RSA Watch Belfast: Food, Farming and Countryside Commission

Join us for the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission’s RSA Watch event held in Belfast.

The RSA’s Food, Farming and Countryside Commission is an ambitious two-year programme, launching in November 2017.

Against a backdrop of change and uncertainty, this Commission is intended to help secure the future of safe, sustainable food and farming systems in the UK and to protect national environmental assets of vital economic, social, and cultural importance, for now and for future generations.

Northern Ireland has a thriving food and farming sector - agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for 3 percent of total employment and food and drink processing a further 1.7 per cent. But with uncertainty looming over a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland’s largest trading partner, what role will Northern Ireland play in the Brexit negotiations?

Progress has been made towards meeting the 5-a-day fruit and veg target but, despite this, 63 percent of Northern Ireland’s population are classified as either overweight or obese. How can we explore the connections between access to the countryside, the food we consume, and our health?

With the EU currently responsible for our environmental policy, what changes do we need to see to ensure Northern Ireland’s nature, countryside, and communities thrive alongside one another? The Food, Farming and Countryside Commission will involve citizens in a discussion of these broader issues within the Northern Irish context.

Join the RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission for an RSA Watch event as we seek to explore what these issues mean for Northern Ireland. In this special event we will kick off with filmed highlights from the Commission’s launch debate, and will go on to discuss the key ideas and issues with local thinkers and doers. The event will be hosted by Sue Pritchard, Director of the RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.

Join us as we seek to grow a new vision for the future of our food, farming, and countryside.

To read more about the work of the Commission, click here.

Join the debate #FFCcommission

Contact us: FFCC@rsa.org.uk

If you have any access requirements or require any reasonable adjustments, please let the team know: engagement@rsa.org.uk. Please also let us know if you have any dietary requirements or severe allergies.

Location: The Mac, 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast, BT1 2NJ