A thought-provoking assertion, certainly, and one of a wide range of challenges addressed at the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) in early January. The conference, now in its 90^th year, was attended by Honorary President HRH The Princess Royal and more than 600 delegates from the agricultural and rural sector who gathered to consider the threats and opportunities that lie ahead.

Growing resilience

Our conference theme for this year – Growing Resilience – could hardly be more apt.

In my capacity as current OFC Director, I work with a multi-disciplined team to ensure a challenging, inspiring and inclusive forum for discussion, with insight from leading industry voices.

On the agenda, for example, was the Savills-sponsored Farmers Weekly Question Time which covered topics from inheritance tax to farm profitability, labour opportunities and whether food is too cheap.

But back to that original statement – as a sector, how do we adapt and thrive in a changing landscape?

Being human in a changing world

A highlight of the conference for many was a session delivered by Lucy Jenner, Savills Head of Natural Capital Consultancy. Alongside this role, Lucy is a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on land use and environmental science. With increasing demands on this finite resource, she supports landowners in exploring how changes in land management can deliver both environmental and economic benefits.

Her talk shone a light on personal change, sector-wide change and human behaviour. Successful adaptation depends less on forcing change and more on understanding people: their instincts, their relationships, and the values they share.

Rather than presenting farmers as resistant or slow to change, Lucy reframed the contextual landscape:

• Rational actors under pressure
• Social learners embedded in communities
• Emotional decision-makers navigating uncertainty

The “animal archetypes” (owl, fox, donkey, sheep) that Lucy referred to give a non-judgemental language for understanding different behavioural responses to change. No type is “wrong”; progress requires everyone working together and change happens when three conditions are present:

1. Trust (social capital)
2. Local, peer-based learning
3. Shared values

While for some desk-based colleagues, January may signal a reluctant return to work after the festivities, for the rural sector the conference is a fantastic way to start the year, reconnect with people, make new connections and listen to speakers who will continue to challenge our thinking – a must in a changing environment.

Further information

Contact Kelly Hewson-Fisher