ORFC 2026 8 – 9 Jan
Join the recently-formed Global Grassfed Alliance to hear about a growing international movement of people and organisations championing the production of grass-fed meat and milk from regenerative farming systems. The session will be a dialogue between members of the alliance working with different geographic constraints and increasing public interest the world over.
The Global Grassfed Alliance (of which the UK’s Pasture-Fed Livestock Association, host of this session, is a member) is in the early stages…
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. LIMITED SPACES: 500
The workshop will look at on-farm alternatives to soya as a protein source and alternative soya products not associated with deforestation.
Feeding pigs and poultry entirely on organic and regionally sourced feed is a long-held ambition of many organic and agroecological farmers. OK-Net EcoFeed, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 scheme, is helping them achieve this goal.
In this workshop, we look at two systems which could replace…
In the 1990s, famine in North Korea killed 3 million people; many surviving children “lacked full cognitive ability”. Rice yields had more than halved, falling from eight tonnes per hectare down to three tonnes due to a misplaced faith in artificial fertiliser and other agro-chemicals and widespread abandonment of grassland, livestock and crop rotations. The soil had died and physically collapsed. Globally, the farming industry remains dependent on these chemicals, leading to widespread decline in…
Many grass-fed/regenerative farmers have been “going against the grain” for years. There are signs this is changing as more farmers are looking at regenerative techniques, especially with changing subsidies in the UK. US ranchers Doniga Markegard and Will Harris are leading the field when it comes to grass-based farming systems and regenerative land management.
Will Harris took the leap 20 years ago. He is a sixth generation farmer on his family farm in Bluffton, Georgia.…
Jairo Restrepo en un apasionado educador y activista, conocido en toda Sudamérica por su apoyo pragmático de pequeñxs agricultorxs y sus campañas por los derechos de ellxs frente a poderosos agronegocios. Es único porque aboga por la autonomía y autodeterminación de lxs agricultorxs, pero también enseña una cantidad de tecnologías prácticas y preparaciones para incrementar la fertilidad del suelo y transformar los cultivos. Ofrece herramientas e inspiración para agricultorxs y activistas por igual.
En esta…
Jairo Restrepo is a passionate educator and activist, known throughout South America for his practical support of small farmers as well as his campaigns for their rights in the face of powerful agribusiness. He is unique in that he argues for farmers’ autonomy and self-determination but also teaches an array of practical technologies and preparations to increase soil fertility and transform cropping. He offers tools and inspiration for farmers and activists alike.
In this talk,…
Goats play a transformative role around the world, particularly in harsh environments - reflecting climate, vegetation or conflict. They transform the most indigestible plant material into meat, milk and skins and are also increasing the economic independence and resilience of rural women.
Rothamsted is researching the role of goats in smallholder systems in Malawi and Botswana - focused on nutrition, socioeconomics and parasitology (through targeted selective treatment using metabolites from bioactive plants). Goats have…
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. LIMITED SPACES: 500
Join us - a panel of nine women ranchers across the US - for a facilitated weaving of conversation on the creative, collaborative, and diverse approaches to leadership within ranching communities and land stewardship. Hear stories of how self inquiry and experience are mapping a radically different path forward in a commitment to care for land. Connected through the Women in Ranching community across the western United States, the…
There is a paradox in ‘conventional’ agriculture around the world: growers apply high volumes of nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides in order to promote and protect yields, but pests and pathogens (P&Ps) continue to challenge food security. In this session, a team from the University of Edinburgh will share their recent work that focuses on the biochemistry of crops and offers new explanations as to why this occurs.
Their findings support the conclusions of the…