Obstacles to Building a Heritage Grain Production and Supply System in the UK

Описание: Oxford Real Farming Conference 2022 discussion with John Letts; Marina Chang; Henry Astor; Patrick Mulvany.
Industrial grain production is unsustainable. It consumes vast amounts of fossil fuels that cause climate change, and toxic agri- chemicals that destroy biodiversity above and within the soil. Farmers must grow vast amounts of grain to justify investments in equipment, handling and storage, and without subsidies commercial grain production in the UK is largely uneconomic. It also contributes very little to rural communities and the local economy. In contrast, agribusiness is thriving and makes vast profits from the sale of seeds and chemicals. Is it possible to build a new heritage grain economy using agroecological methods, which could supply a decentralised ‘grain chain’ that benefits consumers, growers, local communities and the environment?

In this session we will look at some of the economic, political and agronomic challenges faced by heritage grain producers in the UK, and hear how one farmer decided to escape the grip of agri-business and put his trust in four billion years of evolution.

#ORFC22
https://orfc.org.uk/