DOLEN FFERMIO

SIXTH FORM CONFERENCE: Thursday, 6 December 2007 at LLANFYLLIN HIGH SCHOOL

“PATHWAYS OUT OF RURAL POVERTY”

The morning began with a very warm welcome from the headteacher, Mr Carl Mincher, followed by 4 papers in full session:

Paper 1 Farming in Wales – a Future Perspective by Robin Benbow, a local sheep farmer and Food Security in Rural Development by Dr Ioan Fazey of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Paper 2 Aid versus Trade by Anna Jane Evans of Christian Aid, Wales and Martha Musonza-Holman from Zimbabwe

Paper 3 Dairying in the UK and Uganda by Richard Jones, Shropshire farmer and Chair of Dolen Ffermio

Paper 4 Goats – Pathway out of Poverty in Bangladesh by Professor Mujaffar Hossain of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh and Professor John Best of Reading University

The afternoon was taken up by 12 workshops, from which delegates were able to choose 2.  The title of each workshop was posed as a question and delegates were invited to explore the issues involved and try to come up with some answers.   These questions ranged from:  the future of farming – will young people want to farm?  What role for women in farming?  How useful are overseas links?  Who benefits from gap years and volunteering overseas?  How do faith groups address poverty issues?  Will central government initiatives deliver the millennium development goals?  Fair trade for farmers, at home or away?  What are the challenges posed by climate change and environmental damage in Africa and Wales?  Can the world be fed as population increases and resources decrease? What suggestions for the future development of Dolen Ffermio? 

One delegate from each workshop reported back to the full conference in the final session, with much thoughtful and incisive analysis.  Mr Mincher, in his concluding remarks, paid tribute to the response and attentiveness of the students and hoped that there would be some positive and practical outcomes from what had been a most successful day.