Oliver Moore

Sheep grazing in Co. Kerry, Ireland. Photo: Canva Ireland’s EU Presidency promises to put food security, farming and fisheries centre-stage. But will it use its moment to build a fairer food system – or simply defend the descent into a burning planet? Oliver Moore reports from Ireland. On 1 July, Ireland takes over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Potato harvest in Serbia. Photo: Canva. Resilient, self-reliant food systems. This is what a major new IPES-Food report puts forward as a way to deal with food price volatility driven by increasing geopolitical tensions. We recognise here many of the ingredients for Rural Resilience that we have identified in our project, including fair livelihoods for farmers and access to food for all. It’s a new and very ‘now’ pathway for governments to advance a food sovereignty approach. Oliver Moore digs in.

As a temperature check on where the alternative agri-food movement is in Britain, the Oxford Real Farming Conference is a good barometer. Oliver Moore reports from Oxford. The Oxford Real Farming Conference started 17 years ago as a tiny fringe event offering an alternative to the industry-focussed Oxford Farming Conference. This year’s ORFC, held in the first week of January, was attended by 4,800 people online and in person.