image expired

Adding to the powerful political line-up Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Defra will be joined by Brendan Smith, the Minister for Agriculture with Ireland’s Fianna Fáil party. Also speaking will be George Lyon the MEP who has acted as Rapporteur for the ‘The Future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013’ report.

Christine Tacon, the 2011 OFC Chairman and also Managing Director of the Co-operative Farms said: “The 2013 CAP Reform plans will already be well formed in Brussels so Oxford will be a great opportunity to hear firsthand from Dacian CioloÅŸ what the policy changes might be and how they might affect UK farmers.”

Very closely linked to the CAP Reform are the findings of this year’s Oxford Farming Conference Research ‘The Value and Viability UK Farming’. The research is based on the views canvassed from 80+ key influencers from the UK and abroad and has been sponsored by Volac and Syngenta.

“The emotive subject of population control will also be raised at the 2011 Conference, Aubrey Manning, Emeritus Professor at Edinburgh University, will prepare the way for the population debate by giving an overview of global resources on the morning of the 5^th of January,” Ms Tacon adds.

The Oxford Union Debate that evening will debate the motion “This House believes unrestrained population growth and food security are incompatible.’ Proposing the motion will be Jonathan Porritt CBE, co-founder of Forum for the Future and opposing will be Sir Paul Judge, President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Association of MBAs, and Chairman of Schroder Income Growth Fund.  Young farmers will be seconding the motions.

In an ‘Inspiration’ session three farmers; rapeseed oil entrepreneur Gregor Mackintosh, Oxfordshire contractor Charlie Baker and fresh produce grower John Shropshire, of the £300m turnover Shropshire Group, will all talk about their business, their outlook and what drives them in an ever-competitive farming sector.

The ‘blue sky’ science session will explore the technology needed to feed ever-more mouths with less land, less water and with less environmental impact. Three scientists will debate water scarcity, clever crops and livestock innovation alongside two producers – Thanet Earth’s Chris Mack and poultry farmer, David Speller.

Prices for a full two day conference ticket remain unchanged from last year at a cost of £290 (inc. VAT). Bed and breakfast accommodation is available at St. Edmund Hall, Christ Church, Oriel, Worcester and Merton Colleges. Special rates have also been negotiated for Conference attendees at the Eastgate, Randolph and Old Bank Hotels.

Oxford 2011 will open for registration at 16.00 on Tuesday the 4^th January. The Pre-Conference Dinner, sponsored by the Co-operative, commences at 19.30 at which the after-dinner speaker will be the BBC’s John Humphrys.

For more details about the programme, for speaker biographies and to download a booking form, go to the OFC website www.ofc.org.uk.