CFFG’s Conference on Climate Change – March 2020
Farmers and food producers have a natural affiliation with the environment and seek to protect it through quality control measures, shared best practice and, ultimately, assurance and accreditation schemes. These close ties with our natural environment and a reliance on the weather make our food industry pre-eminent stakeholders in the fight against climate change at all levels. This can be reflected in improved techniques and technologies to move to net zero carbon emissions, in seeking ways to mitigate or control the effects of change where we are unable to have an impact on its causes, and to provide a platform for educating the wider population on their responsibilities if catastrophic weather events are to be avoided.
To help advance discussion and understanding within the Cornish food and farming industries, CFFG organised a conference of 140 delegates at Wadebridge on 04 March 2020. You can listen to the keynote speeches below.
The Expert Guest Speakers were:
Edwina Hannaford. Cabinet Member at Cornwall Council responsible for Climate Change policy.
Session Chair. Tim Kendall, Chairman CFFG and livestock farmer.
Caroline Drummond MBE. CEO of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)
Session Chair. Mike Cherry, dairy farmer.
Emma Piercy. Head of Climate Change Policy. Food and Drink Federation.
Session Chair. Francis Clarke. Managing Director. Trewithen Dairy.
Becky Willson. Duchy Rural Business School
Session Chair. Angela Parker. Marketing Director. Callestick Farm Ice Cream.
Dr Ceris Jones. NFU National Climate Change Adviser
Session Chair: John Perry. Cornwall NFU Chairman.
Paul Cottington. NFU Regional Environmental Advisor.
Session Chair: John Perry. Cornwall NFU Chairman.
Vox Pop
It was a great conference. I feel suitably equipped to battle my vegetarian housemates on why meat and dairy are still wonderful! EY
It was a brilliant day and very well run. I think the amount of people in the room demonstrates how much appetite there is for similar events in Cornwall. I’d be interested in being involved with the Cornwall Food and Farming Group in future. EB
I have heard only positive comments which is great credit to the CFFG team. PA
Food and Farming event yesterday was brilliant, very informative, with good speakers. BP
Well done – good conference CD
Thank you for such an enjoyable, informative day. There was a really good range of worthy speakers. It ran so smoothly too – and we were very well fed…MG
Congratulations again on an inspiring event yesterday. PL
It was thought provoking and reassuring in that we as farmers have a role in mitigating the problems surrounding climate change. I am sure we have all now got a better understanding of the issues. The challenge now is to actually take a look at our businesses and try to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. IL
Well done for arranging a very high quality event. FC
Thank you and congratulations on a brilliant and very timely conference on climate change. It is vital that Cornish farmers grasp this nettle effectively. Your conference was exactly what we needed at this time to help everyone understand that we can be an important part of the solution if we get our act together and measuring carbon footprint is the first unavoidable step. The farmer Nathan (Pryor) summed it up when he promoted what he had done on his farm with Becky Willson. BC
