Visiting the US ‘Dust Bowl’ in 1929, future President Roosevelt observed: “a nation that destroys its soils destroys itself”. Vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise as ethical dietary choices. However, the undiscussed consequence of this trend is the increase of large-scale cereal agriculture and its effect on the Australian landscape and biodiversity. Deb Newell, founder of the Hunter Gatherer’s Dinner Club, discusses the concept of peak soil and the benefits of consuming foods grown and raised in their natural locations. Deb is also featured in the May edition of the Griffith REVIEW.

Deb Newell
Deb Newell started her career as a physiotherapist, but quickly found her passion in the food industry a caterer, TV food presenter, restaurant chef, food technician, cookery teacher and event designer. From 1997 – 2001 a passion for the rights of all food animals resulted in the development of a beef flavour assessment programme called The Paddocks to Palates. It was Deb’s experience in this program that highlighted to her to the landscape and biodiversity devastation caused by the massive crop agriculture of Australia that underwrites vegetarian diets, leading her to form The Hunter Gatherer Dinner Club in 2009. This Club is a targeted appeal for a return to our original human diet, that of the Hunter/Gatherer, as it is the most nourishing for us at the least cost to other life and to our planet