Grass-roots: a sustainable future for food, farming and the countryside in Devon and the South West is the final report from the first phase of our Devon inquiry.

Although operating under the title of the Devon inquiry, from the start the inquiry was clear that the extent of its purview would naturally extend beyond county lines, informed by the landscape in the way that its distinctive characteristics and culture naturally bind together the communities of this South West region.

A group of expert stakeholders was convened within the region, whose expertise and experience span farming, agriculture, conservation, health, and policy. Together, the group decided to focus on four key areas, with each working group publishing individual reports:

• Grasslands and Livestock Production
• Environment and Biodiversity
• Health and Thriving Communities
• New Entrants

This report represents the sum of those four parts, bringing together the research undertaken by each of the working groups.

It represents a beginning rather than an end: a wellspring from which we hope will flow collaboration with people from across this region, to build a consensus around a vision for the South West as an exemplar of sustainable food and farming systems working in the service of thriving natural habitats and communities. Above all, this report is a confident call to action: for now, as never before, we have both the imperative and the opportunity to act.

Note: this report was originally published on the RSA website (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), which hosted the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission between November 2017-April 2020.