December 03, 2024

339 Ian McSweeney and Kristina Villa - You can’t address food security, soil carbon sequestration or climate change without first tackling the crisis of land access

1 hour 20 minutes

Why land tenure and security are key to the future of food. We’ve touched on the massive issues of land tenure, access, and security on the podcast before, but never enough. In many regions, land prices have been rising steadily for the past 50–100 years, becoming entirely disconnected from the land’s productive value—especially for those wanting to farm using regenerative agroecology. This has made land increasingly inaccessible for the next generation of farmers. Exacerbating the problem is the aging farmer population. In the U.S., the average age of farmers is 62, which means most are nearing retirement. What happens next?

With Ian McSweeney and Kristina Villa, co-founders of The Farmers Land Trust , we focus on first-generation pioneering organic and biodynamic farmers who plan to retire soon. Many have spent their lives building successful small businesses, running community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, hosting events, providing education, and feeding countless people. Then there’s the next generation—capable farmers who’ve trained extensively, spent years working on others’ farms, and now dream of having their own land. Yet, they can’t afford the inflated market prices.

What can be done? One solution lies in shifting to common land ownership. Much like CSAs, the community can own the land, enabling a new generation of farmers to steward it. This often involves retiring farmers selling their land for significantly less—sometimes less than 50% of market value—unlocking opportunities for others to step in and carry the torch. This approach isn’t reserved for hippies, socialists, or communists; it’s gaining traction across the U.S. and, in some cases, is even supported by federal initiatives.

Ian and Kristina explain why there’s suddenly so much momentum in what has traditionally been a slow-moving area.

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By Koen van Seijen