FOOD insecurity, ecological damage and biodiversity were among items on the agenda at a panel event in Cirencester last week.
Around 60 people joined farming experts at the Royal Agricultural University on Thursday, March 7 to discuss solutions to an array of issues facing the farming industry today.
Participants came from a diverse range of sectors, including farming, wildlife conservation, community gardens and food poverty.
Panellists included farming and food poverty activist and co-founder of Stroud Brewery Jade Bashford, Liberty Nimmo who leads the RAU's new Zero-Dig market garden and Eric Walters, who runs a 100-acre farm in Stroud.
Solutions discussed included biodiversity, food production, ecologically friendly eating habits, and access to land for those who want to grow food for themselves and their communities.
The event was led by Dr Roz Savage MBE, Liberal Democrats' parliamentary candidate for the new South Cotswolds seat.
She shared her own awakening to the growing ecological crisis with attendees, which led to her becoming the first woman to row solo across three oceans, using her adventures to inspire greater environmental awareness.
Dr Savage said: “It was a real pleasure to bring together people who care deeply about food, farming and ecology in Britain.
"We may not have saved the world, or even British farming, yet, but we all came away with a better understanding of the scale and scope of the challenges.
“I was grateful to the local farmers who joined us.
"They shared what it’s really like on the frontline, facing an uncertain future of climate change, extreme weather, shifting subsidies and price pressure from supermarkets.
"We need a thriving farming industry delivering quality food at affordable prices, while still being viable for producers.
“These challenges may seem daunting, but we can and must change for the better.
"The right policies nationally and lots of small actions locally will add up to the big change we all need and want.
"We have the power to make a difference and deliver positive change, starting locally.”
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