Webinars & Podcast
To suggest a topic or person for our webinar and podcast series,
contact our Knowledge Exchange Fellow, Jez Fredenburgh: [email protected]
contact our Knowledge Exchange Fellow, Jez Fredenburgh: [email protected]
Tuesday, 23 July 2024, 11am
In this webinar we’ll be doing a deep dive into Chris Stark’s insights, frustrations and reflections as the country’s leading climate change policy expert. Chris is one of the most well-known figures in climate policy, and was until recently one of the most senior independent officials working on the issue, as chief executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee. In this role, he led independent advice on the UK’s net zero target, the world’s first net zero target to be legislated, and directed the development of detailed pathways for the UK to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. For the agri-food sector, this included the report Land Use: Policies for a Net Zero UK. He is now continuing his work as chief executive of the Carbon Trust, a global climate consultancy working to accelerate the move to a decarbonised future. Rather than our usual format of a presentation, we’ll be getting to the heart of things through conversation and questions. This will be followed by the normal audience Q&A. We will aim to cover;
This webinar will be recorded. About Chris: Chris Stark is Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, a global climate consultancy powered by the mission to accelerate the move to a decarbonised future. A world-renowned climate policy expert, Chris was appointed in April 2024 by the Carbon Trust and leads its work partnering with businesses, governments and financial institutions to drive positive climate action. In his previous role as Chief Executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee, Chris led independent advice on the UK’s Net Zero target, the world’s first Net Zero target to be legislated. He also directed the development of detailed pathways for the UK to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In 2021, he presented the UK’s third climate change risk assessment, with detailed analysis and advice on the extensive risks facing the UK from climate change. Chris has held several senior roles in the UK government, including in HM Treasury, and as Director for Energy and Climate Change in the Scottish Government. In each of these roles he has developed the intersection between policy and business, particularly, the private sector’s role in the Net Zero transition. A passionate advocate on the urgent need to confront climate change and the economic benefits of rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, Chris regularly speaks to the media and in public events. In November 2023, Chris was appointed as an Honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in April 2024. About the webinar series: This webinar is part of a monthly series run by AFN Network+ which explores net zero in the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector, including farmers, scientists, policy analysts, community leaders, retailers, politicians, businesses and health professionals. The series is put together by Jez Fredenburgh, our Knowledge Exchange Fellow, and Prof Neil Ward, AFN Co-lead and professor of rural geography at the University of East Anglia.
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Wednesday, June 19, 10:00-11:00 Given the complex nature of the UK food system, it is clear that interventions to transform it will need to be designed from a systems perspective, i.e. as systemic innovations. Key questions therefore include; what should be the boundaries of the system? Which actors and what perspectives would have to be involved? What collaboration would be needed? How could all the moving parts pull in one direction at once? Who would be the winners and losers? We look at a systems approach to food system transformation, through the lens of the BeanMeals project, which was designed to explore systemic innovations using beans as the case study. The benefits of incorporating more beans into our diets and farming systems are well documented: not only can they contribute to healthier and more sustainable diets and lower shopping bills, but they can increase soil fertility, provide a home-grown livestock feed, and ultimately reduce GHG emissions. In this webinar, our speakers use the example of beans to show why thinking about the wider system is so important when trying to create large-scale change in diets and food production. About John: Dr John Ingram leads food systems research at the Environmental Change Institute, at the University of Oxford, with particular emphasis on the multiple two-way interactions between food security and environment. Before this he was NERC’s Food Security Leader and he originally trained in soil science. He also currently co-leads The Foresight4Food Initiative, which explores how to improve scenario analysis and foresight (understanding risks and opportunities) for the global food system. He will present thinking based on his research as an AFN Network+ Champion last year and his work on the BeansMeals project. Read his report here. About Gerald: Prof Gerald Midgley is the foremost authority on the theory and practice of systems thinking and systemic leadership, and has been researching it for 40 years. His work is transdisciplinary and he has worked across public health, health and social service design, natural resource management, community development, public sector