Members of Regather’s Urban Agriculture Task Force (UATF) recently attended the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre’s (SYSC) Annual Event, held at The University of Sheffield. This gathering served as a valuable opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, reflect on shared achievements, and build momentum for the future of sustainability in the region.

About the Urban Agriculture Task Force

The UATF is a Regather-led research group, focused on strengthening local food systems, promoting urban agriculture, and advancing food resilience in South Yorkshire. Through innovative projects, research collaborations, and community engagement, the UATF seeks to create sustainable, place-based solutions that address food security and environmental challenges.

About the Event

Attendees were a diverse group of academics, policy makers, local authorities and community organisations from across the region. Discussions were based around the theme of resilience, with attendees asked to consider a bold and urgent question of how South Yorkshire can become the most resilient region in the world. The event featured an array of inspiring sessions, including:

• A warm welcome from SYSC Director Rachael Rothman.
• A keynote speech by Oliver Harmer, emphasising the importance of partnerships, systems thinking, and regional leadership in fostering place-based resilience.
• A lightning talk by Roz Davies (The Green Estate CIC) on the necessity of co-designing urban resilience strategies with local communities.
• A panel discussion addressing the polycrisis – climate change, geopolitical instability, and economic challenges – and how South Yorkshire’s historical resilience can guide future innovations.
• Hands-on workshops focused on practical, action-driven solutions for strengthening resilience within communities, infrastructure, landscape, and food systems. 

Urban Agriculture and Local Food System Resilience

The UATF also had the opportunity to showcase a poster summarising key projects from its ongoing work under Project 2.3. This display sparked engaging discussions about the role of urban agriculture and nature recovery in fostering local economic and environmental resilience, and highlighted practical solutions for strengthening South Yorkshire’s food system. 

Key Takeaways

Several critical insights emerged from the event, offering valuable direction for Regather’s ongoing work in urban agriculture and food security:

• Scaling impact: How can demonstrator sites and pilot projects inform policy and practice beyond their immediate location?
• The power of storytelling: Climate action must be framed through hopeful, inclusive narratives – resilience should be a shared vision, not just a technical goal.
• Interconnected health, economy, and environment: A healthy economy is only possible with healthy people. The existing 19-year disparity in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) across the region underscores the need for systemic change.
• Recognising natural system complexity: From the Fishlake floods (2019) to Californian wildfires (2024), it is clear that environmental changes are highly interconnected. Our responses must be equally complex and adaptive.
• Embedding sustainability in education: Integrating sustainability early in the school system is essential for developing inclusive pathways into the Net Zero workforce.

Looking Ahead

The SYSC Annual Event reinforced the importance of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and actionable solutions in driving resilience. Regather remains committed to advancing urban agriculture initiatives that contribute to a stronger, more sustainable South Yorkshire.

A special thank you to the SYSC team for organising such a fantastic event and to Innox Dine for providing delicious vegetarian food to keep attendees energised throughout the day.

Exciting progress is on the horizon – stay tuned for more updates on what we can achieve by 2026!