On the 7th October, Scotland’s first ever Nature Friendly Farming Summit took place at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
The event was wonderfully busy, as a friend recently put. It was well co-ordinated by the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) and supported by RSPB, and featured a variety of speakers. From ‘Nature Friendly’ farmers of all scales and systems – crofters to large land managers, first generation to multigenerational farmers – to scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, charity representatives and activists. The magic was in bringing all these perspectives together and turning it into a really insightful event. Where, as we were talking about safeguarding the biodiversity of our landscapes, a diversity of stories were told and knowledge shared, and a thread of hope and community ran throughout it all.
In what is undoubtedly a difficult time for our landscapes, residents and workers of the land – with biodiversity, climate, and mental health crises laying atop a lack of systemic support – the way we manage our land is more pivotal than ever, holding the key to resilience, future safeguarding of food, biodiversity, and people. This summit spoke not only to the agency of farmers and growers to enact change (as 70% of UK land is farmed in some way), but also the keen need for collective, structural support for Nature Friendly Farming at scale, and how we may achieve our goals in that.
I had the daunting and rewarding opportunity to speak and offer my perspective as a young person, with experience working upon the land through WWOOF and beyond. And so, for me, it was especially great to connect with other young attendees from RSPB’s Youth Council, Emergent Generation, and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network UK. I was proud to see young voices not only present, but active in the conversation.
Much of what was shared echoes what I feel many of us already know and practice within WWOOF: care for the soil, collaboration, and living gently with the land and its inhabitants. But it’s heartening to see that vision shared and scaled across the wider farming community – rooted in connection, community, and hope.
Here’s to sharing all that good knowledge, and helping make nature-friendly farming a growing and thriving reality for Scottish farmers of all scales and backgrounds – for the good of us all.