management and technology foresight. He is currently researching how to integrate neuroscience and cognitive psychology into systemic leadership and systems thinking, to address some of the most challenging local-to-global issues of our time. He is an emeritus professor at the University of Hull, and a visiting professor at the Birmingham Leadership Institute at the University of Birmingham. About the webinar series: The webinar is chaired by Jez Fredenburgh, Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the AFN Network+, and agri-food journalist. Jez is based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. This webinar is part of a series run by AFN Network+ which explores net zero in the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector, including farmers, scientists, policy analysts, community leaders, retailers, politicians, businesses and health professionals. The series is put together by Jez and Prof Neil Ward, a co-convenor of the AFN Network+. Follow Jez on Twitter/X and follow Neil on Twitter/X. Watch past webinars here and listen to our podcast here. You can also follow the AFN Network+ on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. Join our growing network of 1,900+ people across UK agri-food working on food system transformation, from academics to farmers, food companies, NGOs, policy makers and citizens. Your browser does not support viewing inline PDFs. Click here to view the PDF. ![]()
Monday 20 May, 14.00-15.30 Anyone who’s tried to unravel and address problems in the agri-food system will know how complex it is: Agri-food researchers, stakeholders and professionals working towards net zero also have to account for other economic, health, social and environmental issues, which are often multiple, interlinked and overlapping. If this sounds familiar, so will the below characteristics of highly complex problems (sometimes called ‘wicked problems’ by policy makers):
In this talk, Prof Gerald Midgley introduces a framework of systems thinking skills, plus a variety of systems ideas and methods, that can help people put these skills into practice. He illustrates the use of the methods with examples from food system, natural resource management, social policy and community development projects undertaken over the last thirty years in the UK, New Zealand and Nigeria. Some of these projects involved working with agri-food companies and their stakeholders, while others focused on intransigent social issues. Through these examples, Gerald shows how we can begin to get a better handle on highly complex problems. About Gerald: Prof Gerald Midgley is a foremost authority on the theory and practice of systems thinking and systemic leadership, and has been researching it for 40 years. His work is transdisciplinary and he has worked across public health, health and social service design, natural resource management, community development, public sector management and technology foresight. He is currently researching how to integrate neuroscience and cognitive psychology into systemic leadership and systems thinking, to address some of the most challenging local-to-global issues of our time. He is an emeritus professor at the University of Hull, and a visiting professor at the Birmingham Leadership Institute at the University of Birmingham. ![]()
Are we missing a trick with manure management that others around the world are starting to see? New research suggests the scale of UK methane emissions may be larger than first thought - but also that better management could significantly reduce this, while technology could harness emissions to generate energy and income. All of this rests on focusing attention on the much maligned area of manure management. According to government figures, methane emissions from enteric fermentation (burps & farts directly from ruminant livestock) account for 53% of UK agricultural emissions, while waste and manure management account for 16%. But new research suggests these figures may be the other way around.
Our two speakers present their joint research in this area and highlight key questions and areas of further research: Andy Atkins is Chief Scientist at the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association, and Neil Ward is Professor of Rural and Regional Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA), co-lead of the AFN Network+. Peatlands are incredible - globally they cover 3% of land area but hold more than twice the carbon in all the world’s forests. But managing them is a conundrum and a balancing act between short and long term food security, biodiversity, climate, and livelihoods: Their carbon-rich soils make them food-producing power-houses (accounting for 30-40% of UK-grown potatoes and vegetables) but also significant carbon emitters when drained and cultivated (1% of UK carbon emissions). Those who farm peatlands are often acutely aware of this issue, but don’t know what to do: Rewetting peatlands can lock this carbon back up and improve biodiversity, but rewet them too much and they start to emit methane, and of course displace food production elsewhere and potentially impact livelihoods too. So, what should we do? Prof Heiko Balzter, from the University of Leicester, unravels this topic for us: Last year he convened 40 researchers and peatland farmers in the East Anglian Fens, an area that accounts for around 27% of England’s total peatland, and on which 4,000 farms and 80,000 livelihoods depend. Prof Balzter will present his main findings and possible ways forward.
