The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) 2023. "Farming a new future"

4-6 January 2023. Oxford Real Farming Conference, Every January the Oxford Real Farming Conference connects people in the UK and around the globe who want to transform our food and farming system.

This three-day programme offered 70 sessions with speakers from more than 100 countries. It includes a mix of online-only talks and sessions which were live-streamed from the in-person ORFC in Oxford. All sessions were recorded and available to watch on playback.

Global partners have helped put together the programme: La Via Campesina, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), PAN Asia Pacific (PANAP), Real Food Media, the Agroecology Fund.

See the full list of available recordings here

Extracts of the programme:

VIEW A PDF OF THE FULL PROGRAMME

04/01 Adjusting to the New Normal: Building resilient food systems in the face of climate change, crisis, and rising energy costs

While agroecology has been much discussed at ORFC over the years, this event will take stock of the evolving impacts of the food price crisis on food security and build understanding of the root causes of global food insecurity. It will showcase innovative responses to the food price crisis that mitigate immediate impacts and kick-start longer-term transformation of food systems through agroecology. It will also build awareness of the opportunities to cut reliance on energy and input costs in the face of rising costs – and the challenges in diversifying production systems.

French translation starts @37:12

04/01 Women as Custodians of Land and Agriculture in the African Context: For resilient and sustainable food systems

The session was composed of women leaders drawn from the PELUM Association network in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Eswatini (Swaziland). The speakers will share more about the challenges they face in their active involvement in agriculture and in leadership in various agriculture-related discourses.

04/01 Planting Water with a Water School Africa

The Water School Africa, in cooperation with local NGOs, is enabling an African inter-community network for sharing successful water harvesting practices and implementing them on the ground. This session brought together some of those community leaders and discuss the positive impact of their successful water holding practices, locally and globally.

04/01 Sharing Youth Experiences in Practicing Agroecology for Climate Adaptation in Africa

Through regional platforms such as the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, youth-focused organisations such as Haki Nawiri Afrika and Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (SCOPE) are creating spaces for learning about climate change and a transition towards agroecology. Through the adoption of agroecology principles, young people are reconnecting to nature, one youth at a time.

04/01 Seed Battles in Africa: Farmers’ rights and greedy corporates / Batailles de semences en Afrique : Les droits des agriculteurs et la cupidité des entreprises

Supported by the clear objectives of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture and Food (ITPGRFA), and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP), African Farmer Managed Seed Systems (FMSS) are increasingly being recognised, valued and brought into policy discussions. In this panel discussion, AFSA members shared the threats of current seed policies, how farmers’ rights are being implemented using international instruments, and alternative seed laws to strengthen biodiversity and farmers’ rights.

05/01 Andhra Pradesh to Africa: Taking agroecology to scale through farmer-to-farmer online exchanges

In 2020, members of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) visited India and were able to witness the success of the programme first hand. As a result, they have started an online learning programme between AFSA members in 12 African countries and Indian farmers in Andhra Pradesh, so that the successes and difficulties of such a knowledge-intensive, rather than resource-intensive system of farming, can be shared with other small-scale farmers around the world. Trainers and participants from Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya discussed the importance of these exchanges, and how they have worked for African farmers.

06/01 What did COP27 mean for Africa and Agroecology?

The COP27 was very significant to Africa owing to the fact that it was held in Egypt on the African continent. Various climate actors including a number of African civil society organisations were present during the negotiations. Those that have an opportunity to access the blue zone of the COP27 had an opportunity to engage with climate negotiators from various governments.

 

05/01 Ecosystem Restoration and Agroecology through Online Learning

A lunchtime session explored how we can leverage online learning to support a peer-driven, participatory global ecosystem restoration movement. Founders of soon-to-be launched Earthed, a nature skills platform for a global community learning to grow, together with two of the platform teachers, Vandana Shiva and Charles Dowding, discussed the role of farming in biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, access to education, contextual expertise, communication, reaching new audiences, and diversifying the movement for change.

Vandana Shiva (farmers’ rights activist), Charles Dowding (no dig gardener), Ruby Reed (Advaya and EcoResolution), Christabel Reed (Advaya and EcoResolution)

  

From Sri Lanka to Mexico: Government failures and grassroots solutions to advancing policy

Related:

12/12/2022. Farming a new future: From fundamental research to real world application.

The UKRI fringe event examined how fundamental research can lead to the practical implementation of real world solutions that will secure our farming future. From climate change to food security, delegates heard how current programmes of research and innovation are seeking to provide systemic solutions to the global challenges we face, both today and in the future. This fringe was hosted as part of the 2023 Oxford Farming Conference.

12/12/2012 Net Zero Future: A Global Perspective on transitioning to a sustainable farming future

Hosted by Map of Ag, the panel will provide insights into how countries are dealing with the transition to a sustainable farming future including, commercial, political, trade and cultural challenges.

12/12/2022. Net Zero in Farming – Threat or opportunity for the sector?

Much talk and debate around farming moving to Net Zero by 2040 – how will this be achieved and, given the present inflation challenges and challenges around food security, is it right this should be our focus at the present time? Brian Richardson & Simon Haley talked through their thoughts on this important area and looked at the challenges but also the opportunity it presents to the farming sector.

12/12/2022. Insect Bioconversion - Food Security & Lower Carbon Footprint amid the growing Demand for Protein?

Insect bioconversion may prove to be a solution. Fera in the vanguard of scientific research to uncover the potential of insect bioconversion seeks to co-design with farmers a pathway to reveal the practicalities of implementation ‘on farm’.

12/12/2012 Keys to Securing Business Resilience in an Uncertain Era

Trinity Agtech and industry colleagues discussed what ‘farming a new future’ means in terms of farm-business resilience. They explored three pillars of business sustainability; financial, social, and environmental and discussed how farm-businesses can connect analysis and experience to create a new pathway for the agricultural industry to achieve a virtuous upward trajectory of profitable relationships and business resilience

12/12/2022 Roots to Farming - Attracting and Growing Future Talent

This panel discussed the latest research on farming careers and hear from industry professionals on their opinions on how we grow future talent.