EDP 30th September – Chris Hill Agricultural editor
The Food & Farming Discovery Trust’s 2026 Food Security Conference returns to the John Innes Conference Centre in Norwich on December 2 (Image: Katie Bence)
A new generation of Norfolk students has been invited to join a discussion explaining the complex challenges facing farming and food security
Sixth forms and colleges across the county are being encouraged to register for the Food Security Conference 2026, taking place at the John Innes Conference Centre in Norwich on December 2.
The free event will bring together up to 300 students and teachers to hear from experts in food, farming, science, research and policy.
The discussion will focus on the key question of how to feed a growing population while protecting the environment and supporting food producers – amid increasing pressure from extreme weather, rising costs and changing regulations.
Organisers at the Food & Farming Discovery Trust (FFDT) hope the conference will encourage young people to think critically about the complex issues affecting food production, while highlighting the diverse range of careers available to help shape the future of food and farming.
Frances Roberson, FFDT manager, said: “Most people don’t spend much time thinking about where their food comes from until there is a problem. This summer has been a stark reminder that food production cannot be taken for granted.
“Farmers are being asked to produce affordable food, care for the environment, respond to climate change, protect biodiversity and run viable businesses, often while facing significant financial and regulatory pressures. It is an incredibly complex balancing act.
“Through this conference, we need young people to gain a greater appreciation of those challenges and a better understanding of the decisions that shape the food system.
“We also want them to recognise the important role they can play as future consumers, voters, professionals and decision-makers.”
While the subject of food security naturally links to agriculture, geography and environmental science, organisers emphasised that it also intersects with politics, law,
economics, business, public health, international trade, environmental policy and scientific research.
The event is free and includes lunch. Teachers and lecturers are encouraged to register their interest, with places offered on a first-come, first-served basis.