Shaping the Future of Sustainable Farming in Wales

LUNZ & AICCF January 2025 Workshop

On January 16th, 2025, stakeholders from across Wales gathered in Aberystwyth to discuss the future of farming and land use in Wales. The workshop, organized by the LUNZ Hub Wales National Team in partnership with the Agricultural Industry Climate Change Forum (AICCF), focused on overcoming key barriers to achieving a sustainable future that benefits net zero goals, nature, and people.

Key Highlights from the Day:

• A Shared Vision for 2050: Stakeholders from diverse fields presented ideas on what a sustainable farming system in Wales could look like, discussing opportunities and challenges along the way.
• Collaborative Breakout Sessions: Participants worked in groups to explore practical solutions, focusing on themes such as improving land use, the role of retailers, data, and the importance of skills and training.
• Creative Engagement: The Place Collective introduced an artistic perspective on land management, encouraging reflection on personal and collective connections to the land.
• Future Pathways: LUNZ WP3 outlined its upcoming Fable Pathway workshop for Wales, aimed at modelling realistic pathways to achieving net zero.

Common Themes and Takeaways:

• The importance of whole-farm approaches rather than focusing solely on carbon targets.
• The role of data accessibility in supporting farmers and landowners to make informed decisions.
• The need for fair and practical policies that enable farmers to transition sustainably.
• The power of collaboration—across industries, policymakers, and communities—to drive meaningful change.

Next Steps:

The insights gathered will be shared with Welsh Government and the broader LUNZ Hub project to shape future activity and impact. Participants expressed strong support for continued in-person meetings and further engagement with key stakeholders, including retailers, financial institutions, and educators. The Wales National Team are looking at planning in other events to the calendar to keep momentum going with the community developing (i.e. possibly Royal Welsh Show), and of course with the LUNZ Big Tent event being held in Llandudno, North Wales, in September 2025, this is a key opportunity to build on this community and catalyse real impactful change in Wales. 

We are grateful for the contributions of all attendees and look forward to working together to create a more sustainable future for farming in Wales.

For more information or to share your thoughts, please contact Alan Radbourne at [email protected].

Diolch!