Groundswell Festival: Sharing Oxford’s Agricultural Research

At Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival, the AGRIIH marquee was a hub for all things agriculture resilience. Researchers from across the University of Oxford showcased agricultural research across disciplines, from soil biodiversity to agricultural policy and beyond. July 8, 2026

Written by Dr Jing Zhang

At Groundswell 2026, AGRIIH brought together colleagues from across the University of Oxford in a shared marquee. Rather than representing a single project, the space hosted researchers from Biology, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, the Oxford Martin School and beyond, showcasing the breadth of Oxford’s work on agriculture.

Coordinating a shared presence also created opportunities that would have been difficult for individual projects alone. By presenting complementary research side by side, we were able to spark conversations that crossed disciplinary boundaries and demonstrate how different approaches—from soil biodiversity and landscape monitoring to regenerative agriculture, agricultural policy and food systems—contribute to a common challenge: building more resilient agricultural systems.

The atmosphere throughout the two days was incredibly positive. We had the opportunity to engage with farmers, advisers, NGOs, policymakers, researchers and industry representatives, leading to many new conversations and connections. In particular, the two AGRIIH workstreams also attracted considerable interest. Copies of the UK Pulses Roadmap were distributed over the two days, while the multicropping workstream connected us with researchers, farmers and organisations already working in this area or keen to become involved. These conversations have already opened up promising opportunities for future collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Themes from conversations were illustrated in the form of a mural, painted live throughout the festival by Dr Cécile Girardin (completed mural coming soon).

More broadly, Groundswell demonstrated the value of bringing Oxford researchers together under a single banner. Having a shared space encouraged conversations that connected different projects and disciplines, while also making it easier for external stakeholders to engage with Oxford’s expertise as a whole. For AGRIIH, the event reinforced the role of the Hub as a platform for convening researchers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and building lasting partnerships with the farming and wider agricultural community.

Find out more about AGRIIH and explore the project outputs: Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub