Sustain returns to Oxford Real Farming Conference in 2026. We will be facilitating and contributing to a range sessions, from pathways to land for BPOC growers to public sector food procurement and taking action against the expansion of intensive livestock units. Following the success of previous years, Sustain will once again be co-hosting the Policy Hub with alliance member, the Soil Association, in the Digital Hub and Seminar Room in the Cheng Building. 

Note: All sessions listed below are in-person events. The ones that can be accessed online via livestream have been noted below. We understand that audio recordings of ORFC sessions may be available online later in 2026.

Day 1 - Thursday 8 January

Workshop: What can funders and the movement do together?

Time: 11:00 - 12:20
Venue: Inter-Varsity Room, Blue Boar House
Chair: Beth Bell, Food Ethics Council
Speakers: Bonnie Hewson, Farming the Future; Anna Lappé, Global Alliance for the Future of Food; Sareta Puri, Sustain

The fundraising treadmill isn’t sustainable. Join us for a workshop hosted by the Food Ethics Council, where you’ll have the chance to connect with others from across the sector to explore how funders and the wider movement can collaborate effectively and authentically for real change. This session is designed as a lively forum to exchange challenges, pose questions, and share valuable insights and intelligence. Alongside thought-provoking short presentations from Anna, Sareta and Bonnie, we’ll delve deeper into key resources - such as the Food Issues Census 2024/25 and Where the Green Grants Went 9. Join us in this dynamic workshop to work together for the collective good.

Workshop: Land Access Solutions for BPOC Farmers

Time: 14:00 – 15:20
Venue: St Aldate's Room, Town Hall
Facilitators: Sareta Puri, Sustain; Nicola Scott, researcher and author of Pathways to Land: Exploring financing for BPOC farmers to gain land security in England

This interactive, solutions focused workshop tackles urgent land access challenges faced by Black and people of colour (BPOC) farmers in the UK, a topic rarely explored in mainstream agricultural debates. Co-facilitators will introduce three policy ideas, inspired by reparative approaches like community land trusts, basic income models and innovative funding models. Participants will co-create and refine one actionable policy proposal, leaving with practical, justice-centred solutions. This session is unique in combining hands-on collaboration, policy-driven outcomes and coalition-building, making it highly relevant for ORFC attendees seeking to transform the UK food and farming sector.

Workshop: Retail Landscapes for Agroecology to Thrive for All

Time: 14:00 - 15:20
Venue: Merton Room, St Aldate's Tavern
Chair: Rachel Jones, Sustain
Speakers: Julia Kirby-Smith, Better Food Traders; Georgia Phillips, Soil Association; Lucy Antal, Foodrise

This interactive workshop will explore visions of the retail landscape we need for agroecology for all to thrive. Building on findings from Sustain’s Local Food Growth Plan, Bridging the Gap’s report and Foodrise and Better Food Traders’ Purpose over Profit report, attendees will help to shape visions proposed by the speakers and work on the next steps to making this vision a reality.

Workshop: Action Against Industrial Livestock Pollution

Time: 16:00 – 17:20
Venue: Seminar Room, Cheng Building
Facilitators: Ruth Westcott, Sustain; Myrtle Gregory, Eating Better
Speakers: Holly Purdey, Organic Farmer; Jan Palmer, Community Organiser

The case against industrial livestock is clear - but the challenge is huge. Big Meat and Dairy are well-funded and strategic, and so too must we be. Led by Eating Better and Sustain, both experts in cross-sector collaboration, this workshop will explore how NGOs and farmers can coordinate more effectively, use limited resources for big wins, and hold a strong joint position on a transition away from the industry. This session will blend discussion with activities, allowing space for creativity, courageous conversations, and bold new ideas.

Food & Farming Futures Networking Hour

Time: 18:00 – 19:20
Venue: The Newman Room, Catholic Chaplaincy
Facilitators: Emergent Generation, Roots to Work, Soil Association and Sustain

Continuing one of last year's most popular sessions, we welcome new entrants and young people who are passionate about the politics and practice of food and farming to connect with others already established in the sector. Soil Association, Sustain, Roots to Work and Emergent Generation, together with other youth and food and farming-focused networks, will be joined by friends and partners at this evening of intergenerational knowledge sharing in a diverse, inclusive, informal space. The session will be structured to help match you and your interests with leading figures and mentors in the industry. Everyone interested in agriculture, rural life, food, education, or policy is welcome!

Find out more and RSVP here.

Day 2 - Friday 9 January

A Q&A with the EFRA Committee

Time: 9:00 – 10:20
Venue: Digital Hub, Cheng Building (Livestreamed)
Chair: Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, Chair of the EFRA Committee 
Speakers: EFRA Committee members: Sarah Bool, MP for South Northamptonshire; Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton; Jayne Kirkham MP for Truro and Falmouth; Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee plays a key role in scrutinising Defra’s policies and in making recommendations to government on food and farming issues. Chaired by Alistair Carmichael MP, this panel brings together members of the committee to give an overview of its work over the past year and priorities for 2026, including inquiries and plans to hold the government to account on issues such as farm payments, food security, and the agricultural transition. There will be space for questions and discussion, offering farmers and land workers a chance to respond to the committee’s work and raise key concerns directly with MPs involved in government scrutiny.

Using the Law for Better Farming and a Cleaner Environment

Time: 9:00 – 10:20
Venue: Ship Street Lecture Theatre
Chair: Carina Millstone, Foodrise
Speakers: Emma Dearnaley, River Action UK; Julie Eriksen, Associate Solicitor in the Environment team at Leigh Day; Natasha Hurley, Foodrise; Lily O'Mara, Sustain

From challenging unfair trade deals to putting a stop to US-style megafarms and protecting precious living rivers, join us for a discussion on how we can use the tools of litigation to drive change for better farming and a cleaner environment.  After a year of great successes in Norfolk, Herefordshire and Shropshire, let’s discuss what we can do next to make the most of the legal opportunities to build better food and farming for everyone. We’ll be joined by expert campaigners, and lawyers to discuss what we can do together to use legal advocacy for cleaner rivers, reducing emissions, improving animal welfare and protecting our rural environment.

Workshop: Dishing Up Detail - Practical Steps to Access Public Sector Food

Time: 9:00 – 10:20
Venue: Seminar Room, Cheng Building
Facilitators: Sarah Gowanlock, Soil Association; Kiloran O'Leary, Sustain; Sean Ruffell, Organic North; Amber Wheeler, Welsh Veg in Schools     

Join us as we dish up practical steps to supply fruit and veg to the public sector with learnings from successful school food pilots across the nations. We’ll get into the nuts and bolts of these successful examples and how they have benefited smaller scale producers. From developing a safety standard, using AI for software advancement to taking a whole school approach.

One Last Farm: film screening and Q&A

Time: 11:00 – 12:20
Venue: Seminar Room, Cheng Building
Chair: Georgina Edwards, Sustain
Speakers: Graeme Willis, CPRE; Catherine Withers, Yew Tree Farm

One Last Farm is a 17-minute documentary about Bristol’s last working farm and its fight to survive. The film tells a deeply personal story of a farmer’s connection to land, food, and community, while highlighting national issues facing small, nature-friendly farms. Urban fringe farms may be overlooked by policymakers, but can offer multiple benefits including local food security, nature conservation, and community wellbeing. The session includes the film screening followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the audience.

Further information about sessions and speakers can be found on the ORFC website.