Guy Singh-Watson has over the last 30 years taken Riverford from one man and a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends, to a national veg box scheme delivering to around 80,000 customers a week.
Tired of meetings, brands and the assumption that greed is our predominant motivation, Guy converted the business to employee ownership in 2018, using the proceeds to buy a small farm and return to growing organic vegetables. In common with many of Riverford’s new co-owners, Guy is an advocate of using business to shape a part of the world, however small, to be kinder, more considerate and sustainable; more like the world most of us want to live in.
His weekly newsletters connect people to the farm with refreshingly honest accounts of the trials and tribulations of producing organic food, and the occasional rant about farming, ethical and business issues he feels strongly about.
We live in an era of unbridled personal greed, accompanied by declining standards in public life, which can easily make anyone aspiring to behave better feel like an isolated mug.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 18th November 2021
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Ever wondered why it's so cheap to offset a long haul? Because it's a con, argues Guy Singh-Watson in a new film explaining more.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 16th November 2021
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I love the machinery; it is poetry in motion to see a potato, carrot, or salad leaf harvester working well in a good crop. Those who romantically lament the passing of hand labour have seldom done…
By Guy Singh-Watson - 11th November 2021
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When intervention is inevitable, their tactics change from denial to delay, which is how I read these suggestions of corporate self-regulation coming from Glasgow.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 3rd November 2021
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Tax fossil fuels and make market forces save us, writes Guy Singh-Watson in a powerful Letter to Planet Earth ahead of COP26 as a call for citizens, businesses and governments to act on the only…
By Guy Singh-Watson - 28th October 2021
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We are told the investment needed to meet water standards is too high, but the truth is that more has been extracted in dividends than invested in improvements.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 28th October 2021
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Eating more fruit and veg, thinking about nutrient intake and wasting less food are all part of how to eat a healthy diet that’s good for the planet.
By Nina Pullman - 29th November 2021
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With a ban on new palm oil plantations in Indonesia about to expire, Anna Turns looks at certification and synthetic palm oil as sustainable solutions.
By Anna Turns - 29th November 2021
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With a focus on crafts, beauty and other original low-impact gifts from small ethical businesses – share the joy of a sustainable Christmas with our 2021 gift guide.
By Becky Blench - 26th November 2021
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Most farmers see better opportunities for their own livelihoods, protecting nature, and connecting with their local communities elsewhere, a new survey has found.
By Nina Pullman - 26th November 2021
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New study finds unhealthy foods have higher emissions as speakers at British Nutrition Federation event point out links between health and sustainable food.
By Nina Pullman - 25th November 2021
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The flavour is great this year so far, after a bit of a panicky start to the growing season: for some reason the plants didn’t establish so we had to quickly replant in another field.
By Richard Tucker - 25th November 2021
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