South of England Agricultural Society's 2024 Farming Conference to address crucial land use issues

The South of England Agricultural Society's 2024 Farming Conference will take place on Wednesday 13th November, at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex. It will address the question, ‘What is our land for?'

This year's event, which will take place in person and online, will be led by Charlotte Smith, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Farming Today. It will feature an in-depth discussion with a panel of distinguished guests, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities related to land use in the South East of England. As always, the conference will conclude with a Q&A session, providing ample time for audience interaction and debate.

Talking about this year's subject, Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield Scholar sponsored by the Society, and chair of the conference organising committee, said: 
"The South East of England is a microcosm of the broader issues facing the UK. It encompasses bustling urban centres, vast agricultural lands, and areas of significant natural beauty and biodiversity. 

"The land here supports a high population density, a robust economy, and crucial infrastructure. However, this also brings challenges such as housing shortages, environmental degradation, and the impacts of climate change. Moreover, the region's agricultural land is often of marginal quality, which poses significant challenges for profitable food production when we see increasing pressure on the land and decreasing government support for agriculture. This reality compels us to consider whether the focus should shift from food production to enhancing environmental and biodiversity outcomes. Whether we should embrace the relentless tide of commercial development or resist it at all costs. Where does the balance lie? What is our land for?"

Discussing this vital question will be a distinguished panel of leaders in their fields - Paul Christian, Managing Director of Sentry; Tom Heap, journalist and author; Tim Slaney, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the South Downs National Park Authority; and Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Iford Estate.

- Paul Christian: Paul leads Sentry, an employee-owned farming and advisory business specialising in rural asset management, contract farming and management services for private and corporate landowners. Operating nationally, covering 23,000 hectares of land, producing 200,000 tonnes of produce annually and providing additional management and advisory services across 40,000 hectares for clients and associates. Paul is a passionate advocate for local food production.

- Tom Heap: Tom is a regular presenter on BBC1's Countryfile, specialising in the more investigative films, and has made many BBC Panorama documentaries on food, energy and the environment. Tom is also the presenter of Radio 4's new Rare Earth series and was the anchor of The Climate Show on Sky News. He was the creator and presenter of BBC Radio's flagship climate change podcast, '39 Ways to Save the Planet'. His latest book is ‘Land Smart: How to Give People and Nature the Space to Thrive'.

- Tim Slaney: Tim oversees the vision and strategy for the South Downs National Park Authority, focusing on nature recovery, climate action, and being a ‘National Park for All'. He is passionate about Britain's newest National Park being accessible to everyone and promoting the multiple benefits the area offers to residents and visitors alike.

- Ben Taylor: Ben manages a 1,200-hectare mixed farming business within the South Downs National Park. The estate has launched a progressive biodiversity project to restore habitats and create spaces for nature while retaining food production on its most fertile land. This project aims to generate new income streams through the sale of Biodiversity Net Gain credits to developers and other companies looking to offset their environmental impact.

The Farming Conference will run from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Wednesday 13th November 2024 (6.30pm to 10.30pm if attending in person, including pre- and post-event refreshments and networking opportunities). The conference is FREE to attend, in person or online, but visitors must register at https://www.seas.org.uk/farming-conference/.

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