On-farm school conferences

Our on-farm conferences offer students hands-on experience in the agricultural industry to help increase their understanding of where their food comes from.

How we produce food is one of the biggest questions of our time. Can we feed a growing population while protecting nature, reducing emissions, and making food affordable for everyone, including farmers?

At the AHDB-LEAF Sustainability Conference, these questions were not raised by policymakers or industry leaders, but 150 A-level students from across Hertfordshire.

After the conference, the respondents shared:

• 98% have a better understanding of how sustainable farming works in practice
• 98% have a better understanding of the importance of sustainable farming practices for the local environment
• 97% the importance of sustainable farming practices for the global environment
• 100% have a better understanding of how individuals can make sustainable food choices
• 89% would like to learn more about sustainable farming and the production, processing and distribution of food
• 82% more likely to make sustainable food choices

At our pilot event at Plumpton College in November 2023, more than 150 pupils enjoyed activities aligned with the curriculum. These included a tour of the the college dairy farm, where they saw a robotic milking system, and a bakery workshop where they made their own breadsticks.

Around 15 local food producers and agri-linked businesses joined the day, helping students see the wider impact of farming and the scope of the industry.

The event was delivered with LEAF Education, working in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation.