Two people walk through a green pasture toward a large herd of black and brown cattle under a partly cloudy sky, with trees lining the background.

Photo: Benedikt Bösel and Koen van Seijen at Gut & Bösel farm, Alt Madlitz, Brandenburg, Germany by Finck Stiftung

Podcast series – The role of animals in future food systems

Location: global
Start date: February 2025; Duration: 2 years
Partners: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food, regenerative farmers, researchers, policymakers
Partner project page: https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/role-of-animals/
Podcast streaming: on our website here, directly on the IRAF website, or on your favorite podcast streaming service 

In most modern agricultural systems, arable and animal farming have been separated, and there is a specific knowledge gap around the benefits of animal integration in regenerative agriculture and food systems. This wide-ranging podcast series will include conversations with farmers, researchers, and more. The project aims to foster understanding and support of the importance of animals integrated into regenerative agriculture and food systems, and to promote the scalability of animal integration.

Desired project outcomes:

  • Scalable content to support regenerative agriculture practice and policy.
  • Increased awareness of the benefits of regenerative animal integration.
  • Policymakers are engaged through on-farm “Walking the Land” with innovative regenerative farmers.

Project approach:

  • Sharing 10 podcast stories from changemakers including researchers and farmers managing regenerative animal integration systems (cattle, sheep, chickens) in Germany, Italy, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, and beyond.
  • Exploring technologies like virtual fencing and mobile slaughterhouses to reduce barriers to adoption.
  • Recognising the indigenous and ancestral animal farming practices and knowledge that are being lost.

DMSF focus and collaboration:

  • Farmer focus: The project was conceived as a way to highlight regenerative, animal-integrated farm and food systems, aligning perfectly with DMSF’s farmer-centric and animal-system focus. Through our collaboration, we brought a focus on farmer interviews to highlight the farmer voice across gender, geography, farm types (arable and livestock), husbandry systems (dairy, meat production), and animal species integration.
  • Regenerative animal integration: We sparked a podcast series singularly focused on a topic that is fundamental to regeneration but is often left aside or vilified in times where animal farming has been completely separated from arable farming: animal integration.
  • Impact measurement: With the encouragement and support of DMSF, the project will measure and track:
    • Number and quality of podcast interviews
    • Audience reach and engagement via statistics such as:
      • № of downloads/views
      • Listener retention
      • Geographic distribution
      • Engagement on social media
    • Policymaker engagement:
      • № and type of policymaker

Why it matters & how does this project’s impact scale:

By providing access to thought leadership and encouraging action — without falling into the trap of “all or nothing” thinking around animals and animal proteins — the series can help drive positive change for the climate, biodiversity, and communities. These episodes can also be an ongoing resource for farmers seeking knowledge to hear from regenerative farmers across geographies. They have the potential to help policy makers to better understand farmers’ needs and the connection between policy and practice in agriculture. The series can be a resource to raise the understanding in the investment and financial community about the benefits of regenerative agriculture that incorporates animal integration. Importantly, it can play a role in countering misinformation about the role animals play in a regenerative food system. Through its diverse and global audience, this project stands to support the long-term sustainability of local farming.

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