Now Fully Booked
Do sign up to the Pesticide-Free Devon
Mailing List below
For more information about the conference head to:
https://www.pesticidefreedevon.co.uk/
Welcome
It's becoming clear that the sustained use of pesticides across our landscape, for farming, environmental management and garden care, are contributing to a rapid loss of biodiversity and potentially involved in a wide range of human health and wellbeing issues that are, as yet, only just beginning to be understood.
For a truly sustainable, healthy and prosperous future, for our children, grandchildren and future generations, we need to transition to a pesticide- free lifestyle and economy as soon as we can.
We therefore want to bring people from across Devon together who are already engaged and interested in pesticide - free lifestyles and projects, so that we can meet, be motivated and inspired by each other’s achievements and knowledge, and explore how we can work in a more co-ordinated way across our beautiful county of Devon.
We look forward to welcoming you to the wonderful Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot on the 7th of June for an inspiring day of learning, sharing, organising and celebrating the achievements that we have already made on this journey
to a pesticide – free Devon and a healthier world.
To book your place, please fill in the form below to book your workshops and make your payment to cover the costs of the delicious organic and locally – sourced lunch that we will be serving. We will have a limited number of free lunch places available, so if you would like one of these please request. Equally, if you feel able to support the lunch subsidy, please do contribute at the Supporter rate in order to help others attend the event.
Below are more details about our inspiring Key Speakers and the Workshops that will be available in both the morning and the afternoon. Please scroll down
for the Booking Form.
We look forward to seeing you in June :)
Key Speakers
Guy Singh–Watson
Founder of Riverford Organics
Over the past 37 years, Guy Singh-Watson has transformed Riverford from a one-man operation with a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends into a national veg box scheme serving 70,000 customers each week. Tired of meetings, brands, and the assumption that greed is our predominant motivation, Guy transitioned Riverford to employee ownership in 2018, using the proceeds to buy a small farm and return to his passion for growing organic vegetables.
In line with his approach to business, Guy has always used his voice to drive change, championing fairness, environmental responsibility, and ethical practices. A long-time advocate for small family farmers and transparency in the food industry, he is now campaigning to expose ‘farmwashing’ by large supermarkets and calling for greater integrity and support for sustainable British farming. Through his weekly newsletters and public speaking, Guy continues to challenge the status quo, advocating for a fairer, more sustainable approach to farming and eating.
Like many of Riverford’s co-owners, Guy believes in using business to create a kinder, more considerate, and more sustainable world—reflecting the values that most of us want to live by.
Amanda Keetley
Executive Director of Devon Environment Foundation
Amanda is an environmentalist and marketing expert with 25 years’ experience specialising in strategy and communications. From 2015-2020 she campaigned to reduce plastic pollution globally via her non-profit Less Plastic and her book ‘Plastic Game Changer’.
In 2020, she extended her focus beyond sustainability to nature regeneration, launching Devon Environment Foundation (the first UK branch of the Conservation Collective) to channel funds to local nature restoration projects.
Amanda is excited by the multiple benefits that nature restoration brings and takes every opportunity to showcase uplifting stories from grassroots projects, to amplify their impact and inspire hope and wider action. She lives in South Devon and loves connecting with nature on woodland or coastal walks and sea dips.
Martin Wrigley
M.P. for Newton Abbot
Martin worked in high tech industry for over 30 years and has lived in Teignbridge for over 25 years. He is a former Mayor of Dawlish and has been involved in local community politics since 2013. Martin grew up in a Navy family and lived all over the world. Twenty five years ago he brought his young family to live in Dawlish and fell in love with the area. In 2023 Martin became Leader of Teignbridge District Council and in 2024 he was elected as the M.P. for the Newton Abbot constituency.
Martin said “I want to make sure that that people locally have a good home they can afford and a good future. We must look after the environment and the beautiful area in which we live as well as build a flourishing economy and a caring society.”
Workshop Information
1. Pesticides and Biodiversity
with Phil Sansum, Botanical and Projects Officer for Devon Biodiversity Records Centre
There is an increasing body of data which shows that insect numbers have declined globally and across the UK over recent
decades and that one of the major causes is the use of industrial pesticides. Taking a closer look at the available research
data, we will assess in more detail what we mean by terms like "biodiversity loss", "species decline" and "pollinator crash", to
gain a more informed view of the way in which pesticides are affecting pollinator, and wider invertebrate, populations on land
and in water.
