
CASE STUDY NATURE FRIENDLY FARMING NETWORK
Advocating for a nature friendly farming system in the UK
3Keel worked with the Nature Friendly Farming Network to research, write and design the second stage report for their Rethink Food Campaign.
he Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) is a UK-wide, farmer-led organisation that champions working harmoniously with nature to produce food, fibre and other products from our land. For many years, nature-friendly farming has been building momentum in response to resource intensive systems that have driven our landscapes to degradation. NFFN works to bring farmers from Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England together to secure positive changes in agricultural policy.
Over the past couple of years, the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit, war in Ukraine, and global market turmoil have revealed the fragility of our food system. Many farmers are struggling to survive under unprecedented cost increases. At the same time, we have experienced the threat, and reality, of empty shelves and supply chain disruptions.
In response to the current moment, NFFN has launched their ‘Rethink Food’ campaign to advocate for a better food system. The campaign examines the challenges facing farmers in the current food system. It seeks to explore the role of UK farmers in shaping a better food system from the farm ground up.
In July 2022, NFFN published the campaign’s first report Rethink Food: The Need For Change. The report maps the legacy of the UK food system’s past, and explains why we need to change how we farm our land and feed our nations.
Between June and October 2022, 3Keel worked with NFFN to develop a second report Rethink Food: A Plan for Action. This report builds on the content of the first report to show how nature friendly farming is at the heart of a better food system. The report demonstrates how a transition to nature friendly farming can play a central role in addressing the interconnected food security, ecological and health challenges we face.
Based on first-hand accounts from farmers, the report demonstrates that nature-friendly farming is essential to (1) ensure a resilient food supply for the UK; (2) promote diverse and healthy diets; and (3) achieve net zero and nature restoration.
NFFN will use the report as the cornerstone in their campaign to influence the development of agricultural policy in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
“The 3Keel team has done an excellent job crafting our messaging. 3Keel hosted workshops with our advisory panel, and spoke to members of our network to make sure that the report represents NFFN’s vision for a nature-friendly food system,” said Alena Walker, NFFN’s UK Communications Manager. “This report will be a critical component of our ongoing work to advocate for a better food system.”