Our event at 2024 Oxford Real Farming Conference

We staged an event at the Oxford Real Farming Conference about how Local Authorities can demonstrate leadership in driving food and farming policy change.

This session explored the vital role local governments play in driving food system change across the UK and examine how local government drives food system change through planning policies and regulations, promoting sustainable agriculture and building opportunities to share knowledge and local buy-in for new technologies.

It also looked at how local governments can create opportunities for new routes to market, supporting local food economies and the relevance of food partnerships to support this agenda.

Discussions focused on the contrast between rural and urban local authorities across the country and how they can work together to create better rural-urban connections.

Speakers included:

• Sarah Pullen, Food System Service Lead at Birmingham City Council
• Marianne Elliot, Sustainable Food Projects Manager at Monmouthshire County Council
• Doug Wanstall, Regenerative Agriculture Farmer
• Lizzie Dyer, Farmer and Project Manager for Feeding Gloucestershire
• Mark Hunter, Strategic Lead of Food and Facilities at East Ayrshire Council

The event was chaired by Leticija Petrovic, Local Food Policy Lead at the Food Foundation.

Watch in full below 👇