Our Commitment to Diversity, Equal Opportunities & Inclusion

This page explains how we're turning our existing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statement into a working policy. It is a starting point, not a finished product - we're working on a plan to shape, challenge and add to this policy so that it reflects what we can genuinely commit to and resource as a young organisation, not just what sounds right on a webpage.

We're currently seeking funding to build in the resources needed to explore if there are other policies that might be more suitable for our organisation (e.g a JEDI policy) and to run this as a co-design process with our steering group of young people.

Some of the language in this policy draws on the Voice of Youth Equality & Diversity Policy, openly shared by RAD HR, whom we credit and thank for making it freely available.

Our Commitment

Emergent Generation is committed to building an inclusive and equitable organisation that reflects the diversity of the rural - peri-urban - urban communities we serve.

We recognise that young people often face barriers to leadership, employment and influence within the food and farming sector, and we exist to create opportunities that centre their voices and agency. We also recognise that within the "young people" bracket, some face further barriers than others, and we hold both of those truths at once.

Under the Equality Act 2010, we welcome applications, membership and participation from people of all ages, and especially encourage applicants (18–35), who remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles across the sector.

We particularly welcome and encourage involvement from:

People of colour
Disabled people
LGBTQIA+ people, including trans and non-binary people
People from working-class or migrant backgrounds

We strive for fair, transparent recruitment, membership and processes, and will make reasonable adjustments wherever needed so people have a genuine opportunity to take part and thrive.

We will not tolerate discrimination. Everyone connected to Emergent Generation - members, staff, contractors, steering group, funders and partners - should be treated fairly regardless of gender, civil or family status, race, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation or disability.

Our Principles

We keep these short and plain so everyone, staff, steering group, volunteers and members, can hold them in their head, not just in a document.

Young people choose whether and how to get involved. Participation in Emergent Generation is never assumed or required - people opt in, on their own terms.
Our work starts from the wants and needs of young people in our network, and our funding bids reflect this.
We support young people to turn their passion for change into practice, through connection, knowledge and skill sharing events, opportunity awareness and confidence building.
We recognise that not everyone currently has equal access to opportunity, leadership and influence in the food and farming sector. We believe a resilient food system depends on the full range of voices and experiences within it, and work to identify and address the barriers that create this imbalance, starting with our own organisation.
We promote collaborative decision-making, in our own work, and in the wider sector we're part of.

(Principles 1, 2, 3 and 5 are adapted with thanks from RAD HR's Voice of Youth policy; principle 4 is adapted from the same source but reworded for our context.)

What This Looks Like In Practice

A policy is only as real as the resourcing behind it. This section is the one most in need of a co-design process with our steering group. The following commitments based on our current practice, what we strive to do and what we want to try and embed into our organisational culture.

In how we run Emergent Generation, we will:

Represent a genuinely diverse range of people across our website, social media and event materials - not just as photos, but as speakers, hosts and case studies.
Offer bursaries and subsidised tickets for events as funding allows, and keep them visible and easy to apply for, not hidden.
Think about practical inclusion at events: accessible venues where possible, dietary needs catered for, and quiet spaces for those who need them.
Give people choices in how they participate, not everyone wants to be on camera, on a panel, or in a big group.

In how we work with our members and the wider sector, we will:

Listen to quieter voices as well as confident ones, in meetings, events and online spaces.
Challenge language and behaviour that excludes or diminishes people, including when it comes from people or organisations we rely on for funding or partnership.
Create working agreements for groups and steering group spaces, so expectations are shared rather than assumed.
Build links between members from different backgrounds, regions and parts of the food system.
Use our platform to raise the profile of underrepresented voices in agriculture and food, not just talk about representation, but make space for it.

In how we govern ourselves, we will:

Review this policy annually with the steering group, and update it as our understanding, resources and network grow.
Treat this as a living document. We will not tolerate discrimination in the meantime, but we're honest that inclusion is a practice we keep improving at, not a box we've ticked.

We are in the process of working out:

How we set a target or review process for steering group and staff diversity.
How to be transparent about how decisions get made, e.g. who's invited, who gets platformed, who joins the steering group, who gets paid what.
Who will be the named person accountable for DEI within the organisation.
How to give members and steering group a clear, low-barrier way to raise concerns or suggest changes to this policy.

As well as points that we’ve not started to tackle yet due to the size and age of our organisation.

This policy was adapted from Emergent Generation's existing DEI statement, and from the Voice of Youth Equality & Diversity Policy by RAD HR, used and adapted with credit under their open-source terms.