The CCRI was partner in the EU Horizon 2020 “Towards SUstainable and REsilient EU FARMing systems (SURE-Farm)” project between 2017-2021. SURE-Farm involved a consortium of 16 pan-European research institutions (from 13 countries), led by Wageningen University.
Amid concerns about the viability of EU farming systems, the 4-year SURE-Farm project built on the concepts of resilience thinking to develop a comprehensive framework to identify the conditions that enable farming systems to become and remain resilient to a broad range of current and imminent stressors. SURE-Farm addressed determinants of resilience, potential improvements to risk management strategies, drivers of farm demographics, and strengths and weaknesses of the existing policy framework. Its overall ambition was to develop a novel, comprehensive resilience-enabling framework that can be supported, adopted and implemented by key actors in the sector (e.g. upstream and downstream value chain actors and insurance companies) and by policy makers in their attempts to enhance the sustainability and resilience of the EU agricultural sector.
The work of the CCRI team focused on the effects and responses of the arable farming system in the East of England to the full variety of global and national challenges. It has investigated the factors and drivers that influence transformation of the farming system and mitigation of the negative effects of risks. In a UK context the purpose of the study has been to identify and evaluate the resilience of the arable farming system to sudden shocks and gradual changes, observing the capacity of the farming system to react and to generate robust, adaptable or transformable responses. It has also identified the tools that enhance the viability of the arable farming system, both from an institutional and individual farm’s perspective. The project has purposefully taken a multi-disciplinary approach, from quantitative surveys and data analysis to participatory approaches directly involving farmers, policymakers and stakeholders. The objectives and findings of SURE-Farm are central to understanding the various factors at play during this transition period and have direct relevance in strategically informing and supporting policymakers in their pursuit of a vision for a new English agricultural system - for the arable sector, and beyond.
The CCRI team was led by Mauro Vigani and includes Julie Urquhart, Rob Berry, Damian Maye, Paul Courtney Amr Khafagy and Jasmine Black.
Project Updates and Activities
SURE-Farm policy booklet published – East of England arable farming
As SURE-Farm is coming to an end, the CCRI released a booklet summarizing the key results and messages from the work conducted since 2017. The booklet reports impacts and recommendations for the social, economic and environmental context of the East of England arable farming system.
Special Issue of Eurochoices focused on SURE-Farm project
The latest edition of the journal ‘Eurochoices’ is a Special Issue that focusses on the EU Horizon 2020 project ‘SURE-Farm’ (Towards SUstainable and REsilient EU FARMing systems).
A new SURE-Farm Business Brief
The EU Horizon2020 project ‘SURE-Farm’ (Towards SUstainable and REsilient EU FARMing systems) has published a new Business Brief that aims to improve risk management for EU agriculture.
New SURE-Farm policy brief
The SURE-Farm team have issued a new policy brief on farm demographics and impacts on farm structure, which has been in part based upon work conducted by a CCRI case study focussed on arable farming in the East of England.
Summer publication success for CCRI researchers
Over the summer period, two papers have been published that have had involvement from a number of CCRI researchers. Dan Keech is co-author on a paper that will be available next year, whilst Damian Maye, Julie Urquhart and Mauro Vigani contributed to a paper associated with the SURE-Farm project.
CCRI welcomes Belgian researcher to work on EU SURE-Farm project
The CCRI welcomes Belgian researcher, William de Grunne, who has come to work with the CCRI on the EU Horizon 2020 SURE-Farm project
CCRI welcomes visiting researchers
The CCRI was pleased to welcome Bárbara Soriano and Dr Vera Ventura during the summer months.
Resilience vital for post-Brexit British agriculture
The EU funded SURE-Farm project has published a policy brief which outlines why a broader view of resilience is needed to ensure a sustainable agricultural sector in the longer term.
MEDIA COVERAGE – University of Gloucestershire researchers explore the resilience of UK arable farming
Media coverage for University of Gloucestershire researchers explore the resilience of UK arable farming
East Anglian arable farmers wanted for international project
The SURE-Farm project is seeking arable farmers in East Anglia to participate in research investigating resilience and sustainability of farming systems.
Understanding dimensions of farm resilience
Julie Urquhart and Mauro Vigani have been giving training sessions for qualitative methods for understanding dimensions of farm resilience at a SURE-Farm meeting in Madrid
CCRI researchers explore the resilience of UK arable farming in major EU project
Researchers from the CCRI are working with a team of European scientists to develop a novel resilience-enabling framework that can support policy makers and the farming sector to enhance the sustainability and resilience of farms and farming systems.
MEDIA RELEASE – University of Gloucestershire researchers explore the resilience of UK arable farming
Researchers from the University of Gloucestershire’s Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) are working with a team of European scientists to develop a novel resilience-enabling framework that can support policy makers and the farming sector to enhance the sustainability and resilience of farms and farming systems.
SURE-Farm kick-off meeting in Wageningen
The CCRI is part of a 16 pan-European consortium (from 13 countries) working on an EU Horizon 2020 project “Towards SUstainable and REsilient EU FARMing systems (SURE-Farm)”, which has just launched its official website.
New Horizon 2020 project SURE-Farm kicks off today!
The CCRI is part of a recently approved EU Horizon 2020 project, “Towards SUstainable and REsilient EU FARMing systems (SURE-Farm)”, which starts today (1st June).