Nature is in crisis – farming must and can play a leading role in its restoration. Around three quarters of the UK is used for farming – nearer 90% in Wales. How this land is managed has a huge bearing on the fortunes of our nation’s wildlife. Policies and practices in farming have evolved over the decades, from the post-war focus on production, to the current interest in ‘regenerative’ farming. How can we find an appropriate balance for the many demands we place on land? This talk will cover the challenges and some of the solutions being developed, including how the RSPB’s Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire has seen wildlife thrive within a productive and profitable arable farming enterprise.

Gethin Davies is an Agricultural Adviser with the RSPB.