Groundswell 2026: From ideas to action

Groundswell is the event of the year for the progressive food and farming movement to come together to share practical solutions to the biggest challenges we face today. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, you could feel the momentum across the festival site.

Across two packed days, conversations repeatedly returned to a common theme: how farming can build resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. Whether the focus was soil health, agroforestry, farmer-led research or local food systems, there was a shared determination to find approaches that work for both people and the planet with organic widely exampled as a system that could take us there.

We proudly hosted sessions in our tent, contributed expertise to events in the Agroforestry Tent and celebrated farmer-led innovation through the ADOPT Support Hub in The Snug.

Resilience featured strongly throughout our programme

Drawing on data from more than 1,500 farms, our session on the state of UK farm resilience explored how farmers are responding to challenges ranging from drought and flooding to volatile input costs. Later sessions examined how policy can better support climate adaptation and how nature-friendly farming practices can help businesses thrive in a changing climate.

One highlight was hearing directly from farmers about the practical benefits of agroecological approaches. LEGUMINOSE trialists shared their experiences of reducing risk through diverse farming systems with regenerative grazing, bale grazing and diverse grass leys demonstrating the value of learning from what is already working on farms today.

Groundswell this year took place in between two red alert heatwaves – so the session which focused on climate change mitigation felt particularly pertinent. Using trees to provide shade for livestock and building diversity into grassland offered tangible evidence that resilience is not just a concept, it is something farmers are already putting into practice.

Organic farming remains central to the conversation

One of the strongest messages from Groundswell was the growing interest in organic farming as a proven, practical approach to delivering resilient food production alongside nature recovery.

Our session exploring whether organic farming could work for different farm businesses sparked valuable conversations about conversion, certification, markets and supply chains. Many farmers were keen to discuss how organic principles could help them address challenges around input costs, soil health, biodiversity and long-term business resilience.

As always, the most valuable discussions happened farmer-to-farmer. People shared experiences openly, asked difficult questions and explored what organic farming might look like within their own systems.

And while Groundswell is a fantastic place for new ideas, it also reminded us that the next step is seeing those ideas in practice. Visiting farms, walking fields and learning directly from farmers remains one of the most powerful ways to understand how agroecological and organic approaches work in the real world.

Encouraging signs from government

A significant moment came when Soil Association Chief Executive Helen Browning met Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds alongside representatives from across the agroecology movement.

During the meeting, Helen sought reassurance that the government remained committed to delivering an Organic Action Plan for England. The minister responded with "we are on it", which will be very welcome to all of us in the organic movement.

The organic market continues to grow, yet organic farmland has remained largely static. An ambitious Organic Action Plan presents an opportunity to support more farmers to adopt systems that are proven to deliver benefits for nature, climate resilience and public health, while helping build stronger markets for British organic produce.

The minister's recognition of healthy soils, nature-friendly farming and agroecological approaches reflected many of the conversations taking place across the festival.

Farmer-led innovation gaining momentum

Groundswell has always been a place where ideas are tested, challenged and improved, and nowhere was this more evident than in The Snug.

The ADOPT Support Hub sessions showcased the strength of farmer-led innovation, bringing together farmers, researchers and advisers to share learning from on-farm trials. Discussions covered everything from cover crops and living mulches to companion cropping, nutrient recycling and agroforestry.

What was particularly encouraging was the appetite for future research. Throughout the event, our advisers spoke with dozens of farmers who wanted to explore new ideas, develop trial concepts and learn how they could become involved in generating practical evidence from their own farms.

The energy around collaborative learning demonstrated that farmers are not simply adopting innovation but driving it themselves.

Looking beyond the farm gate

Historically, Groundswell has mostly been associated with farming and land use, but in more recent times some of the most inspiring conversations looked beyond the farm gate.

Our own session on Bury's local food system transformation showed what can be achieved when public procurement is used as a force for positive change. By strengthening local supply chains and embedding health, climate action and social value into catering contracts, Bury has transformed school meals for thousands of children, with menus now containing up to 25% organic ingredients.

It was a powerful reminder that building a better food system requires action across the whole supply chain. This is where the Soil Association thrives – joining the dots from farm to fork.

This connection was particularly evident during our Farm to Fork Ambassadors gathering, where farmers, growers and food producers came together to share stories and experiences. Bringing so many passionate voices into one place highlighted the importance of supporting people who can help tell the story of nature-friendly farming to wider audiences.

A festival of hope

Groundswell has always been a place to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions and learn from one another. But perhaps what makes it so special is the sense of possibility it creates.

That spirit was perfectly captured in our final event, when author and founder of the Transition movement, Rob Hopkins, invited us to take a journey to 2036. Through imagination, humour and optimism, he painted a picture of a future where healthy food, thriving nature, clean rivers and resilient farming systems are not aspirations but realities.

It was a session that stood out not because it ignored the challenges we face, but because it reminded us that the future is not fixed.

Reflecting afterwards, Soil Association Chief Executive Helen Browning said:

"One highlight for me was our final event yesterday, the panel with Rob Hopkins. His 'time travel' to 2036 was stimulating, entertaining, and immensely hopeful. It left me, and I think many others, with a reminder that we can strive towards the future we want and need, and that we should have ever more confidence in the role we play, and the way that we play it."

That confidence felt tangible throughout Groundswell - there was a common thread running through the festival: practical action, grounded in evidence, driven by collaboration.

As we celebrate the Soil Association's 80th anniversary year, Groundswell reminded us that while the challenges facing food, farming and nature are significant, so too is the energy behind the solutions. And after two days of conversations, ideas and inspiration, we left feeling hopeful about what comes next.