On the 2nd of December, the Future Leap Network hosted an online interactive event titled “Celebrating Sustainability in Food and Drink”. Before the event began, the attendees enjoyed some pre-sessional networking.
Katherine Piper of Future Leap welcomed the attendees before giving an insight into The Future Leap Network, Future Leap Hub and the many benefits of membership, as well as the Festival of Sustainable Business. She then introduced the speakers:
- Clare Morris, Founder, Good and Proper
- Tim Martin, Co-Founder at Farm Wilder
- Fay Cooke, Responsible Business Chair at Yeo Valley
Clare Morris, Founder, Good and Proper
Clare gave a practical overview of which foods we should be eating and what to avoid when it comes to sustainable eating. She displayed seasonal food charts, sustainable food pyramids and spoke of the importance of suppliers and the many issues surrounding food waste. The audience was then given time to ask questions, which prompted Clare to discuss her zero-waste store and exercise her enthusiasm for bulk-buying beans and cooking via Hot Pot.
Tim Martin, Co-Founder at Farm Wilder
Tim detailed how the monoculture of farming and the proliferation of grassland is having a detrimental effect on our wildlife. Tim then explained how he set up Farm Wilder to strike a balance between farming and meat rearing with conservation and biodiversity. Farm Wilder’s approach enables the protection of species and their habitats alongside the rearing of ethical beef. Tim’s talk was then followed by audience questions including discussions on how to encourage other farmers to follow suit.
Fay Cooke, Responsible Business Chair at Yeo Valley
Fay covered the topics of the intensification of food production, food in relation to the climate crisis, the importance of soil and presented some sobering facts on the damage to our water systems. She then detailed how regenerative organic farming can help sequester carbon and improve soil health. Finally Fay touched on the Yeo Valley soil carbon project, a six-year study that aims to prove the benefits of this technique. The audience was again given the opportunity to ask questions and a discussion ensued between both audience members and fellow speakers.
60 Second Pitches
To encourage networking, attendees made use of the 60 second pitch opportunity. Those that pitched included Jess Knights Creative, Frank Water and Wessex Water.
Close
After a final round of networking, Katherine brought the event to a close, thanking all the speakers and attendees, which without our events calendar would not be possible.
Write up by Amazon Rose, Events Officer.
