1.
BRIGHTON & HOVE’S
DOWNLAND ESTATE
Potentials to contribute to more
sustainable food systems?
Elise Wach

2.
Trajectory of this research initiative

3.
The context

4.
The context, cont.
21,870 people in food poverty in
Brighton & Hove2
Demand for local and ecological
food exceeds supply
Veg and fruit consumption is less
than half of what’s recommended1

5.
The context, cont.
Agricultural subsidies
due to change6
Water, soil and biodiversity
require more protection3
1/3 of farms under 50ha closed
between 2005 and 20155
26% of ecological footprint in
B&H relates to food4

6.
The Downland Estate
10,153 acres (4,109 ha) of farmland
Purchased via 1913 and 1931
Brighton Corporation Acts
to protect the water supply

7.
The Downland Initiative
- Developed in 2005
- 4 themes
- Agriculture and Land Use
- Access
- Wildlife
- Landscape and Education
- Agriculture and Land Use aim:
- “Establish a sustainable agricultural system on the Downs, with a greater
emphasis on local, healthy food production, diversification and farming
practices that are sympathetic to wider downland objectives”7

8.
Estate management
- Overall estate managed by Savills, based on Downland Initiative, in
coordination with the BHCC
- 29 tenancies, including AHAs and FBTs:
3,384
6,769
BHCC Downland Estate by Tenancy
Acres of farmland under FBTs
Acres of farmland under AHAs
15 Agricultural Holding
Act (AHA) Tenancies
AHA tenancies (1948 act)
Can be passed on for up
to 3 generations
14 Farm Business Tenancies
(FBTs)
FBT lengths range from 3-
15 years

9.
Typical practices on farmland around B&H
Majority is:
• Arable
• Livestock
Some is:
• Agroecological
• Agroecology ‘on farms’ refers to reducing external inputs (especially
synthetics), increasing biodiversity, building soil, producing healthy food

10.
Crops:
• Spring Barley
• Winter Wheat
• Oilseed Rape
Practices:
• Stewardship schemes  conserving monuments, monitoring birds8
• Lack of cover cropping  loss of fertility + contamination of water supplies
• Significant pesticide use  decreased biodiversity and resilience9
• Wildflower margins  food for pollinators, but compromised by pesticides10
• Fertiliser usage  Large amount of nitrates (45% leach into groundwater) 11
Consumption:
• Primarily for national or export markets
• Some barley used for local brewing (?)12
Arable farming around B&H

11.
Livestock farming around B&H
Animals:
- Sheep
- Suckling cows
Practices:
- Stewardship  conserving monuments, monitoring birds8
- Conservation grazing  protects chalk grasslands; healthy diet for ruminants
- Deworming / Sheep dip
Consumption:
- Some lamb sold locally (CSA and butchers)12
- Suckling cows sold to other parts of
country for fattening13

12.
Agroecological Farming around B&H
Products:
• Veg and fruit
• Meat, Eggs
• Dairy
Practices:
• Intercropping / companion planting
• Green manures and soil covers
• Integration of crops and livestock
• Natural pest management
• Integration of trees (windbreaks, food forest, orchards, etc.)
Consumption:
• Most are extremely local
• Some sell to Brighton & Hove
25 agroecological farms identified within a 50km radius of Brighton & Hove14

13.
Agroecological farming in the UK
• Yields15
• Comparable to conventional field scale for
veg
• Higher than average in some crops
(beetroot, kale, cabbage, carrots, broad
beans, calabrese, French beans and
spinach)
• Livelihoods15
• 3.2 full time equivalent farm workers per
hectare (annual work units, AWUs)
• UK farming average is 0.028 AWUs
• Access and Education
• CSA schemes
• School groups
• High biodiversity / vibrant ecosystems

14.
Case study: Fork & Dig It
• Cultivating 0.2ha (on a 1ha site) in Stanmer
• Producing parsnips, celeriac, kales, cabbages,
garden cress, chard, rocket, cos, lettuce,
coriander, garlic, spinach, oriental gooseberry,
carrots, potatoes, rhubarb, aubergine,
tomatoes, beetroot, courgette, redcurrants,
raspberries, etc.16
• Distributing 108 kg of own veg and fruit per
week17
• ‘7 a day’ for 36 people
• Average 179 people per ha18

15.
Who wants to farm?
• 20% drop in farmers between 2000
and 201019
• 1/3 of existing farmers over 65
• Yet enrolment in agricultural training
up 20% in last 10 years20
• Access to land is one of top barriers
to new entrants21
• Availability
• Affordability
• Appropriateness
• 125 individuals and families
registered interest in small-scale
farmland for agroecology in East
Sussex22

16.
Other councils…
Suffolk County Council County
Farm Estate23
Norfolk County Council
County Farms Estate24
Brighton & Hove City
Council Downland Estate
Size of
farmland
estate
12,947 acres 16,061 acres 10,153 acres
No. of farmer
tenants
94 tenants 145 tenants 29 tenants
Uses of
farmland
estate
 Farm-related businesses
 Community woodlands
 Allotments
 Footpaths
 Farm-related businesses
 Community woodlands
 Allotments
 Footpaths
 Farm-related businesses
 Community woodlands
 Allotments
 Footpaths
 Supports new entrants
 Affordable housing for
farmers
 Supports new entrants
 Affordable housing for
farmers
X Supports existing farmers
X No housing aims
Average return on investment for council farmland estates in England is 0.83%;
Some councils generate up to £2.5M surplus per year25

17.
Possibilities for the Downland Estate to
contribute to more sustainable food systems
• Dedicate a portion of the estate to agroecological production
• 122ha (3%) managed like F&DI  7 a day for people in food poverty25
• Even 1% could make a difference
• Next new tenancy?
• Portion of existing tenancy?
• Incentives to existing famers?
• Learn from other councils
• Collaborate with land trusts
• E.g. Ecological Land Cooperative26

18.
Time to discuss!