Challenging the food system

31/01/2025
Bedales Pre-Prep, Bedales Prep, Bedales Senior

Bedales held a public screening of the soil health film Six Inches of Soil in collaboration with Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) on Wednesday evening. A packed Bedales Theatre of local environmentalists and members of the school and local community then enjoyed a discussion on the important topics raised around farming, food production and sustainability.

The film tells the inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food – to heal the soil, benefit people’s health and provide for local communities.

The screening was followed by a discussion with a panel of local experts: William Benson, founder of Seedleaves at Applegarth Farm; Albert Hess, arable manager at Rotherfield Farms, part of Selborne Landscape Partnership; Chris Huskins, director and head grower at social enterprise Hampshire Market Garden; and Peter Moss, CEO of Downforce Technologies. The discussion was chaired by local ecologist and PeCAN Trustee for Nature Recovery Melanie Oxley.

Old Bedalian Louise Bevan, Deputy Chair of PeCAN commented:  “It was wonderful that Bedales collaborated with the local community around an issue that is critical and urgent - addressing and reversing biodiversity loss and reducing carbon emissions, issues that people care deeply about. It was an important call to action: Think Global, Act Local.”  

There’s more information on Bedales' public events programme here, and more information on PeCAN here.