Lighthouse Farm Academy

Learning from the Future at the Lighthouse Farm Academy: Lighthouse Farms are farms that have reinvented themselves, and reinvented their farming systems, to new configurations that are ready for the societal challenges of today and of tomorrow. We can think of them as farms that “are already operating as if it is the year 2050”. In all their diversity, they show us future versions of farming that are both attainable and needed. We call them Lighthouse Farms because they are like beacons illuminating pathways for others to follow. For four years we have worked with the Lighthouse Farms, analysing and documenting their success through a diversity of research projects with 12 associated PhD projects, countless Masters projects, and numerous scientific publications. We are now ready to share the lessons we have gleaned on Redesigning future farming systems with the many actors who play key roles in today’s food system. The Lighthouse Farm Academy is a programme for professional education, for decision makers in the food system, who want to learn how to make a difference, or how to be the difference, in making agriculture and food more sustainable.