In this episode, Taimur Malik (Co-founder of Drawdown Farm and the Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture) joins Sajid Faiz (Country Economist, IGC Pakistan) to discuss why Pakistan’s agriculture sector is stuck in a 1960s Green Revolution paradigm and what it will take to move beyond it. Drawing on his journey from finance to farming, Taimur explains how regenerative agriculture is challenging conventional practices by improving yields, lowering input costs and restoring ecosystems. From the pink bollworm’s resistance to Bt cotton, which wiped out a third of Pakistan’s crop in 2016, to the widespread reliance on costly imported fertilizers, he highlights the systemic vulnerabilities in current farming models.
The conversation also explores deeper structural challenges like water scarcity, biodiversity loss and the risks smallholder farmers face when adopting new practices. Grounded in real-world experiments from the Thal Desert, Taimur makes a compelling case for a transition toward farming systems that work with nature rather than against it.
Books mentioned in the podcast:
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet — Bill McKibben
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations — David R. Montgomery
More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) — Caspar A. Hallmann et al.
Organic agriculture and the global food supply (2007) — Catherine Badgley et al.
Pakistan Country Economic Memorandum 2022: From Swimming in Sand to High and Sustainable Growth — World Bank
The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Sajid Faiz Malik is a Country Economist at the International Growth Centre (IGC) Pakistan. His work focuses on firms, trade, and development with a focus on climate change. Sajid leads policy engagement and research facilitation efforts, connects leading economists with policymakers, and contributes to policy-relevant research and dissemination.
His academic interests span labour economics, public finance, and mechanism design, with a broader commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic development.
Taimur Malik previously worked at Citibank as an Analyst and is now an entrepreneur. He is a regenerative agriculture and circular economy expert with extensive experience in finance, business
strategy and the design and scaling of manufacturing and agricultural systems. He actively invests in and mentors Agri-tech startups and advises companies and government ministries on climate change,
agriculture and food security. He is also the co-founder of the prominent café in Lahore called Drip.