Experimentation has been a core element of many farmers’ and growers’ practice since the dawn of agriculture, and continues to influence day-to-day decision making at the farm level. However, in recent decades, top-down approaches to innovation in agriculture have dominated the formal research agenda, resulting in massive degradation of land, environment and local culture. There is an urgent need to recognise the value of farmers’ knowledge and research and the essential role it can play…

Raj Patel and Marion Nestle have forged careers focused on the politics of food and how to transform the current food system beyond its current focus on corporate profits to a system designed and conducted to promote human health and environmental sustainability.  Their books provide an analysis of the need for systems change and a roadmap for how to do it.  Nestle’s most recent book, Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics, explains how and…

Aligning investment and finance decisions is critical to kickstart a transition to agroecology. Farmers can be a force for change, but what are investors looking for and how can policy and market frameworks support bold moves? What does supportive finance look like for farmers trying to access new investment or new environmental services markets as part of viable farm businesses? And what role can the UK’s financial institutions play in this?

How can we step off the dairy treadmill? Join farmers from the Food Ethics Council’s Dairy Project who are seeking to overcome lock-ins relating to dairy.

In the drive towards shorter and more farmer-focused supply chains, retailers play a key role. If we want to build real alternatives to the supermarket system, how do we support retailers and ensure they are a force for good in the chain from field to fork? How can retailers share logistics and support each other? What role do retailers play in growing the market for organic produce? And what does the future of ethical food…

An in-depth look at various ways to propagate perennials in an organic system.

In this session, we will explore the best of farming and food policy from across the UK nations that has the potential to enable a transition to agroecological farming and local food systems.

This session will set out a shared vision for how to find structured local support for farmers and communities to deliver resilience and climate action. It will demonstrate an integrated framework and the essential role of farmer collaboration and facilitation. It will help delegates understand how to contribute to creating a structure around the complex architecture of farm and community advice in a climate emergency. It will explore the many partnership roles needed to deliver…

A discussion of the benefits of creating space on working farms for people with learning disabilities and who are autistic or otherwise neurodiverse.