Heiko covers:
About Heiko: Prof Heiko Balzter is a professor of Physical Geography and Director of the Institute for Environmental Futures. His research interests include carbon accounting, Earth observation and remote sensing of land use and forests. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Royal Geographical Society’s Cuthbert Peek Award ‘for advancing geographical knowledge of human impact through earth observation’ (2015). He leads UKRI’s Landscape Decisions Programme and NERC’s National Centre for Earth Observation’s International Programme, and he was an AFN Network+ Champion 2022-2023. WEBINAR: Food security under pressure - UK fruit & veg in an era of climate change (Part 2)5/2/2024 Food system transformation models often rest on us all eating more fruit and veg and less meat and dairy. But even if consumers were persuaded to choose a more plant-based diet, our supply of fresh produce is on a knife edge: Mounting pressures from Brexit to supermarkets, and labour to energy costs, mean many UK growers have left glasshouses, fields, or orchards unplanted or unsown for two years now. In addition, we rely heavily on imports (around 80% for fruit, 45% for veg) from countries that are projected to suffer large-scale drying and other climate-related shocks and stresses. Add to that an ever more fractured world with traditional trade routes disrupted, and there is a big case for increasing our own domestic production. But how? What are the challenges? How can research and academia contribute?
In this two-part webinar, we have two great speakers with significant first-hand experience of working in fresh produce, and who are both sought-after voices to talk about these topics in the media and to government. Part 2: Fruit crops (23 February, 10-11am) Ali Capper grows apples and hops on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border and is the chair of British Apples & Pears, a grower-funded apple and pear trade group. British apples are our national fruit, yet British-grown apples represent only 40% of all the apples sold in the UK. (Part 1 Vegetable and Salad Crops with Lee Stiles, the secretary of Lea Valley Growers Association.) About Ali: Ali Capper wears many hats and is a well-known voice in British horticulture. She grows eating and cider apples at her family farm on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border and is the chair of British Apples & Pears, a grower-funded apple and pear trade group. Ali also sits on the NFU’s horticulture and potatoes board, which she was chair of from 2016-2022. She has contributed to the government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, and regularly appears in national media and the farming and horticulture press. She is also a director of the Oxford Farming Conference, Director of British Hop Association (she also grows hops), chair of Wye Hops, Chair of Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd, a Nuffield Scholar, and non-executive chair of rural insurer, NFU Mutual. Follow Ali on Twitter here and LinkedIn here. About the webinar series: The webinar is chaired by Jez Fredenburgh, Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the AFN Network+, and agri-food journalist. Jez is based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. This webinar is part of a series run by the AFN Network+ which explores net zero in the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector, including farmers, scientists, policy analysts, community leaders, retailers, politicians, businesses and health professionals. The series is put together by Jez and Neil Ward, co-lead of the network, also based at the Tyndall Centre at UEA. Follow Jez on Twitter/X and follow Neil on Twitter/X. WEBINAR: Food security under pressure - UK fruit & veg in an era of climate change (Part 1)26/1/2024 Thursday 8 February, 12.00-13.00 GMT Food system transformation models often rest on us all eating more fruit and veg and less meat and dairy. But even if consumers were persuaded to choose a more plant-based diet, our supply of fresh produce is on a knife edge: Mounting pressures from Brexit to supermarkets, and labour to energy costs, mean many UK growers have left glasshouses, fields, or orchards unplanted or unsown for two years now. In addition, we rely heavily on imports (around 80% for fruit, 45% for veg) from countries that are projected to suffer large-scale drying and other climate-related shocks and stresses. Add to that an ever more fractured world with traditional trade routes disrupted, and there is a big case for increasing our own domestic production. But how? What are the challenges? How can research and academia contribute? In this two-part webinar, we have two great speakers with significant first hand experience of working in fresh produce, and who are both sought-after voices to talk about these topics in the media and to government. Part 1: Vegetable and Salad Crops (8 February, 12 midday-1pm)
Lee Stiles is the secretary of Lea Valley Growers Association, a group of growers who produce 75% of Britain’s cucumbers, sweet peppers & aubergines (around 500 million!), plus tomatoes, lettuces and herbs in 450 acres of glasshouses. Part 2: Fruit crops (23 February, 10-11am) Please note both webinars will be recorded. About Lee: Lee Stiles is the secretary of Lea Valley Growers Association Ltd - a group of 80 growers who have collectively been called ‘Britain's cucumber, aubergine and pepper capital’. Together they produce 75% of Britain’s cucumbers, sweet peppers and aubergines (around 500 million!), plus tomatoes, lettuces and herbs in 450 acres of glasshouses. Lee is regularly featured in the media as an authoritative voice of the horticulture sector, and has appeared on the BBC, Jeremy Vine Show, Sky News, The Times, Guardian, as well as trade press such as The Grocer and Horticulture Week. He also regularly submits evidence to the UK