CCRI Rural Policy Conference
Conflict or Consensus? The Next Decade of Rural Policy
A one-day conference for policy makers, rural stakeholders and academics
Tuesday 19 October 2010, Queens Hotel, Cheltenham
The next decade promises to bring many challenges and innovations in rural policy making as societal debates about the future use of land, climate change, demographic trends and the threat of resource ‘peaks’ come together. With the recent election in the UK and the emergence at a national level of a form of consensus politics and with the backdrop of financial retrenchment at all levels of government from the EU down, this conference considered the likely consequences of these flows for the future of rural policy.
The event was organised by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), a collaboration between the University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England, Hartpury College and the Royal Agricultural College.
The event was preceded by four live on-line seminars (Webinars), which set the scene and provided background information for the conference. The conference was also structured into four themed discussions that focused broadly on the diversity of influences and factors that challenge rural areas at the current time. A cast of prominent key speakers were on hand to facilitate stimulating topical debate.
Richard Wakeford, from Scottish Government, opened the discussions on the subject of ‘Communities in Transition’ giving an overview of some of the challenges facing rural communities across the world and drawing comparisons as to how many of these themes were echoed today in the challenges to rural communities in the UK. His presentation looked at some rural communites in China, in particular the Chongqing region where reforms have modernised the rural community. Dr Kate Braithwaite from the Carnegie Foundation stressed the importance of ‘sense of place’ for people to feel they belong, and described what she argued as ‘six hot topics’ for research to help build communities and meet aspects of the Big Society agenda. Professor Malcolm Moseley of the CCRI discussed recent research projects conducted by the CCRI and how these emphasised that community participation needs to be personally rewarding for those taking part in order for it to be sustained.
The second session focused on ‘Food Security’, and Dr Damian Maye of the CCRI provided a contemporary overview of a ‘changing foodscape’ and how food security has become a topic of global concern, but how also debates on food security are inextricably linked to wider land use issues. Next was Professor Terry Marsden who discussed how policy makers were beginning to learn some of the lessons from the recent crisis in food prices and the barriers to decision makers realising the magnitude of the problem. He also outlined possible solutions to a situation of increasing food insecurity.
After lunch the third session considered the role of ‘Technology and Science’ on rural life. Professor Philip Lowe, from the Centre for Rural Economy, University of Newcastle, reflected on the work on the RELU programme in explaining the role of ‘scientists’ and ‘experts’. Dr Matt Reed (CCRI) considered the decline of the honey bee and the role of technology in re-shaping our experience of rural life through the example of cloned cows.
Dr Matt Reed at the 2010 Policy Conference
The final session reflected on the ‘Uses of Land’ with Dr Matt Lobley, Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter, reflecting on the competing demands on land use, emphasising that the use of land is one of the principal drivers of global environmental change. He looked at the energy inefficiency of contemporary agriculture, and the pressures of the rise of new forms of energy production in addition to requirements for food production and environmental protection. Mark Robins of the RSPB contemplated on the state of the planet, the failure of the environmental movement to inspire rather than scare people and the continued failure of some lobby groups to acknowledge the environmental predicament of our planet. The final speaker of the day was Professor Janet Dwyer (CCRI) who considered the key land use policy influences and challenges for the coming decade through research with which she has been involved and lessons from history and how new focal points, key instruments and approaches are developed.
The powerpoint presentations can be viewed on our website by clicking on the relevant links.
.Given the diversity of influences and factors in these discussions the day was broken down into four themes:
Land and its uses - given the projections about the need for increased food production, the possible use of land to produce biofuels and other industrial products, whilst at the very least conserving wildlife populations the pressure on rural land would appear to be becoming acute. This theme addressed these challenges and the ways in which policy can balance these often conflicting demands.
Future of food - in dialogue with the debate above, questions of food policy face a number of challenges in the wake of concerns about food security at national and regional levels. Whilst what can be considered a sustainable diet is being re-framed in terms of the carbon footprint and resource use in tension with food that speaks of the production rooted in a place and values. This theme considered how these questions may influence rural areas.
Communities in transition - rural communities are aging at a faster rate than the urban ones, whilst many of the new migrants working in rural areas come from other parts of the European Union. Faced with questions of the sustainability of settlements and lifestyles predicated on cheap energy, the potential for cherished landscapes being transformed by the discussions above and climate change rural communities are facing changes across a broad array of issues from demographic shifts to patterns of mobility.
Science, technology and rural life - recent years has seen a range of controversies that have brought into question the role of science in informing rural policy making. Increasingly the science that underpins decision-making – climate change, animal diseases, land management – is being contested. All of the debates above are informed by these tensions, this theme addressed whether there can there be a way of finding consensus about these topics.
Conference Details
This conference took place the 19th of October in Cheltenham and was preceded by 4 on-line seminars (Webinars) that will set the scene for the discussions by providing background information and a briefing on the latest research. The conference aims to bring together policy makers, rural stakeholder and academics, with keynote speakers and ample time for discussion.
Webinars
| Date | Activity |
| 21 September 2010 | Webinar 13:00 - 14:00GMT Topic: 'Land and its uses' View slides and audio View discussion text. |
| 28th September 2010 | Webinar 13:00 - 14:00GMT Topic: 'Future of Food' View slides and audio View discussion text |
| 5th October 2010 | Webinar 13:00 - 14:00 GMT. Topic: 'Communities in transition' View PPT |
| 12th October 2010 | Webinar 13.:00 - 14:00 GMT. Topic: 'Science, technology and rural life' View PPT |
| 19 October 2010 | 09.00 - 16.30 hrs GMT. POLICY CONFERENCE AT QUEENS HOTEL, CHELTENHAM. |
The conference enjoyed many prominent key speakers who facilitated stimulating topical debate.
Kate Braithwaite, MBE - Director of the Carnegie Rural Community Development Programme
Professor Janet Dwyer Professor Rural Policy, CCRI
Professor Brian Ilbery Professor of Rural Studies, CCRI
Dr Matt Lobley – Assistant Director of Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter
Professor Philip Lowe - Duke of Northumberland Professor of Rural Economy and Director of Rural Economy & Land Use Programme, Centre for Rural Economy, University of Newcastle
Dr Damian Maye Senior Research Fellow, CCRI
Professor Terry Marsden - Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning & Co-director of the Economic and Social Research Councils' Research Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society.
Professor Malcolm Moseley Professor of Rural Community Development, CCRI
Dr Matt Reed Senior Research Fellow, CCRI
Mark Robins - RSPB Senior Policy Officer
Richard Wakeford – Director General, Rural Futures, Scottish Government & Chair, OECD Rural Working Party
If you have any queries regarding this policy conference, please email Matt Reed or the conference administrators
