A new event organised by partners in the NCS Project is setting out to drive the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and secure food system in the UK through reduced dependency on imported soya. ‘From Soya to Sustainability’ will be held on January 22, 2025 at KingsGate Conference Centre, Peterborough. It will bring together farmers, processors, manufacturers, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to explore innovative strategies for integrating beans and other pulses into livestock diets, reducing the need for imported soya.
Headline speaker Philip Lymbery will emphasise the urgent need for change in our food systems. Philip is Global Chief Executive of Compassion in World Farming and author of Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future with other roles including visiting Professor at the University of Winchester.
Philip says: “I am delighted to be speaking at this new event which is setting out to drive the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and secure food system in the UK through reduced dependency on imported soya.
“It has never been more important to reduce soya imports for animal feed. Vast areas of rainforest and savannah in Brazil and Argentina are cleared essentially to grow soya to feed industrially reared animals, not least in the UK and Europe. The consequences are devastating to wild animals and the environment.
“There are much more compassionate, environmentally friendly, and sustainable ways to produce food, and I am looking forward to exploring these with participants at the conference.”
Other speakers will include experts leading the charge for reduced use of soya in the UK who will share the latest research and innovations in the production and use of peas and beans.
There will also be ample networking opportunities enabling delegates to connect with like-minded experts from across the supply chain. Roger Vickers of PGRO and NCS Project lead says:
“This event is a call to action for all in the agri-food supply chain to play their part in the move from soya to sustainability, which is urgently needed if we are to reduce our environmental impact.
“Growing more pulse crops in the UK and using them in livestock feed would help tackle our dependency on imported soya while also promoting agricultural practices that benefit farmers and the environment. There are multiple wins, but it is not an easy fix.
“We need urgent and concerted action across the supply chain if we are to make a difference. I encourage anyone working in the agri-food supply chain to attend and be part of a movement for change.”
The NCS project is a four-year £5.9m research programme led by PGRO with 17 partners. It aims to enable UK agriculture to bring about a reduction of 1.5Mt CO2e per annum through increased pulse and legume cropping. The ambition is to increase pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK from the current 5% and to replace 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock feed rations with home-grown legumes. The NCS Project is funded by the Farming Futures R&D Fund: Climate smart farming, part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, which is delivered by Innovate UK. Project number 10043778.
Visit ncsproject.co.uk to find out more.
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