The Future of Food and Farming across the Shannon Basin

On Wednesday, we held our first event, which was an exploration of the future of food and farming across the Shannon basin.

It was a beautiful weave of farmers and people expressing their concerns, hopes and dreams - from facing the realities of short-term financial incentives, to excess pesticides and fertilisers, to recognising the need to go deeper into listening to the land and working in harmony with nature, rather than against it.

Together, we explored the Rights of Rivers model, delving into what it would mean for farmers, and how it could help support their work. Some concerns were expressed, especially around whether this would just become another piece of paperwork that doesn’t actually translate into change. However, what became clear is that the worldview underpinning the Rights of Nature movement - that of nature being alive, and deserving protection - was very much held in the hearts of those in the room.

We are deeply grateful to our funders @riverbasinmanagementservices and to all the support from our lead organisation @celt for supporting this event into being.

Find out more: www.shannonriverkeepers.org