The CLA Game Fair taking place in Yorkshire between 27 - 29 July, has been cancelled due to recent extreme weather events.

This sad situation means we'll be unable to speak to landowners at their annual event. Recent extreme weather does however help raise awareness of climate change, and fact sheets about how different farming sectors can adapt and mitigate the challenges of climate change are available from: www.farmingfutures.org.uk.

Farming Futures continues to work closely with the CLA, NFU and levy board partners.

On Monday 2nd July 2007, Hilary Benn - the recently appointed Secretary of State for the Environment visited the Royal Show. Whilst visiting the NFU stand, he met Farming Futures project manager Katie Zabel and President of the NFU, Peter Kendall.

Today our new fact sheets which aim to empower farmers to understand and manage the challenges and opportunities of climate change have been launched on www.farmingfutures.org.uk 

The fact sheets offer sector-specific advice on making the most of the opportunities afforded by climate change.

If crop farmers are concerned about irrigation in the light of impending, soaring temperatures or livestock producers are worried about the risk of new pests and diseases invading from abroad then the 14 new, individual fact sheets should have the answer. 

The fact sheets detail the geographical impacts as well as the opportunities and challenges of climate change. They also suggest adaptation and mitigation measures to encourage farmers to take immediate action on mitigating climate change.

Founder Director of Forum for the Future Jonathon Porritt said: “These fact sheets will empower farmers and land owners to take matters into their own hands, to prepare their farms and their businesses to take advantage of the opportunities of climate change, as well as manage the challenges.

“The information is designed to be user-friendly, giving farmers enough information, without getting bogged down in technical, scientific language. The fact sheets also point farmers to further information and expert advice on climate change specific issues.”

On Friday we attended the Soil Association annual conference in Cardiff on behalf of the project.

Our project manager made lots of useful contacts and encouraged people to come forward with their stories as to how they have been affected by climate change and how they expect to manage in the future.

We're still looking for stories, so if you're an innovative farmer or grower with a story to tell about climate change, please contact Katie on: k.zabel@forumforthefuture.org.uk or through our website: www.farmingfutures.org.uk

Our project officially launched at last week’s Oxford Farming Conference in the prestigious Oxford Examinations School, to an audience of over 150 farmers, growers and land owners.

The launch saw a discussion on climate change issues hosted by Jonathon Porritt, with the presidents of the NFU and CLA, and representatives of the British Pototo Council and English Beef and Lamb Executive also taking part.

We treated our audience to a buffet of food produced in Oxfordshire and English wine and apple juice.

We were thrilled at just how many people turned up to the launch, and the publicity we’ve secured as a result, with just a short selection here:

In the Guardian: http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1982033,00.html

On the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6225827.stm

In IT week: http://green.itweek.co.uk/2007/01/miliband_muses_.html

http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/index/ruralni_news-current/ruralni_news-current-2/ruralni_news-02-01-2008.htm

Global warming and UK agriculture was the theme of the second day of the conference with Sir John Houghton giving a rapt audience a global overview. See this review by Farmers Weekly:

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/01/04/100483/assume-climate-change-is-not-reversible-says-weather.html

Press release:

Climate change could offer great opportunities for farmers according to a new project launched at the Oxford Farming Conference last week. 

New research amongst NFU members reveals 60% of farmers believe they are already experiencing climate change, and 70% believe that they will be affected in the next ten years. Respondants expect future impacts to be similar to those they are experiencing now, but with greater intensity.

The impacts of climate change will alter geographically but the UK is likely to experience:

·          more warmer, wetter winters

·          fewer frosts

·          more hotter, drier summers

·          more spring, summer and autumn droughts

·          more extreme weather events such as storms and flood

·          rising sea levels

·          less annual rainfall 

70  per cent of farmers are already taking action to combat climate change on their land, by reassessing their fertiliser needs and costs, improving energy efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.

On a national level, 20 per cent of farmers are already investigating or have committed to grow energy crops, and 29 per cent are taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change by changing crops, planting shelter belts, improving drainage and disposing of waste more responsibly.

Forum for the Future is working with the NFU, CLA and ARF to communicate climate change to farmers, growers and land owners across the UK to promote understanding and change from within the industry. Founder Director of Forum for the Future Jonathon Porritt hosted a fringe launch event on Wednesday January 3, with NFU President Peter Kendall, CLA President David Fursdon, EBLEX  Chairman John Cross and BPC spokesman Mike Storey to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing farmers from climate change.

Mr Porritt said: “Farming contributes seven per cent of the UK's green house gas emissions and as a result of these emissions farmers are on the front line of adapting to the impacts of climate change. 

 “Climate change offers one of the greatest opportunities of the 21st century. Adapting to and mitigating climate change is not just an environmental issue – it’s an economic opportunity.”

In an unprecedented move, the Country Land and Business Association has joined our partnership and is working alongside the NFU, Forum for the Future and the ARF to communicate the challenges and opportunities of climate change to farmers and landowners.

With over 40,000 members, the addition of the CLA allows us to communicate effectively with even more of the UK's rural landowners.

David Fursdon, CLA President who is also on the launch panel at the Oxford Farming Conference on Wednesday 3rd January said:

“Whilst all businesses must think carefully about climate change, land managers - farmers, foresters, moorland owners - are uniquely affected.  We will use this project to build on the research the CLA has already carried out to help communicate these messages.  As an industry we can then use this communication project to work together to increase our knowledge and understanding of climate change.” 

The British Potato Council (BPC) on behalf of the Applied Research Forum (ARF), signed up today to attend our project launch on 3^rd January 2007.

Mike Storey, Research and Development Director at BPC will sit alongside Peter Kendall, President of the NFU and John Cross of EBLEX at the launch where Jonathon Porritt will host a discussion about the challenges and opportunities of climate change.

Mike said: “It's important we take steps now to learn exactly what the practical implications of climate change will be and how land use will be affected.

We need to understand how to mitigate against detrimental effects, but we also need to identify the opportunities and make the most of them.

The ARF looks forward to working with farmers to develop ideas that will improve our understanding of this significant issue."

The week before Christmas sees us scurrying around getting ready for our official launch on 3rd January 2007 at the Oxford Farming Conference.

John Cross from the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) will also be attending the launch and said:

"The levy boards, through the Applied Research Forum, are pleased to have this opportunity to start providing levy -payers with information to help them meet the opportunities and challenges climate change poses to their businesses."