Are Farm Subsidies Doing More Harm Than Good? And... Can We Feed the Nation for Generations to Come?
Borderway Agri Expo is about celebrating excellence and innovation, but also tackling the big questions. With the event just around the corner, the anticipation is building, not only for the livestock competitions and trade stands, but also for the seminars and debates that have become a key feature of this event.
This year’s theme, “Making Meat and Money”, highlights the need for profitability and resilience both to be explored in two headline sessions with Government politicians, including Shadow Minister Robbie Moore, farmers and experts in farming.
The Big Debate: “Are Farm Subsidies Doing More Harm Than Good?”
Hosted by H&H Land & Estates | Ring 4, 10:30am – 11:45am
At a time of rising costs, food security challenges and environmental pressure, the 2025 Big Debate will be an unmissable exchange on the future of farm support, asking whether subsidies are supporting or stifling British farming.
Proposing the motion Northumbrian farmer Pip Robson, believes subsidies have outlived their original purpose and now hinder productivity. Opposing him Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat DEFRA Spokesman, will argue that continued public support remains vital for the future of UK agriculture.
The debate will be chaired by Adam Day, Managing Director of The Farmer Network.
Mark Barrow, Director of H&H Land & Estates, says “This topic affects every farming business. The debate will help farmers consider what kind of support the industry truly needs to thrive.”
Discussion Seminar: “Land Hungry, People Hungry – Can We Feed the Future?”
With Robbie Moore MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment
Hosted by Harrison & Hetherington | Ring 4, 12:30pm – 1:45pm
As pressure mounts to balance food production with environmental protection, this discussion brings together leading voices to ask one of the most urgent questions of our time: Can we feed a growing population while caring for the land that sustains us?
Chaired by Scott Donaldson, Group Director of Harrison & Hetherington, the panel will feature:
Robbie Moore MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment; Daniel Zeichner MP, MP for Cambridge; Nicola Renison, regenerative farmer, Cannerheugh Farm; Julia Aglionby, Executive Director, Foundation for Common Land; and Sion Williams, Director and Farms Manager, Bowhill Farming, Buccleuch Estate.
From regenerative practices to national food policy, the panel will explore how sustainable farming and food security can go hand in hand, and why recognising food production as a national priority is essential to the UK’s future.
Both sessions are free to attend as part of Borderway Agri Expo 2025 and will take place in Ring 4. The event takes place on Friday 31st October at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. For full details and the latest updates, visit www.borderwayagriexpo.uk