The SOCIETY of SOIL
Farmer’s Footprint stands 10 toes down on building the regenerative farming community through storytelling.
by ANGELY MERCADO
/ HEALTH SPR UT
What does that look like in practice? We collaborate with doing grassroots work, whether on a farm level or at a policy level, or even at a community level. We connect to different creatives, like filmmakers, photographers, writers, and more, to craft storytelling pieces in the form of communication campaigns, short documentaries, etc., so that more people can be aware of these topics. They can take action alongside these initiatives — at a policy level or on a more local level. An example could be our organizations that are glyphosate campaign. We launched a petition to mobilize our growing network of community members around banning glyphosate in the United States, and that petition eventually made it to Senator Cory Booker [D-NJ]. We hosted a free
Almost 40% of land in the United States, about 880 million acres, is dedicated to farmland for food production. Nearly half of this acreage is subjected to monoculture farming, which has stripped soil of the nutrients needed to produce healthy food. Organizations and sustainability movements around the world are advocating for a return to regenerative farming, which uses fewer chemicals and crop rotation to increase nutrients in our soil, in turn improving the quality of our food. One such organization is Farmer’s Footprint.
Farmer’s Footprint provides funding, supports community- building initiatives, and creates educational resources and informational campaigns for both farmers and the general public, all in service of regenerative farming. Through storytelling that highlights indigenous communities, seasoned farmers, and health experts, Farmer’s Footprint aims to inspire a collective shift toward regenerative practices to help reshape food systems for environmental and human well-being. The U.S.- founded organization now has an international presence in Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy, among other countries. Here, Alana Mooi, the managing director at Farmer’s Footprint, tells The Rooted Journal more about the organization’s mission for a healthier, more holistic approach to agriculture.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LIFE FEEDS ON LIFE WHEN SOIL IS HEALTHY.
How does Farmer’s Footprint spread its message of regenerative farming? We seek to unite the agricultural and health systems so that more people can realize that planetary health is human health. We focus on education, awareness, coalition building, and inspiration. We’ve developed three main pillars of our storytelling work around agriculture, health, and culture. We offer tangible tools and resources on how people can take action based on the stories that we share.
CHOCHO, GROWN BY INDIGENOUS ANDEAN FARMERS IN ECUADOR, IS A NUTRIENT-DENSE, REGENERATIVE SUPERFOOD THAT DOUBLES AS A COVER CROP. MOOI TRAVELED TO XOCHIMILCO IN MEXICO CITY TO HARVEST AND COOK FRESH INGREDIENTS FROM ARCA TIERRA, A PROJECT REVIVING THE PREHISPANIC CHINAMPA FARMING TRADITION BY CONNECTING LOCAL CONSUMERS WITH REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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ISSUE 02
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