2. Pesticides and Our Health
with Nick Mole, Policy Manager for the UK Pesticide Action Network
Exploring the health impacts of pesticides for producers, consumers and the general public. We will be looking at the different
routes of exposure, the potential for harm, with a focus on glyphosate. We will then go on to look at ways of reducing exposure.
3. Human-scale Pesticide – free Food Production
with Ed Hamer – Founder of Chagfood CSA
Sharing the journey of creating what is one of the longest established Community Supported Agriculture initiatives in Devon,
Ed will be covering the key elements needed to succeed in providing locally grown and seasonal produce to the surrounding
community, whilst maintaining financially sustainable livelihoods for those who are involved, without the need for pesticides.
4. Organising a Community Pesticide Collection
with Andrew Rothery + Anita Gorst of Green Futures Newton Abbot
We will share our approach to organising a successful kerbside collection of household pesticides in the Bradley area of
Newton Abbot and share the results of our Household Pesticide Survey carried out with the support and guidance of
the European Centre for Environment and Human Health which is part of Exeter University.
5. Landscape-scale Food Production
with Roger English, The South Devon National Landscape Team Manager and Andy Bragg of West Town Farm,
nr. Exeter
Drawing on their background of farming and working with farmers and other landowners, Roger and Andy will explore some
of the challenges and the many opportunities of reducing and letting go of pesticide usage on a larger scale to support
and enable food producers to maintain and enhance their livelihoods, whilst conserving natural habitats and biodiversity.
6. The Role of Government (Local and National)
with Jo Rice – Senior Casework Team Leader for Martin Wrigley M.P.,
Teignbridge District and Newton Abbot Town Councillor, Richard Buscombe
and Newton Abbot Town Council's Green Spaces Officer, Thomas Collard
Giving first-hand insights into the nuts and bolts of national and local government operations, Jo, Richard and Thomas
will share their experiences of taking the necessary steps to bring in legislation, policy and services to local communities
that reduce people and nature's exposure to pesticides in order to create a healthier and more resilient society.
7. The Role of the Arts in Marketing “Pesticide – Free”
with Simon Heath – Ecotherapist, Teacher and Graphic Designer
Beginning with a viewing of the incredible eco-arts film "Lemon and Lime" made by local artist Catherine Browning, we will
then explore how visual art and graphic design can support the promotion of a pesticide - free culture using examples from
Green Futures initiatives that we have developed.
8. Alternatives to Pesticides in the Garden, the Allotment and the Neighbourhood
with Tim Callard, Chair of Newton Abbot and District Co-operative Allotment Association (NADCAA) and
Steve Garlick, Secretary of NADCAA.
Pestcidies have been successfully used to control unwanted plants, insects, moluscs and other organisms in gardens
and allotments over the last 75 years, but at the cost of damaging the wider ecosystem and probably impacting on
our health as well. The big challenge is therefore to find plant protection methods that have the same efficacy as
industrial pesticides. Based on our 40 years experience of managing productive allotments without using pesticides,
we will introduce the key principles of what works, along with some anecdotes of what has been less successful!
There will be 1 Workshop slot in the morning session and 1 in the afternoon,
please see the Booking Form to make your choices.
We are now Fully Booked,
but do add your details
to be included in our
Pesticide-Free Devon Network
mailing list for future events.
If your form doesn't submit properly (a received message will appear under the Submit button), please try leaving it for a minute and pressing "Submit" again. If you still don't get the Submit message, please email us for assistance at :
Conference@greenfutures-newtonabbot.co.uk
- we don't want to let quirky tech get inthe way of you coming to the Conference :)
For more information about the event
please email:
info@greenfutures-newton abbot.co.ukd
For any booking enquiries please email:
conference@greenfutures-newtonabbot.co.uk
The Courtenay Centre is 5 minutes walk from the Bus Station and 15 minutes walk from Newton Abbot Train Station, with plenty of car-parking nearby. We will send you more details with your booking.
For All Our Futures
