Ian Somerhalder Calls Out Big Ag: “The System Is Set Up For Us To Fail”

Somerhalder left the full-time acting grind behind to pursue a mission he sees as far more urgent—fixing America’s broken food system. Marrying fellow actor and eco-entrepreneur Nikki Reed only deepened his passion for sustainable living.

The couple has embraced a farming lifestyle, raising animals and growing their own food while using their platforms to advocate for regenerative agriculture. Somerhalder has been at the forefront of the movement, executive producing and narrating Kiss the Ground and its follow-up, Common Ground, both of which expose the devastating effects of industrial farming and offer real solutions for restoring soil health and reversing environmental damage.

In a conversation with Dr. Mark Hyman, Somerhalder exposes how industrial farming is poisoning Americans, bankrupting farmers, and destroying the environment—all while raking in billions.

“Why are we sending $80 billion of American farmers’ money overseas?” he asks. “If everyone was healthy, we’d be out of business, but everyone would be healthy. I could go find another job.”

Somerhalder, along with advocates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other reformers is fighting to restore the American food system. But as he makes clear, the forces against them aren’t just powerful—they’re deeply entrenched in politics, education, and industry.

A System Built to Keep You Sick

Americans spend over $447 billion a year on diabetes—more than $1 billion every single day. Yet, instead of addressing the root cause—our food system—the government keeps propping up Big Ag, subsidizing the very companies making people sick.

“We wonder why there’s chronic disease. We wonder why people have skin issues, mental health issues,” Somerhalder says. “The system is set up for us to fail.”

It all starts with the soil. Industrial farming has drained vital nutrients from our land, leaving food that is less nourishing and more toxic. Hyman recalls a conversation with Bill Gates about this crisis. “I said to him, ‘Bill, there are massive nutritional deficiencies in America,’ and he was like, ‘No, there’s not,’” Hyman says. “But over 90% of Americans are deficient in at least one key nutrient.”

Somerhalder sees it firsthand. “We are a wildly developed nation that lives on the drip of agrochemicals because congressional lawmakers have allowed that to happen,” he says.

How Big Ag Controls What Farmers Learn

The problem isn’t just in our food—it’s in our schools. Somerhalder exposes how Big Ag has infiltrated America’s top agricultural colleges, ensuring that new farmers are brainwashed into believing industrial farming is the only way.

“What we uncover on film is how Monsanto has effectively been secretly micro-financing most of the university agricultural curriculum in this country for 40 years,” he says. “We uncover the money pipeline.”

And it’s not just universities—it’s media, too. Food journalist Michael Pollan had his Omnivore’s Dilemma talk canceled at Caltech after a corporate rancher pulled funding. “That’s the kind of stuff that goes on,” Somerhalder says. “Right under our noses.”

But as more farmers experience failure under the current system, they’re searching for something better. “Farmers and ranchers are desperate to change,” Hyman says. “They see the failure of the system. They understand something’s broken.”

The Simple Fix No One Talks About

Despite the destruction caused by industrial farming, there’s a solution—one so simple it seems almost too good to be true.

“By increasing soil organic matter by just 1% globally, we will be at zero net carbon,” Somerhalder says. “That’s insane.”

It all comes down to regenerative farming—a method that ditches chemical fertilizers, restores soil health, and traps carbon in the ground. “The biggest carbon sink in the world, other than the ocean, is the soil,” he explains. “Not the rainforest. The soil.”

He dismisses the idea that climate change can be fixed through minor lifestyle changes. “If you think that driving an electric car and using paper straws is going to change the world, it’s not,” he says. “A third of all the carbon in the atmosphere comes from the loss of soil organic matter. And that can be put back.”

Farmers Proving the System Works

Farmers who have made the switch to regenerative agriculture aren’t just healing the land—they’re making more money doing it.

Hyman points to Rome Ranch in Texas, where a couple converted 1,000 acres into a regenerative bison ranch. “The soil organic matter increased by 6%,” Hyman says. “Bald eagles and wild animals are coming back. The rivers are coming back. Meanwhile, the farmers next door are struggling with drought.”

Even corporate giants like General Mills and Mars are investing in regenerative farming. “If you can shepherd your farmers and producers into a regenerative state, their profits go up, your margins are better, and you have absolute unlimited food for generations,” Somerhalder says. “This is not some idealistic dream—it’s basic economics.”

The Truth About Tilling

One of the most destructive farming practices, Somerhalder reveals, is tilling—something most Americans never think about.

“Our whole lives, all you think about is tilling that soil,” he says. “But tilling destroys the soil microbiome and releases carbon into the atmosphere.” NASA satellite images show massive carbon plumes released whenever farmland is tilled.

“Every time I saw those images in Kiss the Ground, I got teary-eyed,” Somerhalder says. “You see the plumes of carbon released when we till, and then as the crops grow, the carbon is reabsorbed. It’s life-changing to see that.”

Big Ag is Afraid of This Movement

Somerhalder is blunt about why regenerative agriculture is still on the fringes: Big Ag fears it.

“This is a $55 billion-a-year industry,” he says. “By 2032, it’s going to be a $77 billion industry. And this movement is about to disrupt the entire thing.”

He refuses to wait on nonprofits or government intervention. “If you ever really want to change the world, don’t start a nonprofit,” he says. “Start a for-profit that funds those necessary nonprofit initiatives.”

His own ventures reflect that approach—from The Absorption Company, which provides high-quality supplements, to Brothers Bond Bourbon, a whiskey company that supports regenerative farming. “People ask, ‘Why do you make vitamins and alcohol?’” he laughs. “Because life is about balance. But if you’re going to drink, you can do it in a way that actually helps restore the ecosystem.”

The Key to Changing the World

As the conversation wraps up, Somerhalder shares a final message—one that goes beyond farming. “There’s one little word that we’re all searching for,” he says.

Hyman guesses: “Love?”

Somerhalder shakes his head. “Purpose.” He explains that purpose is found where skill meets passion. “When you bring together the things you’re good at with the things you love, you find purpose. And then boom—your whole world opens up.”

For Somerhalder, that purpose is transforming the way we grow food and take care of the land. And as he’s learned, the impact of his advocacy is already reaching the next generation.

“So many young people come up to me at airports and say, ‘You changed my kid’s life,’” he says. “My kid was going to go to Wharton and work on Wall Street. Now, he switched his major to agricultural engineering. He wants to be a farmer.” And to Somerhalder, that’s the greatest victory of all. “That is powerful,” he says. “You create a whole generation of farmers, and you change the future.”

A Call to Action

Somerhalder and Hyman agree: The old system—run by multinational corporations and backed by corrupt policies—is crumbling. The new system will be healthier, more sustainable, and more profitable for farmers.

“Health is wealth,” Somerhalder says. “And it doesn’t take a lot to invest in it.”

His final advice? Support regenerative farmers. Advocate for policy change. Educate yourself. And never lose hope. “Hope is everything,” he says. “Hope and action together—that’s how we win.”

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