Newsletter – September 2025
This is our newsletter for September 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
‘It’s made me feel we’re all in this together’
In our latest impact story, we meet Caroline Mason, a sustainability and ESG expert, founder of consultancy Seeds to Thrive and former head of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture at The Co-op. Read more
Events
WEBINAR: De-risking the transition
Friday 12th September, 10:00-11:00am
Nearly 300 of you have now signed up for the first of our Autumn webinars, so it looks set to be a lively and important session: Farming businesses face many barriers when trying to change practices, and one of them is risk. How can risk be reduced so they can move forward with confidence? Farmers are under immense pressure and transitioning farming practices can feel daunting – and risky – in those first few years. For many farmers, this can be enough to stop them taking that leap. How could collective insurance and green financing in its many forms help de-risk and unlock that transition? How can mindset change and coaching also help support the transition? Our speakers will be delving into all this for us.
DIGESTS: Catching up with the summer
If you’re just returning from a summer break, here are some of the things you may have missed.
- Our digest of news and reports you may have missed (Part 1, with Part 2 coming out soon)
- How public procurement can support sustainable change, a digest of a recent Food Thinkers webinar with Professor Kevin Morgan about his book, Serving the Public: the Good Food Revolution in Schools, Hospitals and Prisons, and his work with public food systems.
- Time to change the rules and unlock the green agribusiness transition, a digest unpacking Unlocking the sustainable transition for agribusiness, an important piece of work from Chatham House and UNEP
News from the wider agri-food sector
Reduce, recycle, reuse nitrogen, say the Lords
The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has published its report, Nitrogen: Time to Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, which calls for the UK to be more ambitious and strategic in its plans to manage nitrogen. It says that the lack of a holistic, cross-departmental approach to nitrogen management means there are missed opportunities to deliver synergies with other government priorities, including climate mitigation efforts, flood management, and nature recovery. It argues that there are a range of existing and emerging opportunities to reduce, recycle and reuse nitrogen from residue streams like solid manure, slurry and wastewater, which should be maximised. Read the committee’s press release about the report, the full report itself, or a briefing on the report from AFN member Ellie Roxburgh, of the Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance.
Workshop participants wanted
The Understanding Perspectives on Dietary Guidelines: What is the Role of the Eatwell Guide for Sustainable Diets (UPDATE-EATWELL) project is running two online 1.5 hour workshops.
- Do you want to have a say in how nutrition guidance can help achieve more sustainable diets in the UK?
- Do you work in food or sustainability, or are you interested in this area?
- Do you want to network with others working in food or sustainability?
You will receive a £20 shopping voucher per workshop that you attend.
More information or email m.sinclair.3@research.gla.ac.uk
Survey on the Emotional Toll of Working with Animals in UK Livestock Farming
Kleita Sergiou is a PhD researcher at Newcastle University, exploring whether and how animal care contributes to emotional strain and exhaustion, and how this may affect the overall mental wellbeing of those in the livestock farming sector. She is running a short online survey to better understand the emotional toll of caring for livestock. The survey takes 15-20 minutes and collects information about participants’ backgrounds and work, workplace stressors, wellbeing, and views on accessing support. Participants can enter a prize draw to win one of ten £25 e-vouchers.
If you’re interested, please complete the survey.
Funding
TGI Geospatial Innovation for Food Security Challenge – Call for Proposals
The Taylor Geospatial Institute has launched a new programme: The Geospatial Innovation for Food Security Challenge, which aims to advance geospatial research with sustainable agriculture and food security applications. They are looking for 18-month applied research projects, supported by teams with domain and technical expertise, that will advance geospatial technologies or methods to enable progress in:
- Advanced modelling for crop shifting
- MMRV for Nitrogen use efficiency
- Modelling for agri-food supply chains
Budget: Up to $550k
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Short deadline: Be The Change – Farmer coaching programme
Carbon Calling is launching a new programme to support three forward-thinking farmers with a year of hands-on coaching from their team and trusted partners. Be The Change is a year-long coaching programme using the Carbon Calling network of professional partners to give you support and direction for a clearer future for your farm.
Deadline: 5 September 2025
Events
LUNZ Grasslands – Sustainable Farming Practices Workshop
Wednesday 10th September 11:00am–4:00pm, Dungannon, Co Tyrone
Webinar: V-FAST Policy Workshop
Wednesday 10th September 1:00–2:30pm
Webinars: Looking for land… or wondering how farm partnerships actually work?
A two-part Land Matching Webinar Series is being led by the team at abunda in collaboration with Emergent Generation and RAAP (Regenerative Agriculture Accelerator Programme). Learn the abunda approach for matching land and people to create thriving farm partnerships that enrich ecosystems, and get practical, regenerative, agroecological knowledge and wisdom.
Webinar 1 – Land Seeker’s Perspective
Wednesday 10th September, 6:30–7:30pm
Webinar 2 – Landholder’s Perspective
Wednesday 24th September, 6:30–7:30pm
For more information and tickets book here
Agroforestry Show 2025
10–11 September 2025, Maple Cross, Hertfordshire
Webinar: Unearthing Empire: food, land and colonial legacies in the UK
Thursday 11 September 2025, 1:00–2:00pm
The first of two webinars, organised by Culture Roots Collective, Roots to Work and Eating Better, exploring how colonialism has shaped what we grow, eat and value here in the UK.
Webinar: Rethinking Ingredients for Sustainable Food Systems
Thursday 11th September 2025, 2:00–3:00pm
Emergent Generation Summer Gathering
11–14 September 2025, Gloucestershire
Webinar Workshop: Animal welfare and environmental sustainability in seafood production
Monday 15th September 2025
Nuffield Farming Conference
18–20 November 2025, Aberdeen
The 2025 Nuffield Farming Conference will take place at the P&J Live in Aberdeen. The event promises three days of lively conversation, fresh ideas, and shared ambition for the future of farming. Early bird tickets are available until 5th September 2025.
British Society of Soil Science 2025 Annual Conference
1–5 December 2025, Manchester
Vacancies
Obesity Health Alliance – Policy and Advocacy Lead
As Policy and Advocacy Lead, you will shape, direct and communicate long-term policy, research and advocacy work, from developing evidence-informed public health policies and responding to consultations, to generating new evidence that keeps healthy weight high on the political agenda.
Deadline: 5 September 2025
Media Relations Manager (World Weather Attribution and Grantham Institute)
The Media Relations Manager will be an integral part of the Grantham Institute Communications team. In addition to providing communications support to Grantham Institute researchers and leading on media relations for Grantham outputs, a major focus of this role will be to provide a spectrum of communications support for the World Weather Attribution (WWA) project, an exciting, high-profile initiative led by Dr Fredi Otto.
Deadline: 5 September 2025
