Three legendary activists for farmers’ rights tackle the false hope and real threats of genetic modification, sharing what they have learned and how those lessons can be used in the ongoing fight. The first wave of genetically modified (GMO) crops made false promises to reduce pesticide use and create higher yields and profits for farmers - from cotton farmers in Asia to maize growers in North America. There is very little evidence that this happened…

Want to learn more about nuts? If you’re considering agroforestry but aren’t sure what to plant, or you already know you want to plant nut trees, or perhaps you already have some but don’t know what to do with them, then this is the session for you. With a panel spanning years of nut tree growing experience, international research, business development and new nut tree agroforestry enthusiasm, this session will crack open the technical and…

Over the last 30 years or so, a vibrant network of agroecological short supply chain and direct sales businesses has developed in the UK, but currently they represent a tiny proportion of the market. Scaling up will bring colossal benefits to the environment, local economies and communities; but it is an equally colossal task! Infrastructure - or lack thereof - is key to upscaling local food systems. A loss of local infrastructure - particularly processing…

Join us to hear Brazilian and British funders and grantees have an inspiring and transparent conversation about what is needed to enable innovative solutions to be experimented with and practised. Trust-based philanthropy has been shown to be an effective strategy to support those on the ground to make effective decisions about how to invest their capital, address their real needs, and build relationships of reciprocity that go way beyond the capital itself.

Food sovereignty for all people cannot be achieved unless structural inequalities in food systems are identified and redressed. In the current society in which discrimination, oppression and corporate power are normalised and where right-wing agendas are advancing, bodies and identities differing the normative order are targeted. Women farmers have long struggled for their rights to be integrated into policies and legal instruments designed to guarantee their rights to food, land, work and social security.

In this session, Claire Ratinon and Rachel Solnick will discuss their two very different experiences of identity, diaspora and displacement in relation to land work. Chaired by Jo Kamal, this conversation will see where Claire’s Mauritian Kreyol heritage and Rachel’s Jewish Diasporist identity converge in order to explore what it means to work the land when our ancestral relationship to the earth has been disrupted and how diasporic peoples might - in reclaiming the role…

The last decade has seen strides made in sales of peat-free growing media in amateur horticulture, though voluntary targets set by the government failed to mobilise the industry to phase out sales by 2020. In commercial organic horticulture, a voluntary target has been set to end the use of peat in growing media by 2024, ahead of Defra’s 2028 target for professional horticulture. However, the challenge remains to find affordable alternatives with the physical and…

The shift away from area-based agricultural subsidies has been a welcome transition to those who recognise the flaws in a system which has essentially rewarded farmers and landowners for owning large amounts of land. As we embark on new farming subsidy policies in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England, which will instead incentivise farmers to adopt more sustainable farming practices, the question remains of where small farms - including market gardens, crofts, and urban and peri-urban…

Palestinian farmer, Doha Asous, will speak about the challenges of farming under occupation. She will explain why, in the face of aggression and land grabs by illegal settlers, it’s even more important to tend her land and devote her time to a farming livelihood. Doha farms using the traditional techniques of her ancestors. For over a decade, she has hosted international volunteers who come to support her and other farmers to bring their olive harvest…