Book Review: Roger Thurow’s Against the Grain: How Farmers Around the Globe are Transforming Agriculture to Nourish the World and Heal the Planet (2024, Publisher: Agate Surrey)
American journalist, Roger Thurow, has written consistently about global hunger and food issues for many years. In his latest globe-spanning book he highlights the work of farmers who are “going against the grain” by adopting regenerative agriculture practices. These methods prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and natural processes, leading to more resilient and productive farms. Thurow introduces readers to farmers in diverse regions, from the American Midwest to Africa and India, who are successfully implementing these practices and achieving remarkable results.
Thurow visits a dozen countries in different continents telling the story of local responses to the upward pressures of world population growth and the strains on global food chains. He highlights the UN World Food Programme, the NGO World Vision, the International Livestock Research Institute, and others.
Against the Grain’s central theme revolves around the idea that industrial agriculture, with its reliance on monoculture, chemical inputs, and intensive farming methods, has come at a significant cost to both the environment and human health. Thurow argues that this common approach is unsustainable and undermines the long-term viability of food production.
One of the book’s strengths is its ability to explain the connections between individual farming practices and global concerns such as climate change, food security, and public health. Thurow demonstrates how sustainable agriculture can play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He emphasizes the importance of diverse, nutrient-rich diets in combating malnutrition and promoting public health. He interviews dozens of farmers, some of whom farmers incurred risks to change their long-term practices to work with nature and terrace their land to catch more rainwater and prevent soil runoff; to plant a diverse range of vegetables that would balance the nutrients in the soil; to replaced commercial fertilizers with organic matter from their own farms; to plant more trees and drought-resistant grains; and then shared their success with neighbors and communities.
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach focused on restoring and enhancing the health and biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems. Its primary goals include regenerating soil, increasing carbon sequestration, improving water retention, and promoting biodiversity. Key practices include crop rotation, agroforestry, composting, reduced tillage, cover cropping, and integrating livestock in ways that mirror natural ecosystems.
Unlike conventional farming, which aims for sustainability, regenerative agriculture goes a step further by actively enhancing the land’s health rather than simply preserving its current state. The overarching aim is to create systems that are ecologically resilient, economically viable, and socially beneficial.
Throughout the book, Thurow shares examples from diverse ecosystems across the globe where regenerative agriculture has successfully rejuvenated soil and improved farm productivity. However, the book does not delve deeply into economic profitability or provide technical analyses of how specific practices restore farmland. Instead, Thurow provides accessible, layman-friendly descriptions using personal stories and real-life examples.
Here are some of the practices highlighted across different regions:
| Location |
Practices |
| Ethiopia Rift Valley |
Water catchment, terraces, intercropping, tree planting |
| Uganda |
Tree planting, intercropping, livestock integration, amaranth, mucuna beans, crop rotation |
| Kenya |
Dairy management with perennial forage (Brachiaria grass), transforming garbage dumps with greenhouses, chickens, and rabbits |
| Indo-Gangetic Plain |
Crop diversity, drip irrigation, cold chain management, composting |
| Pan American Highlands |
Preservation of genetic diversity, crop diversity, drip irrigation, composting with crop residue |
| US Great Plains |
Zero tillage, composting with manure, planting Kernza (a perennial forage and grain crop) |
Across all of these examples, composting, crop rotation, and intercropping are central practices used to maximize production while simultaneously restoring soil health. Thurow emphasizes that for many smallholder farmers, “livestock are the ATMs of smallholder farmers,” representing their wealth storage. One farmer from the Great Plains shared his positive experience with Kernza, a perennial crop that provides both grain and livestock forage: “Once planted, perennials keep growing year after year, yielding multiple harvests.”
Thurow spends time with farmers in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley who are implementing practices like terracing and agroforestry to restore degraded land and improve their livelihoods. He highlights the ongoing work of aid organizations like the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in promoting sustainable agriculture and empowering local communities.
In Uganda, he visits farmers who are diversifying their crops, integrating livestock, and using cover crops to improve soil health and increase resilience to drought.
He explores efforts to combat land degradation and improve food security in Ethiopia, where farmers are adopting techniques like intercropping and water harvesting to enhance productivity in the face of challenging environmental conditions. He travels to India’s Indo-Gangetic Plain, where he meets Indian farmers who are revitalizing their soil and increasing yields through practices like no-till farming and crop rotation. He also examines the challenges faced by Indian farmers, including water scarcity and climate change.
When visiting Guatemala’s Highlands, Thurow describes the efforts of smallholder farmers to preserve traditional maize varieties and promote sustainable farming practices in the face of pressures from industrial agriculture.
Against the Grain offers a valuable contribution to the conversation about the future of food and farming. It provides a hopeful vision of a more sustainable and equitable food system, while also acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead. Thurow’s engaging writing style and his passion for the subject matter make “Against the Grain” an informative and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the intersection of food, agriculture, and the environment.
Note: Some NGOs specialize in promoting this type of agriculture, including Trees for the Future. Thurow serves on the advisory committee for Action Against Hunger, US.
A related book review about Regenerative Agriculture is available at another non-profit’s (Well Being International’s) site: https://wellbeingintl.org/resources/newsletter-archive/wellbeingnews/wellbeing-news-vol-6-11/ .
*Reviewed by WHES Board
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