What is the relationship between people and places when it comes to trauma? Can the land become traumatised and if so how can this happen? What impact might this have on food production, on animal health and on the humans, farms and communities that live there? How might such trauma be resolved and is this something in which we can all be involved? And can the land help to heal human trauma and grief? We…

As the new Labour government emphasises a renewed commitment to better cooperation between the devolved nations, this session aims to foster dialogue on emerging farming policies across the UK. The event will bring together policymakers, NGOs and think tanks from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to outline each nation’s current vision for food and farming, and to discuss how governments are working to produce good food, restore nature, and tackle climate change. Panellists will…

As farmers, growers, activists and supporters of the agroecological movement, we often experience and are motivated by a heart-felt or sacred connection to the land. Yet finding ways to express this belief system or bring it into our daily work can be challenging. Are we overlooking a powerful and transformative tool that could support a transition to a fairer food and farming system? Patrick Holden will be joined by scientist, Rupert Sheldrake, the United Nations…

Traditional market gardens have long been in decline, but new growers are bringing a much-needed agroecological renaissance. After navigating the early years, they now face new challenges to scale up their enterprises and build stronger and sustainable local food economies. The Organic Growers Alliance and CSA Network have brought together growers who are successfully managing this transition to describe: Scaling the crops up — planning and techniques for 12 month production, field scale growing and…

British fashion is known globally for its quality and creativity. Yet much of this ingenuity is brought to bear today through extractive supply chains originating in the Global South, relying on toxic materials and exploitative labour and agricultural practices. The science is clear that fashion must shift its sourcing to materials originating in the biosphere that are produced in ecologically restorative ways. This panel convenes experts who are actively bridging the gap between fashion and…

This panel raises the importance of food sovereignty and regenerative growing for those who have lost their lands or are resisting removal. In the event of displacement or dispossession, the opportunity to grow food becomes even more important to personal agency as well as nutrition. The session will include a series of short videos from producers in refugee and internally displaced people camps. Panel members will share experiences from the Amazon, occupied lands in Palestine…

This session will aim to discuss the current ways in which pesticides are being used, and misused in a variety of farming systems, and the impacts of such use. The session will speak to policy experts and farmers who are involved in moving away from an overreliance on pesticides and discuss the current and future policies which are needed to hasten the transition to agroecological farming.

This 45-minute talk by writer and filmmaker Manchán Magan is an exploration of the rising connection people are feeling with the spirit, the lore, and land of Ireland… and its resonances with Indigenous cultures around the world. Ultimately, this talk is a celebration of the extraordinary heritage our ancestors have passed down to us and how it can inspire and empower us, guiding us in how to live, how to feel and how to relate…

In this session, the 2023 Scottish Young Farmer Forester of the Year, David Carruth, will tell us all about Brodoclea Woodland Farm in Ayrshire where he and his team practise an innovative approach to agroforestry. As well as explaining his award-winning work with “trees and pigs”, David will speak about his own journey from conventional to regenerative farming — highlighting some of the challenges facing farming communities in the shires west of Glasgow. And of…