ORFC 2026 8 – 9 Jan
ORFC 2026 8 – 9 Jan
Since 2022, the Agrarian Higher School of Viseu, Portugal, has been hosting seasonal Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Field Schools, open to everyone. Each session (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring) dives into topics ranging from agricultural practices to social and economic dynamics, co-created with various partners. Participants include farmers, activists, academics, and curious minds. In this session, we’ll explore how these schools operate and share key insights for both Portugal and the UK, focusing on engaging…
Watching the devastation wrought on our food systems and landscapes can feel overwhelming. How can we push for meaningful change on a global scale? One promising solution gaining momentum is ecocide as an international criminal law. In September 2024, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa, formally proposed an ecocide amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court signalling a historic step toward holding environmental destruction accountable. The implementation of ecocide law could transform global food…
A panel discussion between applied permaculture design practitioners and farmers who use the principles underlying permaculture design to create regenerative, water-retentive and resilient landscapes. The panel members will describe how they each integrate, within their respective businesses, the benefits of water retention and purification, for soil creation and carbon sequestration within living systems, maximising biomass resource production and the creation of species-rich habitat.
Neurodiversity is part of human biodiversity, emerged through evolution and is present throughout farming. Neurodivergent people bring traits and qualities that can benefit farms. However, misconceptions and unhelpful practices can create barriers that hinder the realisation of their potential and exacerbate problems. Overcoming these barriers can allow individuals to shine, and farms to prosper and become better workplaces for all. This session will be an opportunity both for neurodivergent landworkers to voice and discuss their…
In preparation for the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum for food sovereignty — taking place in India in 2025 — building intersectional alliances between the food sovereignty movement and other civil society movements has been identified as of key strategic importance. The struggles for a fair income and good working conditions are shared by food system workers and farmers alike, so let’s come together and discuss how we can build stronger alliances between the rural and…
Is organic the preserve of the privileged? We don’t believe it should be. Healthy, sustainably produced food should be accessible to everyone — not just people on higher incomes. Sustain and Soil Association have convened a panel of speakers working across the food supply chain to explore the opportunities to make organic food more available, affordable to everyone and fair to farmers. We will delve into the challenges of achieving optimal scale alongside ethical practice,…
The average British farmer is in a lose-lose-lose situation, where they damage the environment, create awful lives for animals, and lose money. This session will explore case studies of low-input win-win-win interventions, where animal welfare, profitability, and the land are improved together. Using the examples of mob grazing for chickens and pigs, and developing animal-based income streams for single-use woodland, this panel will explore how new management styles can give animals a life worth living,…
In this session, you’ll hear from two farmers about their experience of reducing organic soya in animal feed by incorporating home-grown or UK-produced legumes into their dairy and poultry systems. We’ll cover topics from the use of clover-rich herbal leys and intercropping to sharing strategies for poultry diets, growing pulses and how to select the right crops for your system.
Over the last few years, a collection of stakeholders in the organic grain sector have collaborated to run on-farm variety trials, helping select the most appropriate varieties for organic farming, as well as the highest quality varieties for the oat miller. Research is funded through a research levy paid by the farmers and the miller for mutually beneficial collaboration. Breeders and researchers also take part, adding value to the initiative in terms of varietal selection…