The Norfolk Farming Conference returns to the county showground next month with a programme that reflects a sector under pressure but keen to shape its own future.
Taking place on Tuesday 10 February 2026 at the Norfolk Events Centre, the one-day event is expected to attract around 350 delegates. It will bring together farmers, landowners, food producers and rural professionals from across the region.
Organised by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA), the conference has become a fixture in the East of England farming calendar, combining debate with practical case studies and networking.
Keynote speech
This year’s programme is notable for its emphasis on value, resilience and communication at a time of policy change – including an opening speech by Defra secretary Emma Reynolds.
The opening speech will be followed by sessions examining how farmers can extract more value from their land, adapt farming systems and make their voices heard more effectively in public debate.
Other speakers include Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers; and Professor Jules Pretty, emeritus professor of environment and society at Essex University.
They will be joined by commercial and on-farm perspectives from businesses such as Raynham Farms and Mondra. Case studies from tenant farmers and environmental farming groups are designed to ground the discussion in lived experience.
Communication
The afternoon programme shifts the focus towards communication and influence, with a panel on enabling farmers to use their voice for positive change. It will be chaired by Karen Brosman and feature journalists, podcasters and rural content creators.
Organisers say this reflects growing recognition that farming’s future will be shaped not only by policy and markets, but by how effectively the industry explains itself beyond the farm gate.
The conference will close with a keynote address from Baroness Minette Batters, who led last year’s government-commissioned review into farming profitability. She will discuss the report’s 57 recommendations, adding to the sense that the event is intended to look forward rather than dwell on recent upheaval.
Run on a not-for-profit basis and supported by a range of industry sponsors, the Norfolk Farming Conference aims to offer clarity, challenge and connection at a pivotal moment for UK agriculture.
For full details and to secure your place at the conference, visit www.norfolkfarmingconference.co.uk