A blog by Mair Floyd-Bosley, RSPB's farming and climate change policy assistant
Even before the Agriculture Bill was published, farming was the only subject in Oxford this month. At the beginning of January, an RSPB team from all over the UK headed over to Oxford for two action-packed days of the Oxford Real Farming Conference. This was the 11th ORFC, a self-proclaimed ‘radical’ alternative to status-quo Oxford Farming Conference down the road. Discussions covered everything farming, from soil health to land ownership, and ruminants to social justice. RSPB were lucky enough to participate in lively panels as well as running our very own Citizens’ Assembly on an Emergency Plan for Agriculture and Wildlife. The four groups in the Citizens’ Assembly discussed a wide range of challenges for RSPB’s policy: food policy and local food networks; farming and net zero; agroecology; and a just transition for farmers. You can hear more about this session on Farming Today (3.15 - 7.15).
In these blogs, team members will report back on our sessions and panels. Firstly, we are kicking off with the panels and workshops we were part of.
Beccy Speight, our CEO, spoke on the panel ‘Ten Years to Agroecology’, considering how farming and nature can adapt to climate change in the UK and Europe. Published in February 2019, the ‘Ten Years for Agroecology’ report from European think tank IDDRi models an approach that phases out pesticides and reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Europe through agroecological farming, whilst still producing enough healthy food for a growing population. Beccy highlighted that at RSPB, we embrace agroecological approaches, but we also need to consider the best solution for each area of land, which will vary. In some cases, land could be taken out of production for nature-based climate solutions, like peat and ecosystem restoration. In others, a low-input system with high public good outputs (such as flood alleviation and habitat restoration) but relatively low food output may work best, especially in High Nature Value farmland. Finally, we need to ensure that high-productivity areas are managed sustainably to ensure we don’t export our environmental footprint overseas. We are keen to explore how we can employ agroecological techniques to shift the whole food and farming system to secure better outcomes for people and nature.
Ruth Davis, Deputy Director of Global Conservation, spoke about ‘Creating a Viable Future for Marginal Grazing’. Ruth used a new report to show the audience that fewer livestock on upland farms can help improve profitability by reducing the costs of a farm business. This highlights that a new approach for profitable and financially resilient hill farmers lies in reducing variable and fixed costs and seizing the opportunity to market themselves as premium, nature-friendly and eco-conscious. Lower stocking densities can therefore mean a win-win for farm profits and for nature.
Finally, RSPB, Pesticide Action Network UK, the Soil Association and Friends of the Earth ran a workshop session to look at some of the issues around pesticides and consider solutions. The session was ably chaired by Martin Lines of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, and included a presentation from arable farmer and campaigner, Peter Lundgren. Attendees enthusiastically participated in discussion groups around alternatives to the status quo, and what we need to do to get there. A just transition to an agroecological approach to farming, with integrated pest management at its core, came up a lot. To enable this transition, agroecology should be a core element in agricultural colleges, in ongoing training to farmers and agronomists, and in peer to peer support. The need for agricultural policy to both incentivise and support farmers to try alternatives, and regulate pesticide use, was also a key theme in the discussions. What was particularly encouraging was the number of people who left their contact details, keen to come together to find solutions beyond the conference.
Look out for our upcoming blogs from the facilitators of our Citizens’ Assembly for an Emergency Plan for Agriculture and Wildlife. We will report back on what the attendees told us and challenge ourselves to consider how RSPB can take these ideas on board.