Food, Climate and Health – and Food Security – on the Agenda of Nuffield CSC 2022

Nuffield Ireland Scholars pictured outside Westminster at CSC 22

Nuffield International Scholar Group at CSC 22

Nuffield International Scholars 2021 and 2022 pictured at Big Ben, London during CSC22

This year’s Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC), the first in-person Nuffield event in two years, hosted by Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust saw all 2021 and 2022 international Scholars gather in Norwich and London from 7th to 14th March 2022

We enjoyed and learned from a comprehensive programme of interventions and presentations from experts on sustainable food systems, consumer expectations, farm safety and mental health. We heard from Scholars from all over the Nuffield World about their countries’ agriculture, we challenged our comfort zone and braincells through a Design Sprint at Norwich Research Park, and Business Hacks at local Norfolk agrifood businesses.

We were also hosted by UK Nuffield Scholar Robby Moore, MP at Westminster to engage with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs RH George Eustice MP and Lord Curry of Kirkharle, CBE, Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, who was responsible for for overseeing the Governement’s Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food until March 2009.

We learned that British agricultural policy will focus on supporting farmers and landowners to deliver for the environment and climate. Regenerative agriculture and responsible stewardship of the environment, striving towards net zero carbon are all among the aims pursued. Post Brexit, the UK government appears to already consider divergence with EU regulatory approaches on certain new technologies like gene editing where it delivers benefits for sustainability in food production.

We also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and the impacts of the Russian invasion on global food security was discussed with our British parliamentary hosts. With Russia and Ukraine major exporters of wheat and sunflower oil, action is urgently needed to support Ukrainian farmers and fend off the food insecurity impact in Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan – the main clients for Ukrainian grain. Nuffield was keen to ask the politicians for guidance on how it can help.

This has been a hectic week packed with thought provoking visits to food/agri businesses and farms/estates hosted by passionate business owners and managers. We have heard from experts on how consumer behaviour is influenced by health, dietary and environmental considerations and the responses this requires from the agri-food community. We have also heard about policy development changes in times when food security has returned centre-stage.

But perhaps most of all, we have got to know and enjoy the company of the Scholars from all over the Nuffield world. They have helped us challenge our thought processes and look at problems from different angles.
We have made friends for life, and now that we can travel again, as our Scholars start on their Global Focus Programme travels from June to September next, the contacts and friends made this week will deepen and grow.

Thank you so much to Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust and Nuffield International for organising this slickly run and packed agenda. We’ve had a terrific week!