The Fascist Origins of Organics

The rise of the organic movement is often remembered as a peaceful revolution - a return to the earth, to purity, to harmony with nature. But its true origins tell a far darker tale. Born not in the flower-strewn fields of 1960s counterculture, but in the grim laboratories of fascist ideology, the organic movement was shaped by the poisonous ideal of Blut und Boden - blood and soil - Hitler’s vision of racial purity rooted in sacred, cultivated land.

In the shadow of the First World War, as modernity fractured Europe, a coalition of aristocrats, ideologues, and agrarian radicals began to turn away from industrial farming and toward a mystical belief in soil as the lifeblood of the nation. Sir Albert Howard’s composting theories were seized upon by those who dreamed not of sustainability, but of supremacy. Lord Lymington, a British peer and passionate fascist, declared modern agriculture a threat to the racial soul of Britain. And Lady Eve Balfour, often lauded as a pioneering environmentalist, helped found the Soil Association not just to heal the earth but to preserve a vanishing, hierarchical vision of Englishness under threat.

As fascism spread through Europe in the 1920s and 30s, so too did the organic ideal - not as liberation, but as control. And even after Hitler’s fall, those same roots crept into post-war Britain’s environmental movements, disguised under new names.

So how did a movement forged in the crucible of authoritarianism become the darling of the left? How did fascist soil science transform into the ideology of hippies, Whole Foods, and farmer’s markets?

Join John and Patrick as they descend into the murky, forgotten history of the organic movement and discover that the soil is far darker than it first appears.

----------

In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

-----------

Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.

Support us!

• Share this episode with your friends
• Give a 5-star rating
• Write a review

-----------

Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.

-----------

Step into history - literally! Now is your chance to own a pair of The History of Fresh Produce sneakers. Fill out the form here and get ready to walk through the past in style.

-----------

Instagram, TikTok, Threads:

@historyoffreshproduce

Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com