Awarded £2,000

The AFN Network+ funded a workshop that explored the importance of the Fens for the food system of South Lincolnshire and the UK, the challenges, current and future, to continued food production, processing, transport, and distribution in the area. It also explored coastal environments and how to manage the risks of tidal flooding as sea levels rise, soil maintenance in the Fens and road maintenance in the Fens.

Findings

• The rich soils of the Fens are susceptible to soil erosion and shrinkage, especially in hotter, drier summers, which in turn emits high levels of CO2. Compaction reduces productivity and growers face the contradiction of maximising production whilst maintaining healthy soils. Participants were keen to explore the options of how to grow food whilst maintaining the soil.
• Participants also explored the increasing shrink-swell and compression of Fenland roads’ underlay and the implications of deteriorating roads and the high cost of maintenance. In a region that grows and processes a high proportion of the UK’s fruit and veg, discussions focussed on the potential impact on projected economic growth for the region, and its transport logistics.

Lessons for the future

• Future workshops will continue to explore the challenges the Fens are facing, and how to develop robust responses to those challenges.