A flourishing environment or thriving agriculture? A Roundtable discussion

Led by Robin Price of Water Resources East, this roundtable discusses the role of food production and rising environmental standards. Join the discussion to hear from our colleague John Patrick from Felixstowe Hydrocycle as he shares his experience of the FRESH4Cs project.

About FRESH4Cs

Suffolk County Council is part of FRESH4Cs, a freshwater initiative supported by the 2 Seas European Regional Development Fund.
Water resources in the East of England are under ever-increasing pressure due to the combined effects of population growth, the upward demand for irrigated crops and climate change.
This is particularly pronounced on the Felixstowe Peninsula where the Environment Agency has calculated that, even during the winter when river flows are at their highest, there is no additional water available for abstraction. Farmers estimate that they already need a further 1 million cubic metres to meet current irrigation demand and Anglian Water calculates that unless they bring additional water into the area they will have a shortfall in supply within 20 years. Unfortunately, any further abstraction could risk damaging the precious wetland habitats and rivers of the Peninsula.
To help address this deficit, Suffolk County Council is partnering with Environment Agency, University of East Anglia and Felixstowe Hydrocycle (a consortium of five local farmers) in the FRESH4Cs project, part of the Interreg 2 Seas Programme. Financial support from the European Union has been secured to part fund the construction of a pipeline and water management infrastructure to bring drainage water (which is currently pumped to sea) inland for irrigation and potentially for public water supply. The project builds on 5 years of research and development carried out by the Suffolk Holistic Water Management project.

About this Event

Do ever tightening environmental demands mean that higher agricultural output is constrained and that compromises in water allocation need to be made?

Are there already innovative exemplars in Eastern England or are people finding it difficult to balance the two?

What opportunities and incentives are there currently, or available in the future, and how effective will these be?

With abstraction reform, replacement of the Common Agricultural Policy with payment for ecosystem services, and a global movement demanding greener, cleaner, and more resilient food production, this round table will debate if you can have both or if, ultimately, something has to give.

Who and when: Hosted by Land Management 2.0 chaired by Water Resources East on Tuesday 28th July, 11.45-12.45.

Chair