It’s not just Brexit. The future of European food systems is being shaped by many different – sometimes contradictory – drivers. The large-scale agro-food processing and retailing industries are increasingly churning out processed foods and degrading the environment. At the same time, more people are concerned about the climate impacts of agriculture and demanding better, rather than more, food.

Small farms are an under-appreciated part of the food system, but they play an important role both in Europe and across the developing world, and could have an even more relevant role in the future. Small farms produce considerable amounts of food and generate jobs for many people. They are dynamic, diverse and entrepreneurial. People are drawn to small-scale farming by necessity, but also for business, political and lifestyle choices.

This critical theme event explored the future of UK and European food systems through the lens of small-scale farming, drawing on the findings of the SALSA research project about the status and role of small-scale farming across Europe, including lessons from small-scale farming in Africa.