We are recruiting our next round of Champions for the AFN Network+
Are you committed to driving progress towards achieving net zero through the agri-food system by 2050? Do you have expert practice, knowledge and know-how in agri-food? We are looking for six Champions to bring their expertise from industry, academia and the public sector and from any point in the agri-food system to lead a series of activities and support the mission of the AFN Network+. AFN Champions will drive progress by:
We are looking for six new Champions to act as Ambassadors for the AFN Network+ and to lead a theme within agri-food, identified by our current Community of Practice. We are faced with an unprecedented challenge: to create a net-zero food system for the UK by 2050. It’s a bold ambition, and one that can only be achieved by harnessing the collective power of our diverse talents, perspectives, and experiences. Our challenge is not just a scientific or technical problem. It’s also a social, economic, and cultural one. Our food systems are not just about growing, processing, and distributing food. They are also about people, communities, traditions, and ways of life. They are intertwined with our economies, our environments, and our societies. So, any effort to transform them must be grounded in a deep understanding of all these aspects. Who better to provide that understanding than the people who are a part of these systems every day, those who live and breathe the realities of our food industry? These are the farmers, manufacturers, innovators, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs, and consumers. Their perspectives, insights, and experiences are invaluable. They are not just stakeholders in our food systems; they are integral parts of them. In June the AFN Network+ ran a two day Crucible workshop, in which researchers and food stakeholders came together to develop ideas for projects which support our mission of getting the agri-food sector to net zero. Projects competed for funding with two Scoping Studies selected as winners. One of those two winning teams was led by Dr Richard Francksen. Here he describes why his project to map the evidence around regenerative agriculture is so important.
Farmers face a major challenge trying to balance producing food, reaching net-zero, and ensuring the long-term viability of their farms. In an attempt to meet all these goals, some farmers have turned to ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ practices that aim to both sustainably produce food and contribute to the overall health of the environment. Regenerative agriculture is a broad and flexible term, meaning different things to different people. Generally, it encompasses any farming practice which improves the environment, primarily through soil regeneration, and can be considered a ‘direction of travel’ rather than an absolute. Many of its practices are thousands of years old and the term began to appear in the scientific literature back in the early 1980s, yet its popularity across many actors in the agri-food system has greatly increased in recent years. |
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April 2024
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UK Research has funded this Network+ with the support of these 4 councils:
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Privacy Policy |