Following Veganuary (and any challenge which revolves around eliminating certain foods) is pretty simple, but getting on board with for Regenuary is, by its nature, more complex. After all, regenerative agriculture itself can be difficult to define, and is full of nuances which shift from farm-to-farm. In essence, it's an approach to farming which aims to not only not damage the environment, but to improve it. Chemical fertilisers and tillage are avoided – instead, the aim is to disturb the land as little as possible and instead work with nature to protect it. Common regenerative practices include rotational grazing, mixed crop rotation, limiting soil disturbance and composting, methods underpinned by a focus on all things soil health. The goal is that the land and water are allowed to regenerate, rather than depleting natural resources.

While regenerative farming has been around for some time, it's only in the last ten years that it's been more widely adopted and even more recently that it has started to find its way into mainstream conversation. That's been helped by innovative chefs, who are beginning to prioritise a regenerative model when it comes to their suppliers and even their own land. In Cornwall, chef Dan Cox's Crocadon restaurant is at home on a 120-acre organic farm, which Dan first began cultivating in 2017. He speaks about the importance of powering up the soil, increasing its microbial life with compost teas and manure (he compares soil to a bank account – the more you take from it, the less you have to work with), and focuses on crop diversity, self-sustaining perennial varieties and rotational grazing. He's not alone, with chefs like David Taylor at Hampton Manor and Jan Ostle and Mary Wilson at Wilsons in Bristol also impressing the need for a regenerative approach. Michelin's Green Stars, meanwhile, have also brought a renewed importance to taking sustainability seriously. Regenuary is backed by chefs including Adam Gray and Douglas McMaster, as well as food writers and critics and bodies including The Soil Association.

Essentially, Regenuary asks us to source as much of our food as possible from regenerative producers and farmers, a goal which will inevitably require some research on our part. It involves buying from British suppliers, focusing on producers with shorter supply chains (farm shops and farmer's markets are usually good places to start), nose-to-tail eating to reduce food waste, an awareness of limiting food miles and much more. When it comes to meat, seeking out entirely pasture-fed animals is important, and where regenerative is not possible, Regenuary encourages us to instead look for produce marked as organic and biodynamic. When it comes to restaurants, some chefs are introducing themed menus to mark the month, including Tommy Banks, who is running a Regenuary set menu at his The Abbey Inn in North Yorkshire until the end of January, featuring in-house cured charcuterie and vegetables from its garden. The Gladwin Brothers, meanwhile, are offering a similar menu across their sites until the end of the month.

We could all do more to consider where our food comes from, and the impact our choices have on the planet, whatever our diet. By spending a few minutes researching local regenerative producers and getting to grips with the benefits of regenerative agriculture, we can make simple swaps that will ensure we are doing all we can to cherish the environment.