What does fairness mean in the management and use of public agricultural land?
How can we ensure a decent living for farmers, affordable and healthy food for everyone, whilst also respecting the soil, biodiversity and future generations?
We are exploring how public agricultural land can be managed equitably, how agriculture and nature can support one another more effectively, and what new forms of collaboration are needed to achieve this. We are bringing these reflections into dialogue with inspiring real-world examples from the field.
Public agricultural land plays a central role in this context as a potential lever for a local, sustainable and socially just food system.
Featuring contributions from, amongst others, Yves De Maeseneer (KU Leuven), Fien Vansevenant (Zorgband Leie en Schelde) and Elke Rogge (ILVO), as well as a panel discussion highlighting innovative initiatives such as LinkedFarm, Loof en Bezen, De Tuinen van Stene and De Landgenoten, this afternoon’s programme offers both in-depth analysis and practical inspiration.
Who is this for?
The seminar is aimed at a broad, interdisciplinary audience:
- Academics from the fields of philosophy, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences and social sciences;
- Students with an interest in sustainable agriculture, ethics and policy;
- Organizations and policymakers active in the fields of agriculture, food, the environment, poverty and care;
- Farmers, cooperatives and citizens’ initiatives working on fair and sustainable food models.
Programme
1:00 pm
Welcome
1:30 am
Welcome by Erik De Bom, Acting Director of UCSIA
Erik opens the seminar ‘Ground for Justice’ with a brief outline of the key questions that will guide today’s discussions.
The central theme is the tensions surrounding equity in the (food) transition, with a focus on public agricultural land:
- What is fair for those who produce sustainably, and what is fair for those who wish to be able to buy sustainably?
- What role can public land play in leasing, access and local food strategies?
- How do we link care, territory and food so that public services become a lever for a local food system?
- How do we reconcile agriculture and nature through models that are both economically viable and socially just?
- What partnerships are needed to move from isolated interventions to systemic change?
He briefly explains that the seminar combines theoretical reflections with insights into specific initiatives that bring the just food transition to life, and in doing so he draws a clear link with the UCSIA Solidarity Academy.
1:40 pm
A just food transition? An ethical framework
by Yves De Maeseneer (KU Leuven)
The quest for justice in the climate and food transition touches on fundamental issues of (environmental) ethics: the relationship between humans and nature, our duties towards present-day society and future generations, care for the soil and biodiversity, and the question of how we balance conflicting values (care, freedom, profit, health, capacity, etc.).
Drawing on the concept of ‘environmental justice’, Yves introduces a framework to help us grasp the full scope and complexity of these ethical questions. When is a transition just? Who bears the burdens and who benefits? Who is at the table when decisions are made? Whose values are recognised and taken into account? And who bears what responsibility?
Professor Yves De Maeseneer is the coordinator of the Theological and Comparative Ethics Research Unit at KU Leuven and conducts research into ecological ethics from the perspective of Christianity and other religions.
2:05 pm
The equitable use of public agricultural land: An exploration of the link between public food strategies and opportunities for regional development within elderly care
by Fien Vansevenant (Zorgband Leie en Schelde)
Taking a historical focus on the Ghent OCMW lands, this study examines how the Zorgderij can serve as a model for a sustainable and equitable transition on public agricultural land. In doing so, it highlights the various interests and missing links required for a local food system to function effectively.
Fien Vansevenant is a healthcare innovation project manager at Zorgband Leie en Schelde. She researches, experiments with and manages ways to better support older people living at home within a deregulated environment through a pilot project. Prior to this, Fien mainly held design-focused roles at the large engineering firm Arcadis and subsequently spent some time at Spark Power, a start-up specialising in sustainable energy solutions.
2:30 pm
Farmers & Nature – From generic measures to strategic partnerships
by Elke Rogge (ILVO)
How can agriculture and nature truly go hand in hand in our changing landscape? How can the agricultural and food system be redesigned so that economic resilience, social justice and environmental sustainability reinforce rather than undermine one another? How can agricultural business models be economically viable, environmentally responsible and socially just all at the same time?
This keynote speech focuses primarily on revenue models for biodiversity and the challenges involved. We are calling for a shift from general management measures to strategic partnerships.
After all, nature on a farm is more than just a matter of numbers. Research shows that, whilst economic viability remains a crucial threshold, factors such as identity, stewardship and trust are the real keys to success. We are moving away from the idea that every farm is an island and focusing on the need for a region-based approach. Finally, we examine the opportunities offered by the use of public land within this context.
Dr Elke Rogge has been Scientific Director of the Agriculture & Society unit at ILVO since 2016. She graduated with a degree in geography from Ghent University (2001) and subsequently obtained a PhD from KU Leuven on landscape perception. Since 2007, she has been helping to shape the growth and research focus of ILVO-L&M, where she now leads a multidisciplinary team of around 55 researchers. The Agriculture & Society unit addresses a wide range of themes focusing on the social, economic and spatial dimensions of agriculture and food systems.
3:00 pm
Coffee break
3:35 pm
Panel discussion featuring a number of inspiring initiatives
Hélène Janssens of the LinkedFarm platform co-operative (TBC)
Linked.Farm is a co-operative (CVBA). Its aim is to organise the short supply chain efficiently and collaboratively, together with all the stakeholders involved: consumers, farmers, communities (schools, hospitals), chefs, catering businesses, commercial kitchens, food bloggers and other short supply chain initiatives, … Their co-operative aims to be an open network to make high-quality, healthy food from small farms easily available, at a fair price for both the public and farmers.
Tom Cnudde, Loof & Bezen CSA
Loof & Bezen is a CSA farm where vegetables, fruit and flowers are grown organically. Members help support the farm by paying for a share of the harvest in advance and coming to harvest the produce themselves. In this way, they work together to promote fair, local food, healthy soil and sustainable agriculture supported by the community. In addition, Loof & Bezen is also a recognised therapeutic farm, where people with mental health challenges can work in the fields and in the woods. Interaction, reciprocity and a connection with nature are central to this.
Kathy Belpaeme, The Gardens of Stene
The Gardens of Stene is an innovative 35-hectare food, landscape and agricultural park in the Ostend polder landscape. It brings together sustainable food production, nature conservation, recreation and agricultural education in one place. The park includes, amongst other things, the Biopluktuin, where hundreds of members harvest their own organic vegetables, a historic wet meadow landscape, trial fields for innovative crops and a food platform for short-supply-chain initiatives. In this way, The Gardens of Stene serve as an inspiring example of how agriculture, nature and the community can reinforce one another.
Petra Tas, De Landgenoten
De Landgenoten is a co-operative and a foundation that purchases agricultural land using funds from shareholders and donors. It leases this land to organic farmers under lifetime contracts. By offering farmers long-term tenancy agreements, they encourage the growth of sustainable agriculture in Flanders, ensure the continuity of farms and protect the soil fertility that has been built up for the next generation of organic farmers. They also manage land or advise landowners on how to farm their land sustainably. Furthermore, they seek successors for farmers who are retiring.
Michiel Dehaene will chair the discussion. He is a professor of urban planning at Ghent University. Drawing on his expertise in spatial development, agroecology and food issues, he will chair the panel discussion.
5:00 pm
