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UID:3847-1782230400-1782234000@rootandreason.org.uk
SUMMARY:Webinar: De-escalating the Food Fight - Trust\, language and the future of food system change
DESCRIPTION:We often assume that transforming the food system is mainly a technical challenge that can be addressed by finding the right innovation\, setting the right target\, or measuring the right metric. Yet change that looks entirely feasible on paper stalls again and again. Jack Bobo argues that the hardest problem in our food system is not technical but social. It comes down to trust\, and the language we use to talk to one another. \n\n\n\nPeople bring deeply held and often conflicting priorities to the food system\, and the words we choose to talk about those differences matter enormously. The same point\, framed one way\, opens minds to shared problem-solving; framed another\, it puts people on the defensive before the conversation has even begun. The speaker opens or closes the mind of the audience\, and the language we use defines how wide a coalition we can build. \n\n\n\nSo how do we talk about food in ways that bring people together rather than drive them apart? What does it take to de-escalate the tension so we can get on with the work? And how can the way we frame an issue open minds rather than entrench positions? \n\n\n\nThis webinar continues our resilience series\, which has moved from international supply-chain risk and the shocks our food system faces\, through what community-led resilience looks like in practice\, towards a question that underpins all of it: how does change actually happen? Jack’s session looks at the role of trust and language in shaping what is possible. \n\n\n\nAbout Jack: Jack Bobo is a food futurist and Executive Director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies. He previously led the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham and spent more than a decade as a senior advisor on global food policy at the US State Department. He is the author of Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices\, which explores how our food environment and behavioural science shape the choices we make. Much of his current work focuses on trust\, polarisation and communication: how the framing and language we use can either deepen division in the food system or unlock collaboration. \n\n\n\nAbout Stefan (Chair): Stefan Kepinski is a co-founder and Director of Root and Reason\, and Professor and Head of the School of Biology at the University of Leeds. A plant biologist\, his research on root architecture has led to patented technologies for more sustainable crop production\, reducing reliance on synthetic fertiliser and increasing the carbon stored in soils. Stefan is also Associate Director of the University’s Global Food and Environment Institute and Chair of the Agricultural Universities Council UK. \n\n\n\nAbout this webinar seriesThis webinar is part of a monthly series run by Root and Reason (formerly AFN Network+) which explores the transformation of the UK agri-food system with leading movers and shakers. Expect deep and varied insight from across the sector\, including farmers\, scientists\, policy analysts\, community leaders\, retailers\, politicians\, businesses and health professionals.
URL:https://rootandreason.org.uk/event/webinar-de-escalating-the-food-fight-trust-language-and-the-future-of-food-system-change/
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260701T070000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260702T235900
DTSTAMP:20260613T093949
CREATED:20260428T110105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T132812Z
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SUMMARY:Groundswell 2026
DESCRIPTION:Lannock Farm\, Hertfordshire\n\n\n\n\n\nCome and find our tent at C28!\n\n\n\nThe Groundswell Festival provides a forum for farmers\, growers\, or anyone interested in food production and the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of regenerative farming systems. Root and Reason will be hosting a stand\, with a variety of sessions throughout the two days that we’ll share with you below – we hope you can join us! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur session on the Soil stage\n\n\n\n\n\nThursday 2nd July – 9amFood Security IS National Security: Is UK farming ready?Root and Reason’s work shows change is coming whether we plan for it or not: the question is whether the food and farming sector shapes or is shaped by it. In January\, Defra warned that global ecosystem collapse could trigger food supply shocks within the decade. Yet while politicians talk about energy security with urgency and clarity\, food security remains an afterthought.Led by Emily Norton (Norfolk farmer and founder\, Farm Foresight Ltd) with Daniel Zeichner (MP for Cambridge and former Defra Minister of State for Food Security & Rural Affairs) this session asks what would it take for food policy to give UK farmers the certainty they need. \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Daniel Zeichner\, Jimmy Woodrow\, Ali Morpeth \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur Sessions at the Root and Reason Stand – C28\n\n\n\n\n\nWednesday 1st July – 1pmMeasuring what matters: Aligning farm reality with supply-chain needsThis panel explores how data has become an important interface between farmers and food businesses in regenerative agriculture\, and why poor alignment creates burden rather than value.Drawing on real-world experiences from both farming and food business\, the discussion\, chaired by Tom McMillan\, will unpack the growing number of carbon calculators\, natural capital tools and buyer requests facing farmers\, and the risks this creates for farm businesses and Tier 1 suppliers evidencing progress. \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Stephen Briggs\, Star Molteno\, Ben Williams \n\n\n\nWednesday 1st July – 3pm Community Power from Farm to Fork: Advancing Food Justice & Equitable Food AccessLed by Fergus Lyon (Professor of Enterprise and Organisations at Middlesex University)\, this session explores how communities and growers can build alliances to transform local food systems\, ensuring dignified\, equitable access to nutritious\, culturally relevant food. It highlights regenerative approaches that strengthen grower livelihoods\, improve demandpredictability\, and increase citizen choice. \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Hannah Gibbs\, Katherine Langton\, Martin Chadwick \n\n\n\nThursday 2nd July 10amFarming well for the future: How grasslands can help meet sustainability challengesLivestock farming in the UK comes in many shapes and sizes—and many are already cutting emissions\, building soil carbon\, and supporting wildlife\, whilecontinuing to perform financially. This session\, led by Lisa Norton (Senior Scientist UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)\, will share findings from the Lunz Grassland for Net Zero project\, working with livestock farming clusters across all four UK nations\, \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Holly Shearman\, David Patterson\, Mark Lee \n\n\n\nThursday 2nd July – 12pmPlaying with Food: A Serious Game to Stress-Test UK Food System ResilienceEmpty shelves\, panic buying\, and supply chain failures: we’ve seen how quickly food systems come under strain. But what happens when multiple shocks hit at once? How do farmers\, suppliers\, retailers and policymakers respond?In this interactive workshop\, led by Matteo Menapace (Beesnees Games Ltd)\, we’ll playBarefood\, a serious game developed by the BBSRC-funded BAFR-UK project. Rather thantalking about food system vulnerabilities\, participants experience them first-hand. \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Elta Smith\, Angelina Sanderson Bellamy\, Holly Chalmers \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur partners at Groundswell\n\n\n\n★LUNZ Hub\, LUNZ Grasslands\, LUNZ Openland and LUNZ JustLanz ★Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) ★Eunomia ★Backcasting to Achieve Food Resilience in the UK (BAFR-UK)
URL:https://rootandreason.org.uk/event/groundswell-2026/
CATEGORIES:Online event,Workshops
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