Long-standing systems for sustainable farming could feed people and the planet — if industry is willing to step back

The Burren, in western Ireland, is home to a traditional regenerative system of cattle management known as winterage. (Philip Loring), CC BY-NC-SA

Global food systems are at a breaking point. Not only are they responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are also the top contributors to water pollution and biodiversity collapse.

On top of that, many aspects of our food systems are extremely vulnerable to disruptions from climate change and other shocks, as we saw in the first months of the pandemic.