Round-up – June 2025
This is our round-up for June 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.
Please complete our EDI survey
The AFN Network+ team understands that innovation thrives in environments rooted in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). To understand how these principles are being lived and experienced across our network, we need to hear from you.
Please complete our short, anonymous survey designed to explore how EDI is perceived within our food and farming community. Your insights will help us find strengths, uncover challenges, and guide meaningful improvements that support a more inclusive and collaborative sector.
From farm to fork to policy, your experience matters. By sharing your perspective, you contribute to shaping a network where diverse voices are heard, valued, and empowered to lead.
The survey should take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. Please help strengthen the foundations of our community. Your voice is essential. Help us grow together.
Chancellor’s Spending Review – need to knows on food, farming, land and health
Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review was all about facing up to a “new age of insecurity” and “renewing” Britain through investment in defence, transport, energy security and the NHS, but what are the implications for food, farming and health? Our Knowledge Exchange Fellow, Jez Fredenburgh, digests the details for you.
Local level agroecology
As part of an AFN Stakeholder FlexFund project, Russell Regen have published a report on developing a new method for delivering high-quality local agroecology maps. You can find the report, and learn more about the project, on their project page on the AFN website.
Better Food Traders
Another FlexFund project has also published its findings. The Better Food Traders project gathered evidence around the impacts of more localised, organic and circular routes to market, and explored ways in which agroecological traders could be seen as more resource-efficient than globalised supply chains. They also produced a toolkit based on their findings, and a webinar, both of which can be found on their project page on the AFN website.
News from the wider agri-food sector
Defra – Expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery
This call from Defra seeks evidence and insights on how best to support and incentivise business sectors to invest in nature recovery, especially those sectors which impact or depend upon nature the most. Specifically, it seeks views from businesses, investors, nature service providers (such as farmers and land managers), environmental organisations and the public on how government can work with business sectors operating in England.
Deadline: 7 August 2025
Survey on farmers’ perspectives on nature-based solutions
As part of the Joined up landscapes (JUL) project, funded by Defra and UK Research Innovation (UKRI), King’s College London is carrying out a study that aims to understand the perspective and experiences of farmers in the UK with Nature-based Solutions. The study will help inform policy responses to the impacts of climate change that are relevant to farm businesses.
They are asking farmers, landowners, and farm workers across the UK to respond to this survey. It takes around 8 minutes to respond. Please also share the survey with your partnerships, collaborators, or as many farmers as you can, and ask them to do the same.
Deadline: 22 July 2025
Call for UK Farmers: Share your views on Agrivoltaics
Could combining solar panels with farmland be a win-win or a farming headache?
A Master’s research project at the University of Oxford is exploring the drivers and barriers to UK farmers adopting agrivoltaics. Farmers are invited to take part in short, remote interviews (Zoom or phone) to share their views. No experience with agrivoltaics required. This research addresses an under-explored area in the UK and may help guide future studies. Participants will receive a summary of emerging findings.
Interested? Contact kilivitige.fernando@stcatz.ox.ac.uk / +44 7392 295 644
Funding
Contracts for Innovation: Net Zero Living Tech Trials, phase 3
Organisations can apply for a share of £800,000, inclusive of VAT, to develop pre-commercial innovations that support Local Authorities in meeting net zero goals. Projects must include field trials to test and improve solutions ahead of commercialisation.
Competition closes: Wednesday 25 June 2025
Events
Bridging Fields
Co-designing & funding projects
Thursday 19th June 2025, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Engaging farmers in research
Thursday 17th July 2025, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Understanding Science Co-Creation in Climate and Environment
19–20 June 2025, University of Newcastle
BES Symposium 2025: Nature, Farming and Food: How we value our land
19–20 June 2025, University of Oxford
Ark Summit 2025
Friday 20th June 2025, Hazleton, Cotswolds,
Carbon Calling
24–26 June 2025, Cumbria
Fossil Free Farming Day
Monday 30th June, 9am-5pm, Helston, Cornwall
More information: fossilfreefarm.com and crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fossil-free-farm
Groundswell
2–3 July 2025, Lannock Farm, Hertfordshire
The Groundswell Festival provides a forum for farmers, growers, or anyone interested in food production and the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of regenerative farming systems. The AFN Network+ will again be having a stand, with a variety of sessions throughout the two days. Tickets for this year’s event are now on sale.
Multidisciplinary Food Systems Catalyst
2–3 July 2025, Central London
ORFC in the Field at Hill Top Farm: Livestock and Biodiversity in the Yorkshire Dales
23–24 July 2025, Yorkshire Dales
Sustainable Livestock Residential
8–10 August 2025, Kendal, Cumbria
Agroforestry Show 2025
10–11 September 2025, Maple Cross, Hertfordshire
British Society of Soil Science 2025 Annual Conference
1–5 December 2025, Manchester
The British Society of Soil Science 2025 Annual Conference takes place from Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 December in Manchester. This follows their biennial Early Careers Conference at the same venue on Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 December. The overall conference theme is Resilient Soils for a Sustainable Future. They are currently accepting oral and poster abstracts for both the Annual Conference and Early Careers Conference in December.
Submission deadlines: Oral abstract submissions 31 August; poster abstract submissions 24 October.
