I attended seminars dealing with such issues as how current trade models will need to adapt in a post-peak-oil economy; financing options for small-scale operations; and how different generations of farmers can connect to ensure the transfer of skills from parent to child.

The conference, for me, had two major highlights. The first was a stunning address by global superbrain Vandana Shiva on “Soil not Oil” that elucidated the effects of industrial agriculture on climate change in point after blistering point. Shiva’s presentation was so clear that afterwards, no one had any follow-up questions. The other mind-blow was a closing address by Cathrine Sneed, who came back from the dead to found the marvelous Garden Project, which trains ex-convicts to work in gardens. She was so moving that no had anything but applause for her, either.

Hilary Benn, British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, wasn’t able to attend the conference as originally planned, but he did participate in a debate about genetically modified foods that left me pretty uneasy. He rejected any evidence that GM foods were unsafe, and believes that they might be the key to feeding the world. Vandana Shiva tore his points apart in her subsequent keynote, but he wasn’t there to hear it, which was too bad.

I was also somewhat disappointed to see an utter lack of representation by the big British supermarkets — Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s et al.  For that I blame both the supermarkets and the Soil Association: It’s pretty counterproductive to criticize supermarkets (one question actually raised at general assembly was “Are supermarkets the spawn of the devil?”) without their presence — pretty counterproductive, in fact, to even think we can change the way food is sold and eaten in Britain without their involvement in the conversation.. When they’re not there, even if only to listen, we’re just talking to ourselves. Even though personally, I might totally agree with Vandana Shiva and Cathrine Sneed, it disconcerted me that they had no opposition in the audience. If we’re all yes-men, the food revolution can’t revolutionize. And therefore wouldn’t be any fun!