AgriFuture Forum: A shared commitment to building a safe, inclusive and representative sector

beckygrove1
Sep 24
3 min read

Just yesterday, I attended the AgriFuture Forum in London on behalf of Emergent Generation, a one-day event hosted by NFU Education, the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, and Culture Roots Collective (which has just recently launched).

It brought together voices from across agriculture, education, community organising and youth development, all committed to making the future of agriculture more inclusive, more representative, and more just. There were a few Em Genr's participating too, so it was great to catch up with them!

Building on the Challenge Day I attended back in January, the Forum offered space for reflection, connection and action. Together, we explored how to attract and support young people from racially marginalised backgrounds into agriculture, and how to build a sector that would benefit hugely from welcoming diversity. As was said on the day, embracing a diverse pool of talent benefits everyone, things work better.

Key Themes from the Day

Representation Matters

From the opening session, it was clear that this work starts with storytelling. Hearing from Lharanya Somasundaram (Animal Aspirations), Nisbah Hussain (Equalinks), and Francisca Rockey (Black Geographers), the message was clear: representation is not optional. We need to see BIPOC heroes in farming, not just as exceptions, but as leaders.

Language, Identity & Heritage

The word “diverse” comes up again and again. How it’s used is important. Are we describing people, communities, or ways of working? How can we make sure people know what were committed to and that we're putting our words into action.

We were also asked to consider - what do we mean by “non-farming background”? What assumptions sit inside that term? When we start to move beyond a “white farming lens” and start showcasing the heritage that BIPOC communities already hold in relation to land, food, and nature - history is rich, global, and ongoing. It just doesn’t always get airtime.

Barriers: More Than Just Cost

While finance is a barrier, it’s far from the only one. Other challenges raised include:

Access to nature and green space from an early age
The time cost of getting involved - particularly for young adults balancing multiple jobs
Lack of equipment and social capital
A feeling of “not belonging” due to perceived qualification gaps
And crucially, trust - especially from parents and communities

Engagement & Relationship Building

Later in the day we joined the session “Listening, learning, acting: Pathways to Inclusive Engagement” with Bal Padda - Vicarage Nurseries, Shekyh Imam Mohammed Mahmoud - Prophetic Path, Lillie Aissa - Creative Climate Communications, Ganesha Bevan - Black Seeds Network.

A clear message: don’t build outreach strategies in isolation. Work with people already embedded in communities. Build trust through long-term relationships, not one-off projects. As someone said on the day: “Join their journey and galvanise their work. Don’t ask them to come to you first.”

Resource long‑term relationships and capacity. Not only “one‑off” events but sustained support. If you focus on one form of marginalisation that is ok, due to intersectionality it often helps many others. Efforts in racial diversity often intersect with socio‑economic, geographic, gender etc. So everyone can take steps in this work.

Inclusion, Not Just Diversity

This forum wasn’t just about representation, it was about shifting workplace culture, leadership structures, and power dynamics. If organisations aren’t ready to share real opportunities, such as director-level roles, then inclusion remains surface-level. Inclusive spaces require policies and cultures where people actually feel they belong. Otherwise, it's just PR.

Inspiration & Takeaways

A stand out quote of the day came from Bal Padda (Vicarage Nurseries):

“Your unique selling point is who you are and your culture. Keep the faith.” oh, and “You won’t make money in farming, but you’ll have the best time ever!”

You have to watch the trailer for the film about their soft fruits growing business too, Bal said we were welcome for an Em Gen farm walk too! Watch: "It's a Punjabi farm innit."

We also heard from Manu Maunganidze about The RACE Report and programmes run by The Aleto Foundation from David Villa-Clarke. They showed us that much of the work is already happening - we just need to resource it properly and take heed of the data.

Final Thoughts

Agriculture is a sector rooted in meeting human necessity. It’s something we all share, regardless of postcode, class, race, or academic pathway. That shared need gives us common ground to start conversations,

build bridges, and radically reimagine who gets to take up space in this field.

The AgriFuture Forum made it clear: the future of farming can, and must be be led by a diverse and representative generation. The work starts with listening, but it cannot end there.

Thank you Theeb, Jennie and Josh, this work is beyond important.

If you're interested in connecting with us on this journey, reach out at emergentgeneration.co.uk.

Thanks,

Becky (Director, Emergent Generation)