government’s Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee and the Horticulture Sector Committee. Lee Valley Growers Association is a specialist protected Horticulture branch of the National Farmers Union. Follow Lee Valley Growers on Twitter and Lee on LinkedIn. About the webinar series: The webinar is chaired by Jez Fredenburgh, Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the AFN Network+, and agri-food journalist. Jez is based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. This webinar is part of a series run by AFN Network+ which explores net zero in the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector, including farmers, scientists, policy analysts, community leaders, retailers, politicians, businesses and health professionals. The series is put together by Prof Neil Ward, co-lead of AFN Network+, and Jez Fredenburgh the network's knowledge exchange fellow and an agri-food journalist. Both Neil and Jez are based at the Tyndall Centre at UEA. Follow Jez on Twitter/X and follow Neil on Twitter/X. Watch past webinars here and listen to our podcast here. You can also follow AFN Network+ on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. Wednesday 17 January 2023, 10-11am Changing our food system could, arguably, be approached with different aims and perspectives. What happens when the aim of change is net zero though? What are the win-wins from climate adaptation and mitigation? What could this mean on a practical level for farmers? But what too are the trade-offs we might need to weigh up, and what would their implications be over time? Our speaker, Dr Pete Falloon, lays all of this out for us. Based at the Met Office, Pete leads the organisation’s Climate Service for Defra, providing scientific advice to support the department’s decision making on climate resilience and adaptation in the agri-food system. Pete covers:
The webinar is chaired by Jez Fredenburgh, Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the AFN Network+, and agri-food journalist. Jez is based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. About Pete: Dr Pete Falloon leads the Met Office’s Climate Service for Defra on Food, Farming and Natural Environment, which provides scientific advice in support of climate resilience and adaptation in the agri-food system. The climate service feeds into the UK's Climate Change Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Programme, and Defra's UK Food Security Report. Alongside climate resilient food systems, Pete's interests include soil (especially carbon), water, agriculture (particularly greenhouse gas fluxes and land management), land use and climate interactions. About the webinar series: This webinar is part of a series run by AFN Network+ which explores net zero in the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector, including farmers, scientists, policy analysts, community leaders, retailers, politicians, businesses and health professionals. The series is put together by Prof Neil Ward, co-lead of AFN Network+, and Jez Fredenburgh, the network's knowledge exchange fellow and agri-food journalist. Both Neil and Jez are based at the Tyndall Centre at UEA. Follow Jez on Twitter/X and follow Neil on Twitter/X. Watch past webinars here and listen to our podcast here. You can also follow AFN Network+ on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. ![]()
Let’s deal with an elephant in the room: Transforming the food system is largely an occupation pursued by middle class professionals on salaries. Whether it be in academia, policy research and design, government, NGOs, or food sector management – most of the people making decisions (or aiming to inform decisions) about the agri-food system, don’t themselves have living experience of poverty, food insecurity and inequality. What impact will this have on food system transformation going forwards, if voices of people with such experiences are not included in a more meaningful way? How can they be given an ongoing and equal seat at the table to ensure a just transition? What are the realities of living with poverty that many of those working on food system transformation don’t consider or understand?
Dominic Watters digs into all of this for us in this thought-provoking webinar. As a single dad living in poverty and food and fuel insecurity, Dominic’s ability to tell it like it is and connect the dots on poverty has made him an increasingly sought after voice on these issues. He is a campaigner, speaker, and author of Social Distance in Social Work: COVID Capsule One. Watch the webinar
Our food system accounts for around a third of all global emissions - so why has it hardly been talked about at previous COPs? The UN’s climate change conference brings together world leaders every year to try to bash out a deal to cut emissions and halt climate change. But so far, it’s been famously silent on food and farming. This seems absurd, even to a casual observer, and even more so when one considers the potential of food system landscapes to sequester carbon and lock it away. What on earth is going on then, and will this ever change? COP veteran, Prof Tim Benton (University of Leeds, Chatham House, and former UK Food Security Champion), is the perfect person to lead us through this conundrum. Tim has been to many COPs, worked with many governments on food system transformation, is regularly consulted by the UK’s Climate Change Committee, as well as being an author for the IPCC's Special Report on Land, Food and Climate. Tim will lift the lid on what really happens at COP, where food and farming sit in it all, how this might change in the future, and his hopes for this year’s COP28 in Dubai.
Interviewing him is Prof Neil Ward from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, and AFN Network+ co-lead (alongside Tim). |
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July 2024
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