A Ravenous Revelation
Feb-13-2026
Reflections on “Ravenous” Author Henry Dimbleby’s keynote at Sustainable Foods Conference 2026 – what the founder of Leon revealed about the future of food
When Henry Dimbleby took the stage at the Sustainable Foods Conference in London, he didn’t mince words. The former government food star — who famously walked away from policy work after watching meaningful reform stall — delivered a keynote that was equal parts entertaining, urgent, and deeply human. His message was unmistakable: if we want a healthier society, we must transform the way we produce food. And that transformation starts with soil.
Soil Health and Nutrient Density
For decades, the food system has been optimised for efficiency: more yield, more volume, more shelf life. But as Dimbleby highlighted, this efficiency has come at a cost. Ultra‑processed foods dominate diets. Fresh produce often delivers less nutrition than it once did. And consumers — especially those on tight budgets — are left choosing between price and health.
What’s becoming increasingly clear is that soil health is a foundational driver of nutrient density. Healthy soils, rich in organic matter and microbial life, support plants’ ability to access and absorb essential minerals and compounds. Early studies suggest that crops grown in biologically active soils can contain higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and micronutrients. The science is still emerging, and we must be careful not to overclaim — but early signs are encouragingly positive.
If we want food that nourishes people, we need soils that nourish plants.
Infrastructure for a Healthier Food System
Founded by Henry Dimbleby, Leon was launched with the promise of healthy, natural fast food. It grew successfully providing healthy food, before moving away from the health focus under Private Equity owners, then being reacquired by an original founder to bring it back to its roots. A metaphor for the food system itself.
One of the most striking tensions at the conference was how requirements and challenges differ along the supply chain, from retailers and brands to farmers and land managers. Retailers have found that consumers do not necessarily want to pay for more sustainable food as the benefits are less directly applicable to them, but may be willing to pay more for healthier food; farmers want to produce healthy food sustainably, but they also have to turn a profit or their businesses will not survive. With soil health dynamics offering the potential to address challenges at both ends of the spectrum, ongoing data monitoring soil outcomes across farming systems and related to different end products have the potential to join up the conversation.
This is where Downforce Technologies plays a critical role. By building on traditional soil measurement methods, Downforce delivers Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) data that is accurate, scalable and affordable. Our platform integrates ground-based data and satellite observations to measure annual SOC levels from 2017 to the present day. We combine scientifically robust data with contextual understanding, to deliver actionable insights on the impact of land management practices on soil health. This empowers farmers to track improvements in soil health and reduce input dependency, retailers to build credible sustainability claims that may be supplemented by ongoing nutrient testing and research, and food brands to understand how regenerative sourcing affects crop quality and product outcomes.
Building From the Ground Up
Dimbleby’s keynote was a reminder that the food system is at a crossroads. But together — with soil as the foundation — it’s possible to build a system that nourishes people and the planet. At Downforce, we believe this starts with making soil health visible, measurable, and actionable.
The journey from soil to sustainable supply chains to super foods is shorter than we think. But undeniably, the future of food depends on what happens beneath our feet.
Learn more about our approach toward delivering SOC data: info@downforce.tech
Further reading:
Dimbleby, H. and Lewis, J., 2023. Ravenous: How to get ourselves and our planet into shape. Profile Books.
