Farming for the Future Programme
The Farming for the Future Programme is designed to contribute to delivering our vision for English farming in 2020 in which the farming sector is: profitable in the marketplace, continuing to produce the majority of the food we consume; making a positive net environmental contribution, notably in respect of climate change, but also more widely; and managing the landscape and the natural assets that underlie it.
The programme is aimed at delivering the behaviour change necessary to realise that vision, at the same time setting a new direction for the relationship between Government and industry.
The programme is made up of the following workstreams:
- Climate Change and Agriculture
- Cross Compliance Development
- Farm Health Planning
- Integrated Farming
- Nutrient Management
- Skills for Farming
- Strategic Development and Stakeholder Buy-In
Farming for the Future Conference
As part of the work on Strategic Development and Stakeholder Buy-In, Defra held the Farming for the Future Conference on 19 November 2007 at the Brit Oval Conference Centre, London.
The aim of the Conference was to give stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to a consensus on how best to develop and deliver a vision of English farming in 2020. The desired outcome was to get public commitment from key stakeholders about how they will help to deliver the changes needed.
It brought together over 160 key players representing the interests of the farming industry, environmental interest groups, retail sector, food sector, business, central Government and its agencies.
We have prepared a report of the Conference which summarises the key messages of speakers, panel members and discussion groups, and the issues raised during the Q&A sessions. The report also includes the presentations given on the day. The report will be of use both to delegates who attended the conference and to those who did not attend but who wish to read a summary.
- Hilary Benn's speech
- Report of the Conference (PDF) (1.5 MB)
The conference was organised by Defra, in partnership with the Country Land and Business Association, the Environment Agency, the National Farmers Union, the National Trust, Natural England, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Sustainable Development Commission.
Page last modified: 5 February 2008
Page published: 4 February 2008