Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University
Doi
Abstract
The research project Learning Pathways into Sustainable Agriculture was undertaken in the summer of 2019 in order to shed light on the experiences of a growing number of young people who choose to enter sustainable agriculture from non farming backgrounds. Transforming the UK food system requires us to look ahead and ensure that we nourish the small shoots today which will form important parts of our sustainable food system tomorrow. This means not only tackling the challenge of retaining people in farming and supporting their transition to sustainable agriculture but also, and importantly, attracting and supporting new entrants into agriculture. The report highlights both the incredible enthusiasm and energy young new entrants are bringing to the farming sector and the many challenges they face in a system which offers little support for them. To encourage the creation of more sustainable farm businesses in the UK, a crucial starting point is supporting new farmers’ learning pathways into sustainable agriculture
