Who do we imagine when we say ‘farmer’? Takeaways and lessons from AgriFuture Forum

On 22 October 2026, I spent the day at the AgriFuture Forum, hosted by the National Farmers’ Union, the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society and Culture Roots Collective. The mission was simple: build agrifood, veterinary and environmental sectors that reflect the national population, foster belonging and make the most of diverse thought and experience.

The room was full of people from the Global Majority sharing lived experiences, bold ideas and practical suggestions for what needs to happen next. What stood out most was how closely the conversations connected: who gets written out of the story, who we picture when we think of farming, and who gets access to the sector all shape who feels they belong in it. Here are my four key takeaways.

1. The sector has an “omission” problem

We heard a lot about the omission of the Global Majority from the story of agriculture, past, present and future. Dr Ashok Malhotra’s opening keynote set the tone for this. His research traces the history of agriculture, food systems and the global organic farming movement, and shows how colonialism acted as an extractive force in agriculture in the 1900s. Indian researchers and workers were often written out of the literature on organic farming, their contributions erased and their role ignored.

The result is that we now fetishise certain ways of farming and eating, with no recognition of where the knowledge actually came from. 

2. Who do you imagine?

Marcus Ryder’s keynote really resonated with me. He asked: “If ‘Black’ gets coded as urban, what does that make ‘rural’? And who do we imagine when we say ‘farmer’?”

His talk was a reminder that our relationship with agriculture isn’t new, but our disconnection from it is. The Global Majority make up the world’s farmers, painting a more diverse picture of the food system. Yet British farmland has been racialised, even though it depends on diversity in its inputs, labour and knowledge. 

My favourite point was about language around agriculture. It’s not about getting “into” farming, because “into” implies you don’t belong. It’s about removing the barriers to access.

3. Access is legitimacy

A recurring theme across the day’s discussions was around the role of young people, and how we can enable them to participate in the sector. Unsurprisingly, access was the barrier everyone kept raising, because access is often what gives people legitimacy in a space.

The panel on accessible, equitable pathways for future talent added two more points. Education has a big role in exposing young people to the sector, and decolonising our mindset matters just as much, because it means being in the room and being able to challenge the way things are done

4. Celebrating!

The day ended with the inaugural AgriFuture Awards, celebrating Global Majority individuals who have led the way and continue to inspire change. It was joyful to see their achievements recognised.

The agrifood sector is full of brilliant, interesting people. We should celebrate the progress while being honest that there is still a lot of work to do to diversify it. For those of us in the Emergent Generation network, that means opening doors, sharing stories and making sure the next generation sees the agri-sector as theirs too.

Author: Mareyah Bhatti, Senior Sustainability Strategist at Forum for the Future and Emergent Generation Member

About Forum for the Future

Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability organisation. For 30 years we’ve been convening change-making collaborations in partnership with business, governments, philanthropy and civil society to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future in which both people and the planet thrive.  

You can read more about our work in food here: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/Pages/Category/food