Sustain events and presentations at ORFC Global 2021

Future UK Trade Policy: What’s at Stake and Routes to Influence

Keynote Panel - 14:00 - 15:00 Thursday, 7 January

Chair Baroness Rosie Boycott

Speakers: Orla Delargy (Sustain), Devinder Sharma (food and trade policy analyst) and Sharon Anglin Treat (Senior Attorney at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy)

The UK has exited the EU but is in the process of striking trade deals with new partners around the globe and leading a big free trade agenda. This has enormous implications not only for our own food standards but those of our partners. This session is to explore where we are and discuss what we can influence still and how.

Supply Chains and Infrastructure for Agroecology in the UK

Workshop - 14:00 - 15:30 Tuesday, 12 January

Advance registration needed 

Join this exciting workshop (run by James Woodward and Vicki Hird from Sustain with partners) to discuss and explore the barriers and opportunities to scaling-up supply chains and infrastructure for agroecological farming. We want to delve into the problems with the current centralised system and look at ways the sector can open up better opportunities for farmers: how could we expand the network of local abattoirs, millers, food hubs and more? How can we ensure that farmers get fair access to markets and gain more pence on the pound? There will be interactive sessions so that delegates can share their experiences and ideas from here in the UK and around the world, so come along and get stuck in.

Making Farm Policy Fit for an Agroecological Future in the UK

Panel Discussion 15:00 - 16:00 Wednesday, 13 January

Chair: Vicki Hird 

Speakers: Lynne Phillips (Defra Delivery Director for the Future Farming and Countryside Programme), Adrian Steele (Soil Association and organic cereal and livestock farmer), Rebecca Laughton (organic grower, and works for LWA and Growing Communities)

The new crop of farm support schemes – from Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) to productivity and Animal health and welfare are all getting finalised and piloted after some delay. The ELMS will be piloted in England in 2021 and so details should be available on what Defra will be paying for, who is eligible, how the payments and scheme will work on the ground, and how ‘whole farm’ the scheme will be. Do they live up to what we need for an agro-ecological transition? If not what can we do and how? We will hear from DEFRA on the current state of play and from farming organisations about what is good, what may be still missing from the suite of measures., and how we can influence the final schemes.

The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE Bill): Can It Transform Food Systems? 

Panel session at 13:00 - 14:00 Friday, 8 January

Vicki Hird (Head of Farming, Sustain) will also be speaking at this session, alongside Professor Dave Goulson and Charles Secrett and Chaired by Matt Naylor