Oxford Real Farming Conference 2025

Sustainable Meat: Minimise Transport, Slaughter Humanely, Stay Profitable

The decreasing number of small abattoirs negatively impacts animal welfare and reduces opportunities for direct marketing. This session gives an update on the current situation.

Marianne Landzettel’s book, The Sustainable Meat Challenge: How to graze cattle, slaughter humanely and stay profitable, shows solutions from the EU and the US: from farmer owned small abattoirs and on-farm slaughter to slaughter boxes and new ways of value adding through processing and branding. The presenters are working to develop a prototype small sheep mobile slaughter unit in the UK (similar to a US model), which would benefit in particular upland and hill farmers.

SFT’s Head of Policy & Campaigns, Megan Perry, will be one of the speakers on this panel.

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Grazing for Good? Livestock and Biodiversity in the UK

The separation and intensification of grassland and arable production, and the consequent loss of traditional mixed farming systems has represented one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss in the UK over the last century. However, well-managed grazing is key for a wide variety of habitats and species, many of which are endangered.

This session will look at some of the ways in which grazing animals can support nature recovery in the UK: by improving biodiversity outcomes in our farmed landscape, maintaining the condition of semi-natural habitats; and by helping in the delivery of ecological restoration projects.

SFT’s Senior Research Manager, Robert Barbour, will be one of the speakers on this panel and our CEO, Patrick Holden, will chair the session.

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Workshop – Working with Wool: Demonstration and Skill Sharing

This workshop will showcase the beauty and versatility of wool – introducing you to new skills and highlighting the role of wool in sustainable livestock systems.

This is an informal drop-in space where you can handle different types of fleece and learn about different ways to process and use wool. Try your hand at a range of wool-based skills such as carding, spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and more. All abilities welcome!

SFT’s Head of Policy & Campaigns, Megan Perry, will be facilitating this workshop, alongside one of our resident writers, Julie Baber.

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Land, Food and Spirit

As farmers, growers, activists and supporters of the agroecological movement, we often experience and are motivated by a heart-felt or sacred connection to the land. Yet finding ways to express this belief system or bring it into our daily work can be challenging. Are we overlooking a powerful and transformative tool that could support a transition to a fairer food and farming system?

For this session, panelists will discuss how recognising a more reciprocal relationship with Nature, alongside developing our own inner capacities, could help transform the way we approach food and farming.

SFT’s CEO, Patrick Holden, will chair this session.

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