In January, a group of farmers and environmental organisations met in the margins of the 2023 Oxford farming conferences to forge common ground on a way forward for farming, recognising the vast pressures that farming sectors are currently experiencing.
From that meeting, a consensus emerged that outlines the steps that can be taken to secure a vibrant future for food, farming and nature.
Click here to register now – Creating Common Ground: A Consensus on Food, Farming and Nature – Tuesday 15 August, 6pm – 7pm.
In this interactive online conversation, 8.9ha chief editor ffinlo Costain will meet panellists from three of the organisations behind the consensus, to discuss the work to date, what it means for the organisations involved and what impact it could have for farmers, businesses and the public.
The consensus brings together farmers, crofters, foresters and land managers who believe that working with nature is central to building a food and farming system that tackles the nature, climate and public health crises.
Join this webinar to discuss key themes within the consensus, to help create a strong message for policymakers about what needs to be done to actualise ambitious food system change, and to show support for a more resilient, nature-positive and equitable food system that recognises the needs of people and the planet.
Panellists:
- Helen Browning, CEO of Soil Association
- Beccy Speight, CEO of RSPB
- Martin Lines CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network
- Chaired by ffinlo Costain, 8.9ha
Helen Browning, CEO of Soil Association – Helen has been the Chief Executive of the Soil Association since 2011. She is a Commissioner for the Food Farming and Countryside Commission and sits on the BBC’s Rural Affairs Advisory Committee. Helen runs a large, mainly tenanted organic farm in Wiltshire with dairy, arable, beef, pigs, and also newly established experimental agroforestry.
Beccy Speight, CEO of RSPB – Beccy is a passionate conservationist and CEO of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Europe’s largest nature conservation charity. She began working for the National Trust in 2000 and, in 2005, became director for the East Midlands and Midlands regions. She moved to be Chief Executive at the Woodland Trust in 2014 and led the expansion of the woodland creation charity and also a review of its priorities.
Martin Lines CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network – Martin is CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), a farmer-led, grassroots organisation that champions farming methods that put nature and the environment at its heart. Martin is a third-generation farmer and contractor who grows mainly arable crops on his family farm and rented land in Cambridgeshire.
ffinlo Costain, 8.9ha – ffinlo is the Chief Editor of 8point9.com and has worked in farming and food business policy for over 20 years. As Chief Executive of Farmwel (2016-2022), he gave evidence to UK parliamentary committees, advised ministers and the Committee on Climate Change on the role of agricultural climate gases. ffinlo has presented at the European Parliament, advised ministers and senior leadership teams in many European countries.
Find out more about the Consensus on Food, Farming & Nature