I hope you enjoy listening.

Hello, I'm Tom Pycraft, founder of Ark.

In celebration of Love British Food's twenty-fifth anniversary and series of essays on the role of British food in society now, it's an honor to have been asked to write an essay based on a speech I gave earlier this year, Weathering Uncertainty: The Decisions We Can No Longer Defer.

In the weeks before Ark Summit twenty twenty-six, I found myself reflecting on Rupert Sheldrake's powerful opening address at the previous year's event while listening to the music of his son, Cosmo, including the track I Want To Be Soil.

That song feels thematic as healthy soil came to underpin this year's theme of weathering uncertainty.

Healthy soil holds water, supports life, nourishes plants, people, and animals, and is better able to withstand whatever the seasons throw at it.

The same is true of our systems.