March 18th-19th 2026
The Maltings Ely and Surrounding Countryside
Join us for a 'Big Tent' gathering organised by the Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub, exploring changing relations with land and land use in lowland England, drawing particularly on contemporary experiences in East Anglia
The Focus
Addressing issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation, whilst ensuring land use for food security and the needs of nature and people, pose major challenges in many areas of lowland England. The Fens, for example, is an area central for UK food production, containing an estimated 50% of the UK’s total Grade I agricultural land (NFU,2019), but is an area whose drained lowland peat soils are "among the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the land-use sector" (Defra 2023) and rapidly degrading in quality, while the area is also subject to considerable water management challenges.
This Big Tent gathering seeks to engage people from across farming, agro-forestry, land management, agri-food businesses, the renewable energy sector, community groups, policy makers, planners, and researchers from a wide range of organisations to assess progress in addressing the big challenges facing lowland England.
What to Expect
The event will include an address by Professor Anjali Goswami, Chief Scientific Adviser and Director General of Science, Data and Analysis in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as contributions from a range of local and national organisations involved in environmental conservation, farming, water management and research.
The event aims to create productive and creative discussions through a series of presentations and engaging activities, evaluating progress on these challenges and how lessons learn can be more effectively shared. Amongst the issues addressed in the event will be transitioning systems of agricultural production, land sparing and sharing, integration of nature regeneration and farming, soil regeneration, spatial variability in desirable land use change, water management, community engagement and collaborative working.
Participants in this Big Tent event are invited to share views, knowledge and experiences, plus consider practical examples. The event spans two days (18th and 19th March 2026), with the first day consisting of a field trip around Ely exploring farming systems and changing conditions and practices, nature recovery and water management. The second day, in the Maltings, Ely, involves a full day of interactive discussions, presentations, creative activities and networking opportunities.
How to Book
You can book a free place on either or both days here. Further details of this event, the Hub and earlier Big Tent events are available on LUNZ Hub website.
