LOCALS from across South East Cornwall gathered in Lostwithiel to confront the region’s mounting food, farming and environmental crises in a high-stakes public discussion led by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and local MP Anna Gelderd.

Billed as a conversation on Cornwall’s “Triple Challenge,” the event addressed how the county can simultaneously support sustainable farming, ensure access to affordable, nutritious food, and tackle the accelerating threats of climate change and nature loss.

But far from a theoretical debate, the mood was urgent, with speakers and attendees warning that without swift, coordinated action, Cornwall risks failing on all three fronts.

The event heard presentations from a range of expert speakers sharing their experiences and insights from across the county. Themes included the benefits of nature friendly dairy farming, the importance of access to healthy food to address social inequality, to innovation in using the finite land in Cornwall for multiple beneficial purposes such as solar panels providing shade for grazing farm animals.

The event featured roundtable discussions that gave residents a direct voice, generating recommendations that Ms Gelderd pledged to bring to Parliament.

She said: “I teamed up with WWF to hold an event here in South East Cornwall, focused on bringing in local organisations and voices to address the challenges we face, to support farmers and ensure food security whilst tackling the nature and climate crises.

“This is something I hear about often from residents, so it was good to sit down and have honest conversations with a range of stakeholders about what needs to change.

“Thank you to WWF, Lostwithiel Community Centre and to everyone that came along. I’ll take your ideas and suggestions back to Westminster and continue to push for the change you want to see.”

The event was the first of its kind organised by WWF, which now plans to roll out similar forums across the country.