Alternative energy experts and farmers are meeting for a three day fact-finding workshop to look at ways of farming without the use of fossil fuels. This is taking place at Home Farm, Goodwood, West Sussex, on 11th - 13th October.
The workshop, organized by the Rural Development Service with Challenge Funding of £57,000 from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will look at how farmers can source their own energy requirements and achieve sustainable agricultural production without fossil fuels.
The delegates (who are a mix of national alternative energy specialists and key stakeholders) will be asked to present findings on specialist subjects and the three days will result in a list of recommendations for Defra's Sustainable Energy Policy.
Delegates will be asked to present findings on specialist subjects and the three days will result in a list of recommendations for Defra's Sustainable Energy Policy.
Organiser Nick Cooper, of Defra's Rural Development Service, said: "Agricultural systems that rely solely on high inputs of cheap energy are unlikely to be sustainable and are certainly in the short term more vulnerable to sudden changes in oil prices. Defra wants to work with the farming community to reduce this vulnerability.
"Already we are seeing alternative energy systems and strategies being implemented and it is by bringing together scientists, advisers, the farming community and policy makers from Defra that we can start to identify further realistic options for change.
"This workshop is just one piece of the jigsaw of research and development funded by Defra that is helping to formulate the UK's sustainability policy."
Karl Barton Farm Manager of the Goodwood Estate said:
"I am very pleased that Goodwood Estate is hosting this Defra funded workshop, as the question of food production without fossil fuels is probably one of the key questions our generation will have to answer. It is paramount that we find alternative energy sources not only to prevent spiralling fuel costs but for the security of food production itself. The other issue that needs addressing is food miles. It is now being said that some Sunday lunches have travelled 37,000 miles to reach your plate. Even my own Sunday lunch with much of it sourced from the farm works out at 500 miles."
On Wednesday at 4.00pm, the Solar Heritage, a solar powered catamaran, will take the workshop party on a trip across Chichester Harbour. Solar Heritage is the first solar powered boat on the south coast of England and one of the few commercially operated vessels of its kind in the UK.
Solar powered boats have several advantages in that they do not create pollution through exhaust emissions, they do not create noise disturbance and their extreme stability makes them one of the safest forms of water travel.
Jane Hackney, Chichester Harbour Conservancy, said:
"The Solar Boat is a fine example of transport having very little impact on the environment, allowing people to enjoy Chichester Harbour in a really sustainable way."
