The National Organic Conference (NOC) will convene on July 2 at Kingsclere Estates in Hampshire and will discuss critical factors driving organic farming.
Organising group Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G) said factors being discussed include environmental impact, food production quality, and financial viability.
The conference will be chaired by award-winning journalist and organic farmer, Sarah Dickins.
OF&G’s business development manager and NOC coordinator, Steven Jacobs discussed the conference’s focus on pragmatic and practical solutions during a period of significant change in the agricultural sector.
“This year’s NOC brings together speakers from across the organic community. It’s vital our audience benefits from pragmatic and practical solutions,” Jacobs said.
The event is set to kick off with independent farm consultant, Niels Corfield discussing low maintenance, productive agroecological systems.
Oliver Rubinstein from Trinity Ag Tech will follow with insights on environmental and carbon benchmarking using their Sandy platform, highlighting how organic practices contribute to robust carbon cycling and biodiversity gains.
National Organic Conference
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) Henny Lowth will provide insights into the organisation’s Monitor and Strategic Farm programme, with Kingsclere Estates becoming a Monitor Farm host in May 2024.
In the fourth seminar, chair of UK Organic, Adrian Carne, will discuss the current state of the UK organic market, addressing the challenge of ‘greenwashing’ and the need to unify the sector to promote market growth and the organic message.
Following an organic, locally sourced lunch prepared by the team from Michelin Guide-listed restaurant Five Little Pigs, delegates will be guided on a farm walk to see key developments at Kingsclere Estates.
Kingsclere operates partnerships with the Roaming Dairy and other enterprises, showcasing innovative approaches that improve soil fertility and produce quality, according to the Jacobs.
“Tim has introduced some really forward-thinking strategies at Kingsclere. It is a fantastic example of how organic delivers high-quality food that feeds into a sustainable and successful farming system,” Jacobs said.
