Real Farming Trust

🚨Out now: Report argues Britain’s food economy needs to properly reward good food and farming. Today, new analysis from FFCC's Dr Charlie Taverner shows the real impact of a dysfunctional food system built around cheap food at all costs. Farmers and the public are losing out. 🍔 Push for low-cost calories has cheapened British food over decades 📉 Farming incomes have barely improved in real terms for 50 years 🛒 Tiny number of big businesses now dominate Britain’s food chain 🌾 UK’s long-term food resilience at risk in volatile world facing climate change 💪 Government must fix dysfunctional economy for public benefit Read Helena Horton's exclusive in The Guardian 👉 https://lnkd.in/eu-zY36C Go straight to the report 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9Vs856k

Small abattoirs are an essential component of a thriving local food system. There is quite simply no such thing as local meat without local abattoirs. However, these businesses continue to face threats - since the 1970s we have seen a 92% decline in facilities available to producers. The most recent issue we’re facing in the UK is a proposed rise in the Food Standards Agency’s inspection charges and the review of a discount that smaller premises currently benefit from. Without this discount, even more businesses will have to close.   If you have experienced problems accessing an abattoir, or an abattoir is crucial for your business, please fill out our survey by Friday 21st March. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eaw5PrKD Sustainable Food Trust Pasture for Life Rare Breeds Survival Trust The Landworkers' Alliance Food, Farming and Countryside Commission Real Farming Trust National Craft Butchers Andy Gray

Thank you to the incredible Penpont Estate for welcoming and hosting the RFT team for our Spring Away Days this week 🌞 From the learning about the history of the land and exploring the ancient woods to silent saunas and dips in the river Usk, the three days were filled with beauty and inspiration. We left invigorated with renewed visions for a transformed food system. #agroecology #foodsovereignty #realfarming

Time to share your exciting #agroecology, #foodsovereignty and #farmpractice ideas for ORFC 2026! Next January we will be coming together in Oxford to celebrate, educate, debate, and connect as a movement. This is your opportunity to propose a session ahead of joining us for our 17th year! Please help us put together a dynamic and radical programme by sharing your ideas, research and hands-on experience in any of these areas: 🌱 farm practice 🌱 the politics of food and farming 🌱 land justice 🌱 movement-building 🌱 climate, environment and biodiversity 🌱 food sovereignty 🌱 listening to the land 🌱 racial justice in food systems 🌱 alternative economics 🌱 neurodiversity in food and farming 🌱 innovation and technology 🌱 pathways to a just transition 🌱 farming beyond food (eg. fibres for fashion and architecture) and much more! Read our submission guide and share your ideas at https://lnkd.in/ecSi5CRW

An amazing opportunity to learn practical growing skills and connect with growers and activists at one of London's pioneering workers' co-ops! https://lnkd.in/dc329eb9

We are recruiting! Help us to enable change in the UK's food and farming system 👇 https://lnkd.in/dVjvWdxD

Are you are interested in the food system, nature and climate? Do you care about regenerative and nature-friendly farming and its importance in these systems? Are you passionate about enabling change? If yes, then join the team at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 👇 https://lnkd.in/dVjvWdxD

After a great debut last year, Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming — together with the Soil Association — is bringing the Policy Room back to the Oxford Real Farming Conference this week. Join us in the Digital Hub (Cheng Building), which seats 150 and will also be livestreamed. We've got some really punchy sessions this year, here are some of the highlights:   𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐑𝐀 𝐐&𝐀 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐊 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝  Thursday, 14:15–15:30 Jonathan Baker, who leads strategy and engagement for DEFRA’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme, will be interviewed by Tom Lancaster as they explore the current state of England’s farming policy. A fantastic opportunity for farmers to connect directly with those responsible for shaping the farming policy landscape.   𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬? 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠  Thursday, 13:00–13:45 DeSmog are back with another brilliant lunchtime talk, in which they will share insights from DeSmog’s 2024 investigations into agri-misinformation with a focus on the UK, Ireland and EU elections. 𝐄𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 Thursday, 16:00 - 17:30 Ruth Westcott, thorn in the side of the intensive livestock industry, will be guiding us through the ways we can ensure a just transition away from intensive livestock farming which tackles injustice and provides the necessary protections to those most affected in such a transition.   𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 — 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠  Thursday, 18:00 -19:30 We’re also hosting an informal, inclusive, and engaging networking event for anyone interested in the politics and practice of food and farming. Drinks and snacks generously provided by Twisted Barley Brewery and Hodmedod.   𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 Friday, 09:00 - 10:30 I'm really looking forward to this session, as it's the first time we’ve brought together policymakers from each UK nation for a panel chaired by the NFFN's brilliant head of policy, Jenna Hegarty. The panellists will discuss where national approaches overlap and differ, and highlight opportunities to advance agroecological initiatives across the UK.   𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐝? Friday, 14:00 - 15:30 Hannah Gibbs, head of our Bridging the Gap programme will be discussing why organic shouldn't just be the preserve of the privileged. This is a perennial stumbling block for Organic's image, so it'll be great to see how this false stereotype can be deconstructed.   We have plenty more in store across both days — full session lineup here: https://lnkd.in/egkxD7uQ

The Justice Strand at the Oxford Real Farming Conference begins on Thursday! We are co-hosting a series of sessions on equity, solidarity and collaboration in the food and land system with SALT Union and Seeding Reparations (Feedback ). 🌿💫 📋 We’ve put together a programme listing all Justice Strand events taking place throughout Thursday and Friday - to make it easier to attend these sessions! The sessions will explore topics such as: reparations, racial justice, queer liberation, neurodiversity, alternative economies, and workers’ rights. 💪 See you in Oxford for what’s set to be an excellent few days! 🔗 Visit the link to view the full programme, including locations, timings and more information about each event: https://lnkd.in/eExErNgn Real Farming Trust The Landworkers' Alliance Ben Andrews Vera Zakharov Tom Wakeford Stir to Action Dr Nicola Scott Saurabh Arora Tatiana Garavito Natalie Lartey Christabel Buchanan Idman Abdurahaman Karen Fisher Joanna Poulton Richard Lewis

Four days to go! And you can still join online: https://lnkd.in/e2SfQ9PH