Routes to Action

A review of FFCC's workshop series, helping build the evidence, ideas and community for a transition to agroecology by 2030

30th June 2021

If agroecology holds the key to unlocking the solutions to so many of the urgent and interconnected challenges we face today, what more can the UK do to speed a transition to agroecology by 2030?

In 2021 we toured the UK virtually with our Routes to Action workshop series, gathering evidence from hundreds of businesses and communities across the country on six elements critical to this transition. Each of these topics is explore in detail below.

Creating an effective policy environment

Changing policy gathered evidence of the policy needed to speed a UK transition to agroecology, and found opportunities and barriers to transitioning at pace and scale across UK nations.

Supporting growth of skills, knowledge and technology

Changing culture gathered evidence of the technology, knowledge and skills needed to speed a UK transition to agroecology, and found examples of this developing at pace through collaboration between farm businesses, facilitation and mentoring.

Changing the economics of healthy, affordable food

Changing economics gathered evidence of the implications of an agroecological economic model for food prices and affordability, supply chains and trading relationships.

Making better decisions about land

Changing land management gathered evidence of the potential for agroecology to deliver multiple public benefits at scale, and how aspects of land ownership and land use decision-making are currently barriers to a transition to agroecology.

Moving to regenerative practices

Changing agronomy gathered evidence of yields and greenhouse gas sequestration in agroecological farming systems together with the nature-based practices that replace synthetic inputs.

A Scottish vision for agroecology

This workshop explored the challenges and opportunities of a transition to agroecology in Scotland.

Measuring farm carbon in Ireland

This workshop explored opportunities for farm carbon auditing and its contribution to sustainability in the agricultural sector drawing on four pioneering projects in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The future of farming in Wales?

This workshop explored Wales’ particular agricultural and political context and the barriers and challenges in transitioning to agroecology in Wales.