A new South West conference aiming to help farmers manage climate extremes has been announced LandAlive will explore how ‘regenerative’ or nature-friendly methods can improve farm profits, while boosting local economies, opening up new markets and stimulating innovation and investment across the South West.
To be held at the Bath and West Showground on the 22nd and 23rd November 2024 the two-day conference includes a programme of talks by top experts in regenerative farming and sustainable food.
Chief Executive of the Royal Bath and West of England Society Carol Paris said: “After the wettest eighteen months on record, with reports from some farmers that 2024 would be ‘the first year without harvest since the Second World War’, there’s an urgent need for a resilient and ‘climate adaptive’ food and farming system.”
Whilst primarily aimed at farmers, this is the first conference in the region to look at the place of regenerative farming within the wider food system. Organisers aim to ‘join up the dots’ across the supply chain, looking at ways to support farmers and local economies in the years ahead.
According to former farming journalist, Graham Harvey, the conference programme director, long-term resilience means shifting how we farm: using more nature-friendly methods and possibly changing what we grow.
‘Most farmers have had a pretty miserable time recently with all the rain and spiralling input costs. The good news is there’s growing evidence that making the transition away from chemical dependent farming really can result in better, more nutritious crops and more profitable farming. But ‘Regen’ is a journey, and every farm is different. So it’s about working out what’s right for you and your farm.”
