Chefs champion soil health in new regenerative ag education program

Who better to make the case for the importance of soil health and sustainable agriculture than the professionals crafting outstanding meals from healthy ingredients?

That’s the bet that the Natural Resources Defense Council is making. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit is featuring 30 diverse chefs from across the U.S. as regenerative agriculture advocates in its Chefs for Healthy Soils program, according to a news release.

“Food is inextricably connected to soil health, water quality and climate change,” Lara Bryant, deputy director of water and agriculture at NRDC, said in the release. “As Congress considers the upcoming Farm Bill, it’s critical to educate decision-makers about the value of healthy soil and regenerative agriculture and the chefs on our roster have a unique voice and story about the importance of transforming our agricultural and food systems for the better.”

The new program is based on the concept of soil as the foundation for a healthy food system. More than just growing food for consumption, healthy soil offers ecosystem services such as filtering and replenishing water systems, storing and cycling carbon, and feeding fungi and microbes that make produce flavorful and nutritious, according to the release.

“Collectively, we have the power to transform our food systems to be more equitable, healthy, and climate-friendly,” Adrian Lipscombe, chef and founder of the 40 Acres Project, said in the release. “Being a part of the Chefs for Healthy Soils program is an opportunity to connect with like-minded chefs who want to celebrate and protect our communities and local ecosystems.”

By volunteering to be a part of the program, chefs can support policies and speak directly to lawmakers and customers about the importance of healthy soil for growing food, the release said. Partnering chefs include Lipscombe, Abra Berens, Nick Wallace and others.

The Chefs for Healthy Soils program underscores the importance of protecting soil to support food systems and builds public awareness around regenerative agriculture, which is a holistic approach to land management that has the potential to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity, and improve the land, water and climate, according to the release.

The launch of the Chefs for Healthy Soils program follows the publication of NRDC’s Regenerative Agriculture: Farm Policy for the 21st Century report, which includes insights from years of research and testimonies from more than a hundred farmers and ranchers building healthy soils and fostering climate-resilient farming communities across the country. The report also details policy recommendations to inform the upcoming farm bill discussion.