We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Oxford Conference gets new rival
AGRICULTURE’S traditional curtain raiser to the New Year – the Oxford Farming Conference – is being challenged by a new rival.
The rival, provocatively called the Oxford Real Farming Conference, will take place minutes away from the conference proper and promises to focus on the ‘real issues’ that ‘matter to people’.
Organisers of the ‘fringe’ event said the established conference was preoccupied with land ownership and global agribusiness, while their event would focus on health, the environment, animal welfare and new jobs.
Colin Tudge, founder of the Campaign For Real Farming and one of the conference organisers, said: “Our present system of agriculture is not designed to feed people. Instead it seeks to maximise financial returns, and that is quite different.
“If we really want to feed everyone well we’ll have to re-think farming from first principles.
“This is what we’ll be discussing at our conference – how to go about it.”
The new conference will take place on Tuesday January 5, the first full day of the established event.
Speakers will include Tim Waygood, farmer and founder of Agrarian Renaissance, Professor Martin Wolfe, agro-ecologist, Will Edwards, pasture farmer and George Hepburn, soil fertility specialist.
