The event, hosted by ARK, Northern Ireland’s Social Policy Hub at Queen’s, featured insights from a panel that included Dr Matt Williams, Conservation and Education Manager at Jubilee Farm (Northern Ireland's first community-owned farm), Tiziana O’Hara from Cooperative Alternatives, and Dr Aoibeann Walsh from Rural Support. The event was chaired by Dr Jonny Hanson from ARK and the School of Social Sciences, Education, and Social Work at Queen’s.  

Dr Hanson said: “When we include the land – and the weather – in cultivating good relations, we not only understand our history better but we heal from our history better. Nature and climate will define our ability to share Northern Ireland together in the 21st century.” 

During the event Dr Williams discussed the farm's role in building bridges between people from different political, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. 

Dr Williams commented: “Land is so often at the root of conflict and division. But community farming connects people to their local ecosystem of soil, plants, animals and other people. Engaging with the land together through volunteering and farm-based education unites people from diverse backgrounds as they experience home together.” 

Tiziana O'Hara highlighted the Cultivating Community Farming accelerator project and how this model of social innovation is spreading across Northern Ireland and its future potential.  

Tiziana O’Hara commented: “In the past two years, the Cultivating Community Farming accelerator programme funded by Co-op Foundation, allowed us to work with nine community farming projects across NI. We measured the social return on investment (SROI) of this intervention and for every pound invested in the project, £3.52 of social value was generated. In other words, the value of the investment was more than tripled and had positive outcomes in fostering community dynamics, enhancing skills and building connections as well as contributing to the environment and the economy in their area.” 

Dr Walsh provided an update on their efforts to expand social farming with refugees and asylum seekers across Northern Ireland, outlining the potential benefits of this initiative. 

Dr Walsh remarked: “Social Farming is a service delivered by farmers on working family farms, providing the opportunity for individuals with support needs to get involved in farming in a supportive way. Rural Support are engaging with the farmers involved to explore expanding delivery across Northern Ireland for refugees and asylum seekers with the recognition of specific benefits of participation including integration, cultural exchange, and language learning through meaningful activity. Vision, policy support, and funding are essential to realise this potential.” 

For more information, please visit the ARK Policy Brief

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