ForumforAg Food Systems Podcast Summary

Welcome to the latest edition of the Food Systems Podcast, the official podcast of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture. In this episode, Alex Turk talks to Mark Titterington about his involvement with the Forum, the most significant changes he’s witnessed, what’s next for the Forum and Mark personally. They discuss partnerships and the Forum’s achievements, including the Call to Action and work on Financing the Transition. Finally, Mark reveals both what’s inspired him and what gives him hope.

Here is a summary of the conversation.

You’ve been with the Forum since co-founding it in 2008. Can you walk us through its progress, and what do you think have been the most significant changes, particularly in recent years?

It’s been a journey. We wanted to bring agriculture and environmental audiences and stakeholders together, as they’re inextricably linked – despite the polarization that existed and still does to an extent today. For many years, we focused on building trust and confidence in the Forum as a worthwhile platform.

We were fortunate to have Franz Fischler as chair at that time. Then in 2015 we took a significant step change when Janez Potočnik became chairman. We started to think of the Forum not just as a convener of people, but a convener of influence. We expanded partnerships beyond the founding partners, European Landowners’ Organization and Syngenta, to include change agents across the agri-food value chain and NGOs with European and global perspectives. This began to surface new ideas and solutions, leading to early publications on regenerative agriculture and sustainable productivity, and ultimately the Call to Action.

Then the Forum expanded its global focus beyond Brussels and the EU with the collaboration platform on agriculture, and then more globally to partners in Canada, Australia, and elsewhere.

How did you maintain momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID period was challenging, but it forced us to be more innovative. We transformed a hotel ballroom into a grand studio to run the entire Forum conference digitally. This allowed us to reach audiences not just in Europe or Brussels, but across the world, with 3,000 attendees from 90 countries. It was a real breakthrough.

Above – The 2021 Annual Conference studio

You mentioned the Call to Action.  How would you characterize that, and is it still relevant today?

It was a real step-out moment for the Forum. Previously, we had been a place for people to put forward ideas, but we hadn’t necessarily stated what the Forum itself stood for. Janez Potočnik deserves credit for pushing us to define what we believe and stand by. This led to a commitment to a resilient, sustainable, climate-smart, nature-positive food and agriculture system, viewing it much more holistically.

Our commitments also focused on scaling regenerative agriculture, valuing and accounting for natural capital, incentivizing farmers and land managers to invest in natural capital and productive capability, and ensuring sustainability and transparency in the supply chain reaching consumers. These commitments are as relevant today as ever and have been our North Star.

Above – Mark and Janez Potočnik discussing the Forum’s Call to Action during a podcast

You’ve been the face of the Forum for the past few years through creating the building blocks for  resilient, sustainable food systems: the seven Commitments, the Annual Report, the collaboration and partnership.  The expanded partnerships have been a strong focus. And there’s been a sense of urgency. Now, what’s next for you personally?

That diversity of partners has enabled us to draw on rich expertise and experience, and that’s come out in some of the work we’ve done. For instance, on regenerative agriculture and financing the transition. I share the frustration that the pace of change in the agri-food system hasn’t been sufficient, even though what’s been done has been necessary. However, I’m incredibly excited about the possibilities for the agri-food system, with new innovation, technologies, and practices, and increased interest and investment from beyond the value chain. But the Forum’s job isn’t done.

I’ve had a tremendous opportunity to take on the Director General position at Spirits Europe, an organization I’ve long admired. It’s a fantastic industry, grounded in agriculture, and it plays a very positive role in society. My role in the Forum will change substantively, but it will always be close to my heart. I’ll join the Advisory Council to continue contributing, albeit in a more limited but still impactful way. I’m delighted Emmanuelle Mikosz will take on my role, and I’m pleased you, Alex, are taking over as moderator for the Food Systems Podcast.

What are you most proud of from your time at the Forum?

It’s difficult to pick just one thing, so I’ll give you three.

Firstly, I’m proud that we’ve collectively expanded the Forum’s partnerships. So many great organizations have joined and become longstanding contributors.

Secondly, the Forum has become a trusted and respected player globally, not just in Europe. Our work on the transatlantic agenda has built trust and credibility in the US, and establishing the Global Forum for Farm Policy & Innovation has fostered relationships with organizations like Farm Foundation, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, Australian Farm Institute, and the OECD.

Third, a very personal highlight recently was the podcast interview with Jacques Naudé. He inspired me because he’s what we’re aiming for. He’s a former professional rugby player who bought eroded land in Central Portugal and, using regenerative agriculture practices, restored the soil health, biodiversity, and water. He built a successful business with minimal personal funding, co-financed by the EU and other sources. This story embodies the economic, social, and environmental transformation we aim for and offers immense hope – it’s what we should hold on to, and I certainly shall.

On behalf of everyone involved in the last 18 years and counting, a heartfelt thank you, and we  wish you every success.