 Why are we doing this？ Why are we sticking to this backwards and destructive system that really needs to go？ These payments are the most regressive use of public spending on earth today。 Central to this book is a strong feeling of annoyance and frustration， and it has come from the knowledge that we have the means to change but we are slow to do so。 The answers are here right in front of us， and we need to wake up and listen to them。 I find it hard to talk about this topic without becoming annoyed myself because the situation is just so absurd。 And it is great to see so many writers addressing this subject and promoting the benefits of plant-based living。 Things are slowly changing。 This is an exceptionally well researched and argued piece of writing， free from bias and written by a journalist who has considered all the facts。 It's persuasive and it offers a compelling case about the necessity of change。 ___________________________________You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree。__________________________________ 。。。more

Chris Rogers ，

Terrifying， uplifting， rational， passionate and the final nail in the coffin of an old diet for me。

Jim Sullivan ，

This is a really thought-provoking book。 I've written a review for Profile， I've included the link below， but in a nutshell:- farming is incredibly destructive to ecosystems- we need alternative means of food production- bacterial food creation may be the way forwardThe great thing about Regenesis is， ultimately， the optimism - lots of lucid description of genuine environmental problems 。 。 。 but also some solutionshttps://profilecritics。com/content/re。。。 This is a really thought-provoking book。 I've written a review for Profile， I've included the link below， but in a nutshell:- farming is incredibly destructive to ecosystems- we need alternative means of food production- bacterial food creation may be the way forwardThe great thing about Regenesis is， ultimately， the optimism - lots of lucid description of genuine environmental problems 。 。 。 but also some solutionshttps://profilecritics。com/content/re。。。 。。。more

Andrea ，

A must-read for everyone。

Geoff Palmer ，

a rollercoaster of common sense。For a while you doom scroll， then there is hope and clarity amidst the thick fog of environmental abuse。 Recommended essential reading。 Well written and researched。 Thx George。 Let’s hope it happens。

Chris ，

Utterly faultless。。However I am a soil science simpleton and will probably soon be schooled by some smart-arse anonymous keyboard warrior with a serious chip on their shoulder。What's that you say。。。。。 Utterly faultless。。However I am a soil science simpleton and will probably soon be schooled by some smart-arse anonymous keyboard warrior with a serious chip on their shoulder。What's that you say。。。。。 。。。more

Jenny Chase ，

This is the best nonfiction book I've read for several years， and should change the world for the better。 It could have been a dull polemic， an angry article padded into book length， but George moves fluidly between chapters of lyrical nature writing， half-chapters of reference-heavy argument， and introductions to odd and interesting people doing something with farming， with the occasional tasteful but pretty funny joke。 About 40% of it by length is actually notes and references， so it's a short This is the best nonfiction book I've read for several years， and should change the world for the better。 It could have been a dull polemic， an angry article padded into book length， but George moves fluidly between chapters of lyrical nature writing， half-chapters of reference-heavy argument， and introductions to odd and interesting people doing something with farming， with the occasional tasteful but pretty funny joke。 About 40% of it by length is actually notes and references， so it's a short book packed with content。 What's also clear is that Monbiot has done a lot of stuff and been to a lot of places and listened to a lot of people， but he doesn't come across as pompous or affected about it。 There's a very clear distinction made between "this is an anecdote / this is what this person has found and believes" and "this is fact， insofar as science has currently established it"。I'm also pretty sure there is something for everyone to disagree with。 I think Monbiot's about 98% right and should say it because the status quo is wrong， and his passionate plea for getting good data towards the end of the book is to my tastes。 He avoids the obvious traps of science-skepticism， and goes out of his way to be open-minded about technology （electric bolt weeding machines， anyone？）。 He's slightly more baseline chemical-averse than I am， and sometimes his general suspicion of capitalism shows through， but I never get the impression this is just a polemic and honestly I'm involved enough in Farming Discourse to think that if his critics had a point they'd have made it by now。 The book is a triumph and should change the way we all think about farming。 。。。more

Jonny ，

There can’t be many books out there more important to read than this one。 Monbiot forces us to confront some grim and hard truths about the global food system that we can’t keep ignoring。 But while these are hard to stomach， most of the chapters are about solutions rather than problems， and he lays out a vision for the future that I found compelling and exciting。 It will not be easy to get there， but it starts with us all understanding the perverse realities of the way this system works， questio There can’t be many books out there more important to read than this one。 Monbiot forces us to confront some grim and hard truths about the global food system that we can’t keep ignoring。 But while these are hard to stomach， most of the chapters are about solutions rather than problems， and he lays out a vision for the future that I found compelling and exciting。 It will not be easy to get there， but it starts with us all understanding the perverse realities of the way this system works， questioning its dogma， and understanding the scale of the threat we face if we continue as we are。The book is meticulously researched and well-argued。 I will certainly be reading it again and studying it carefully， and will invite others to do the same。 。。。more

Mr Brian ，

This is an excellent appreciation and deconstruction of the importance of soil， the environmental importance of agriculture， food， pollution， waste。 It manages to deal with a number of connected issues in a thorough and detailed manner。 Highly researched as you might expect and I found it to be a careful approach， always supporting the points that he makes with a detailed reference。 Really question now why the approach outlined in the book can't be the future。 This is an excellent appreciation and deconstruction of the importance of soil， the environmental importance of agriculture， food， pollution， waste。 It manages to deal with a number of connected issues in a thorough and detailed manner。 Highly researched as you might expect and I found it to be a careful approach， always supporting the points that he makes with a detailed reference。 Really question now why the approach outlined in the book can't be the future。 。。。more

The Inquisitive Biologist ，

An incendiary page-turner， Regenesis argues farming is destroying the planet and explores lower-impact solutions。 Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2022。。。 An incendiary page-turner， Regenesis argues farming is destroying the planet and explores lower-impact solutions。 Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2022。。。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0