Reflections on Go Falkland 2024, Part 2

Attending Go Falkland 2024 was like a candy shop of ideas, challenges, and opportunities around rural futures, sustainability, and land use. It was the kind of event that leaves you buzzing—because you can see how everything is connected, which means the potential for real change feels tangible. But at the same time, the path forward isn't always clear. It's full of complexities that demand new ways of thinking and, more importantly, new ways of doing.

Beyond Short-Termism: The Challenge of Scale

One recurring theme at Go Falkland was the question of scale. How big do we need to go to drive transformation? The consensus seemed to be that change happens best at a bioregional level—a scale large enough to capture the diversity of landscapes and communities but not so big that it becomes unwieldy or disconnected from local needs.

There was also a strong recognition that national governments often get bogged down in short-term thinking—election cycles and immediate pressures trump long-term planning. The real potential for innovation lies at the local and micro-regional levels, particularly when communities are empowered to take charge of their futures. But that empowerment requires risk-sharing and collaboration, which isn't always easy to facilitate.

So, where do we start? One idea floated during the discussions was the concept of "bioregional financing facilities"—innovative financial models aimed at supporting land restoration, sustainable food systems, and bio-material-based regional economies. Sheffield, for example, has been pioneering in this space, blending energy and food projects in a way that supports both local economies and the environment.

Rethinking Food Systems: Are Supermarkets Still the Future?

Food, of course, was a huge topic of conversation. There's a growing recognition that our current food systems—especially the role of supermarkets—aren't working, not even for the supermarkets themselves. So what's next?

One model that stood out was the Galloway Food Hub, run by Abi Mordin using Open Food Network. This hub operates in a 60-mile radius around Dumfries and Galloway, connecting consumers directly with producers. It's volunteer-run, with most of the income going straight back to the producers. But here's the rub—it's not financially sustainable without external support, in this case, wind-farm money.

This raises a tricky question: What does it take to build a sustainable local food system? Is the answer to scale these volunteer-run initiatives, or do we need to rethink how we engage with large-scale retailers? Some supermarkets have adopted principles like refill stations and more sustainable practices, but these changes often feel like surface-level tweaks rather than deep structural shifts. The truth is, consumers want diversity and choice, but they also want food systems that are better for people and the planet.

Local Leadership: Moving from Talk to Action

One of the more urgent conversations was around leadership. Who's making the decisions that shape our landscapes, our food systems, and our futures? There's a strong desire for more local decision-making, but it can be about more than just local councils or regional authorities making top-down decisions. Real change has to come from the communities themselves, with local governments and organisations like Feeldwork facilitating and supporting.

A key takeaway was the need for place-based leadership that is flexible, adaptive, and willing to take risks. This means not waiting for perfect funding packages or national mandates but getting to work with what's available—like the community-driven food initiatives in Fife, which are blending sustainability, local engagement, and practical business models in a way that works for them.

However, as much as local leadership is crucial, it still needs to be resourced. Projects can't survive on good intentions alone—they need facilitators, project managers, and the capacity to scale. This is where the disconnect often lies: the desire to act is there, but without proper support, it's hard to sustain.

What Comes Next?

At Feeldwork, we're fired up by these conversations. We believe in the power of rural communities to shape their futures, but we also recognise that they need the right tools and partnerships to do so. We see ourselves as part of this solution—helping to create Radical Rural Futures by working with communities and organisations to build sustainable, resilient systems that work for people and the planet.

Whether it's supporting the rollout of sustainable food hubs, facilitating conversations around bioregional finance, or helping to design landscapes that are multifunctional and regenerative, we're here to make it happen. But we know this is a collaborative effort—it requires all of us to think beyond the short-term, to share risk, and to take bold steps toward a future that we can all believe in.

Ready to take action?

Feeldwork is committed to helping communities and organisations build their own Radical Rural Futures. Whether you’re interested in developing sustainable food systems, rethinking land use, or innovating around bioregional economies, we’re here to help you design a path forward. Let’s connect and start turning these ideas into reality.

Get in touch with us to see how we can work together to create thriving, resilient rural communities.