Newsletter – March 2025
This is our newsletter for March 2025. Please note that this page is not updated, so deadlines may have passed and links may no longer work. To receive future newsletters, please join our network.
News
Last-minute Big Tent places
The Big Tent is the main meeting of the year for the AFN Network+, where stakeholders from across the agri-food sector come together for two days of learning, collaboration and networking. The event will also offer delegates the chance to engage and contribute to the AFN Network’s Roadmap. This year’s event takes place on 11 and 12 March in Manchester. Keynote speakers include Emma Pinchbeck, the Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee; Bob Doherty, Principal Investigator of FixOurFood; and Riaz Bhunnoo, Director of the Global Food Security Programme at UKRI.
As a result of cancellations, we have a few last-minute places currently available. If you are interested, please register and join the waiting list. We will be in touch if a place opens up, so please do not book travel or accommodation until your place is confirmed.
DIGEST: All you need to know about the 7th Carbon Budget
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) published its Seventh Carbon Budget (CB7) last week. CB7 is a stock-take of UK emissions (current and future) and advice to the Government on how and where these emissions will need to be reduced (‘the pathway’) if the UK is to meet its legal obligations to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. Our Knowledge Exchange Fellow, Jez Fredenburgh, and Co-Lead, Neil Ward, have digested the key agri-food points from its 390+ pages.
Shape the Future of EDI in the AFN Network+ – Share Your Story in an Interview!
We’re excited to hear from AFN Network+ members as we explore the impact of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives. Your feedback will help shape a set of best practice recommendations to be shared with UKRI, creating a legacy to influence EDI across the Network and beyond.
We’re conducting short 15-minute interviews and focus groups to create case studies. Share how the Network has supported your career and contribute to this important work. If you’re interested, email us at contact@agrifood4netzero.net – interviews start soon!
Final Stakeholder FlexFund projects awarded
The last round of Stakeholder FlexFund projects have been awarded:
- Pasture for Life will deliver six in-person and six online farmer-farmer knowledge exchange events for the farming community across Wales.
- Joy of Food will conduct three Food Conversations in Norwich using the toolkit produced by FFCC.
- Emergent Generation will bring together a diverse range of young people aged 18 to 35 (the Emergent Generation) to attend a one-day net-zero workshop.
- The Community Supported Agriculture Network, working in partnership with the Organic Growers Alliance, will produce resources on “Crop planning for uncertain times” and “Infrastructure for uncertain times” for small-scale agroecological market gardeners.
Congratulations to the successful projects, and thanks to everyone who applied.
RegenFarmCo – BioHub Workshops – Circular and Regenerative Workshop Series
As part of an AFN Network+ Stakeholder Flexfund grant, RegenFarmCo are running a series of BioHub workshops at their demonstrator farm in North Yorkshire. The workshops include:
- Tree Planting and Agroforestry: Enhance biodiversity and improve soil health.
- Hydrology and Water Management: Master water conservation techniques and efficient use.
- Rockery and Soil Health: Learn how natural landscaping can combat erosion and support wildlife.
- Regenerative Farming: Discover sustainable farming practices that nurture the land.
Workshops are typically held on the first and second Thursday of each month. Forthcoming dates in March are the 13th, 25th, 26th and 27th. For more details, and to book your place, please contact info@regenfarmco.com.
Webinars
Power in the food system – how to shift it for citizens, farmers, nature
Thursday 20th March, 3:00pm
Charlie Taverner and Mhairi Brown, from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) will share their latest research on this hot topic. Email with details and sign-up link coming soon.
The lowdown on the Seventh Carbon Budget – with the CCC team
Monday 7th April, 2:00pm
Analysts from the Climate Change Committee will join us to share further insight from the Seventh Carbon Budget and answer your questions. Email with details and sign-up link coming soon.
Net zero v no net loss: Why carbon markets aren’t a good model for investing in nature recovery
In our latest webinar, Oxford University economist Prof Alex Teytelboym set out a new approach to scaling investment in nature recovery. At a time of urgent need for private finance to pick up the heavy lifting in nature recovery, Alex explained why existing market designs such as carbon and Biodiversity Net Gain are not sufficient to scale investment in nature, and used an innovative case study to demonstrate how a different, auction-based approach, could scale and enable investment. Alex was in conversation with Emily Norton, AFN Network+ Policy Champion, and natural capital markets expert.
Watch out for the video coming this week!
News from the wider agri-food sector
British Academy: Nature Recovery Discussion Paper Call
The British Academy has launched a call for discussion papers: ‘Place-sensitive understandings of nature recovery in the UK’. It is a scoping exercise to lay some groundwork for future activities in the sustainable futures theme. It aims to open up a dialogue within SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People, Economy and Environment) disciplines on why SHAPE insights matter in this space, the ethical underpinnings of nature recovery, what the relationships are between place, people and nature, and the priorities for policymaking.
Deadline: 12 March 2025
More details and terms of reference
Events
What can we learn from Amsterdam’s approach to tackling childhood obesity?
Tuesday 11th March 9:30 – 10:30am
Online and in person
The Amsterdam Healthy Weight Programme is one of the best-resourced obesity reduction programmes in the world. Launched in 2012, it aimed to bring all children down to a healthy weight by 2033. This event, organised by NESTA, will explore learnings from the scheme: from working on both prevention and treatment in tandem, to working cross-sector, to adopting a whole systems approach that looks at environments as much as behaviour.
Webinar: Can Carbon Credits Boost Investment in Methane Emission Reduction?
Thursday 13th March 2:00 – 3:30pm
Organised by the IFEAA, this webinar will explore how carbon credits can finance anaerobic digestion and methane capture, helping to reduce agricultural emissions. It will include a look at the latest advancements in carbon credits for methane abatement and consider their suitability for an agricultural market. Chaired by Rt Hon George Eustice, with speakers including Emily Norton, AFN Policy Champion for Land, Agriculture and Carbon.
Webinar: Farm planning horizons and the transition to net zero
Friday 14th March 1:30 – 3:00pm
Opportunities and requirements for net zero transition at farm level can require new planning horizons and often long-term commitments. These do not always align with farm planning cycles, family succession, business plans and farm tenancies, and can have implications for land value and inheritance tax management. In this webinar three expert speakers will each take a different perspective on these issues, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Organised by the LUNZ Hub Enabling transition to net zero Topic Advisory Group.
On-Farm Anaerobic Digestion – Information Event
Thursday 20th March 11:00am – 3:00pm
Royal Cornwall Events Centre, Wadebridge
Find out about technology options to process agricultural waste on farm using anaerobic digestion and slurry lagoon covers and learn how to use methane on site to reduce energy bills and power machinery. This event features presentations from leading UK producers of small Anaerobic Digestion systems and a networking lunch.
Webinar: National Food Strategies
Monday 24th March 2025 2:00 – 3:30pm
The Institute for European Environmental Policy UK (IEEP UK) will be hosting a webinar on National Food Strategies across Europe – examining what England can learn as the Government develops its new food strategy. The webinar will hear from the authors of a new study due to be published imminently that has examined 11 different European countries’ recent food policies, looking at the value of taking an integrated and food systems approach.
Vacancies
Research Assistant, City St George’s, University of London
The Research Assistant will support rapid qualitative research with diverse stakeholders, alongside the broader research team. The post will also help to organise and facilitate participatory workshops to evaluate and prioritise Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) strategies.
Deadline: 24 March 2025
