Future Countryside Conference 2024

The need has never been greater for a shared vision for a modern countryside, one that includes rural communities as part of the solution to improving the natural environment, addressing climate change, supporting biodiversity, improving our public health, housing, and tackling food security. The choices we make now will shape our country, and its health, for centuries to come. Future Countryside 2024 aims to help us make the right decisions at a critical time.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Future Countryside Conference 2024 at the stunning location of Syon Park in London, which brought together individuals, charities and organisations from different backgrounds and viewpoints united by one common aim: to put our countryside at the centre of solving national challenges, and should be central to a vision of a healthier, greener and more prosperous country.

Big issues core to national success (urban as well as rural) include determining the future of what we eat, whether our natural environment is healthy; whether our landscapes are beautiful and thriving; our water supplies are clean; how we create energy; whether rural communities are strong and prosperous; whether traditions survive and whether people have access to green places

“Without nature & food, there is no economy, no health, no society.”

Three main important issues rasied from the day that the countryside delivers for the country:

1. Providing food and education;

2. Delivering space for nature and supporting local biodiversity;

3. Adapting to climate change.

The day was packed with brilliant discussions, presentations and speakers, as well as networking and problem-solving sessions. Presentations, projects and experiences shared from several inspirational leaders in their field, these included:

Abi Reader - a farmer from Wales at Goldsland farm, sharing her experiences of farming, trials with agroforestry, supporting the younger generation and her growing interest in horticulture. She also made a realistic point that farmers will plant trees and support agroforestry - if it’s financially viable for them to do so and support their family. She's also recently installed polytunnels and growing vegetables to be supplied into Welsh schools.

Flavian Obiero - a mixed tenant farmer in Hampshire at Tynefield farm, running a free range mixed farm and woodland to include pigs, sheep and goats, with commitments to quality and sustainability as well as running a weekend event food service.

Lisa Manning - with the New to Nature Campaign, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and provided 98 trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds with a year of paid employment and training in the environmental sector.

Several other inspirational presentations of the day included:

Jon Alexander - who shared some insight into his book called citizens, a people's plan for nature and highlighted the need for a critical shift in thinking, and what would a wide scale strategy look like, created with people, not simply for them, by others who don't know their area or experiences?

He shared a valuable quate "Tell me, I forget, show me I might remember, involve me and ill understand quote" 

Charlie Luxton - architect and environmental speaker, shared valuable advice from the Plunkett Foundation on countryside solutions for the people by the people. He is the Secretary of The Hook Norton Community Land Trust and highlighted issues between inefficient housing systems not aligning with neighbourhood plans, with no connectivity between communities in new builds.

We also heard speeches from Steve Reed (Shadow Secretary of State for Environment) and Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) who shared their thoughts, expectations and strategies for the future.

If there's one thing everyone could agree on from the days discussions and presentations, was that the environmental and biodiversity issues are cross party issues, and need to be addressed and solved with collaborations across industry sectors and counties.

We look forward reading the outcomes and opinions from the several workshops of the day as well as the Future Countryside Conference summary and actions for the year ahead.

Many thanks to the Future Countryside team, The conference Director Emily Norton of the Soil Association Exchange, and Sarah Lee of Countryside Alliance Foundation for organising and hosting this brilliant event. Many thanks to the supporters and sponsors, Farmers Weekly, Rural Solutions, Hilton London Syon Park, Susan Aubrey-Cound, Sarah Mukherjee MBE, Nick Herbert

(not all images are mine, many thanks to the photographer of the day, name unknown).

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Thanks for reading, any questions, we would love to hear from you!