18 September 2025

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has awarded musician and regenerative farming pioneer Andy Cato with its highest honour, an Honorary Fellowship, in the historic institution’s 180th year.

Best known as one half of electronic music duo Groove Armada, Andy has transformed his career from international touring artist to a leading advocate for sustainable agriculture.

His journey began after reading an article on the environmental costs of modern food production, inspiring him to pursue farming practices that restore soil health and reconnect communities with the land. In 2013 he sold his music rights to buy a farm in France after hearing about the horrors of the industrial food system.

He is now a tenant farmer for the National Trust in Oxfordshire and, in 2018, he joined forces with Edd Lees and George Lamb to form Wildfarmed, a regenerative food and farming company focused on bringing quality food from nature rich landscapes to the high street and empowers farmers to adopt regenerative methods.

Wildfarmed’s principles - reducing soil disturbance, promoting biodiversity, and focusing on nutrition - are already being implemented by 150 farmers across the UK.

In the past seven years, Wildfarmed has gone from strength to strength and the company’s produce is now available in more than 1,000 outlets, including bakeries, restaurants, schools, and supermarkets such as Tesco, Ocado, and Waitrose, working with more than a hundred growers. Its reach demonstrates how regenerative agriculture can deliver healthier, tastier food while helping farms withstand climate extremes.

Receiving the Honorary Fellowship of the RAU at the University’s annual Graduation ceremony earlier today, Andy said: “It’s such an honour to receive this award. I could never have imagined that a financially questionable decision 15 years ago - selling my musician’s pension to become a farmer - would culminate in joining the incredible alumni of the oldest agricultural University in the English-speaking world.

“I read that the RAU was founded when farmers were struggling with low agricultural prices and a lack of government support. Nearly two centuries later, we find ourselves in a similar position. Yet we have enough evidence to know we have a choice - an abundant future of healthy soils growing quality food despite violent changes in rainfall patterns and of food production being the source of nature recovery.

“The RAU’s 180-year-old mission to provide the best possible agricultural education is more critical than ever in making this hopeful vision a reality.”

Presenting Andy for the award, Professor Nicola Cannon, Professor of Agriculture at the RAU, said: “Our Honorary Fellowship is the highest honour that the University can confer and it is reserved for those who have made the most distinguished contribution to the land-based sector and industries.

“Andy Cato has become a leading advocate for regenerative farming and sustainability, making him a very worthy beneficiary. His journey from global music stages to the fields of regenerative agriculture embodies the courage to question systems, embrace change, and dedicate his life to restoring the land and our future.

“Through Wildfarmed, he has shown that farming in harmony with nature can produce healthier food, rebuild soils, and create a more resilient and sustainable food system for generations to come.

“Today, he stands as an inspiring example that passion and purpose can drive profound transformation, proving that even those from very different beginnings can make an enduring contribution to the land-based sector.”

The RAU - which was originally established as the Royal Agricultural College, the first agricultural college in the English-speaking world – celebrates its 180th anniversary this year.

The institution, which now has more than 1,100 students at its Cirencester campus as well as more than 3,000 studying worldwide with its many international partners, has a calendar of events taking place throughout the year.

It awards an Honorary Fellowship each year and, in recognition of its anniversary, all the Honorary Fellows were invited to today’s Graduation ceremony.

RAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter McCaffery added: “Andy’s award of an Honorary Fellowship of the RAU recognises his perseverance and innovation in tackling today’s urgent environmental and agricultural challenges. His work exemplifies the transformative potential of regenerative farming and the vital role of farmers in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Andy has proved that regenerative farming can thrive commercially while healing the planet. His story demonstrates how passion, innovation, and courage can drive meaningful change and transform the future of food production.

“His work embodies the spirit of the Royal Agricultural University’s highest honour and, in honouring him, we are celebrating a vision for the future where farming nurtures both people and planet, inspiring a new generation to see agriculture as an aspirational profession.”