Eden Project

Tackling food security – time to share land and return to smallholdings?

Food security, farming co-operatives and sharing land are all topics for debate at a forthcoming seminar hosted by the Eden Project and East Anglia Foodlink.

The aim of the conference, which takes place on 7 November in Warwickshire, is to discuss how to set up a nationwide network of smallholding co-operatives whereby farmers pool resources such as equipment and business know-how to help them compete in the UK marketplace.

Rural activist and former farmer, William Hudson will be presenting his idea for a modern version of the Land Settlement Association (LSA), the scheme set up by the government in the 1930s to offer unemployed men a new way of life on the land. The LSA helped maximise food production during the war effort and continued to provide locally sourced produce until its demise in the 1980s.

Hudson, Director of East Anglia Food Link, believes a system of collective farming would not only encourage young people in to the industry, but would help tackle the issue of food security in the UK. “We have one week’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetables in this country, such is our ‘just in time’ delivery system. This if fine, but if there are breakdowns because of wars, volcanic ash or climate change we would be close to starvation.

‘The idea is to create [UK-based] holdings of a size that means they are economically viable and that they benefit from pooled resources.’

Eden’s Economic Botanist, Andrew Ormerod, adds: ‘One of the challenges is encouraging new farming blood with new ideas and a willingness to co-operate on to the land and with marketing. Perhaps a new version of an LSA could be a vehicle to give these new entrants to farming a chance.’

Delegates to the seminar will hear talks from Hudson and Ormerod, as well as representatives from the former LSA and its farming estates.

You can find out more about the history of the LSA in this online article from researcher Peter Clarke.

Attend the event
The event takes place on Monday 7 November 2011 from 10am – 4pm at Lantra House, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG.

Entry is free, but please contact William Hudson on whudson@aspects.net or 01379 688374 if you’d like to attend.

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• Food