Talgarth Talks with Jyoti Fernandes

Talgarth Talks with Jyoti Fernandes

We’re delighted to be hosting this Talgarth Talk in our new building, The Old School, and to mark the occasion we’re offering a special edition evening with food, conversation, and a focus on farming and land-based livelihoods.

In collaboration with the HOW Cluster, this gathering is offered with local landworkers, farmers, and people working with the land in mind — a chance to come together, share a meal, and explore collective approaches to building fair, resilient, and ecologically grounded food systems.

Our speaker, Jyoti Fernandes, is a long-standing advocate for agroecology, food sovereignty, and land justice. Jyoti will explore farmer cooperative models as a powerful way to build viable livelihoods while supporting a transition towards agroecological food systems. The talk will look at how working cooperatively can help farmers diversify production, add value through collective processing, and reach new markets — including public procurement and institutional supply chains.

We’ll hear about inspiring examples from Brazil (including the MST movement), Italy, and India, where cooperative approaches have supported resilience, fairness, and ecological care. The session will also open up discussion around what a cooperative, agroecological vision could look like here in our own bioregion, and how these ideas might translate into local action.

This is a space for listening, learning, and discussion — rooted in real-world practice and shared over good food in our new home.

All are welcome, with a particular invitation to those working on or connected to the land.

Special thanks to the HOW Cluster for supporting this Talgarth Talk.

---

About Jyoti Fernandes

Jyoti Fernandes is an advocate for agroecology, food and land justice on behalf of the Landworkers Alliance and La Via Campesina – a global social movement representing 200 million peasant farmers and indigenous peoples. She is part of a collective running a small agroecological small holding and land justice activist centre based in Dorset, UK called the Land Skills Hub at Fivepenny Farm. You can follow her work telling Stories of Hope and Revolution.

@jyotifernandes23

---

Practical Info

Schedule: 

• 5.30pm – Doors open + food is served
• 6.30pm – Talk begins
• 8pm – Close

Cost: Pay what you can (suggested donation £5-10)

Register: Book a place or turn up on the night

Location: Talgarth Old School, School Road, Talgarth, Brecon LD3 0BB

Parking: There is limited parking outside the Old School which is ideal for those with access needs. If you’re comfortable with a short walk, please park at the free Talgarth Car Park, LD3 0PE

Food + Refreshments: a delicious vegetarian meal will be served. Hot drinks are provided. Local beer, cider + apple juice from Sobremesa will be available for you to purchase.

---

About Talgarth Talks

Talgarth Talks is a monthly open space hosted by Black Mountains College, bringing together people from across our communities to explore some of the most pressing questions of our time.

Join us for an evening of conversation, connection, and curiosity – a chance to meet your neighbours, enjoy a locally made drink, and take part in thoughtful discussions about how we can shape the future together.