Agri-Tech Week features a mix of in person and virtual events that are designed to showcase exciting developments in agri-tech.

It is coordinated by Agri-TechE working closely with partners across the innovation ecosystem and aims to provide opportunities to attract new customers and partners and to broker collaborations and international connections.

The programme for 2021 is being finalised, but some of the events will include:

New Anglia LEP, Lincolnshire LEP and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

Monday: Agri-food in the East of England

Opportunities for greater collaboration across the region will be profiled in this event. Hosted by three local enterprise partnerships it aims to share a new regional perspective on the strengths and assets of the agri-food sector in the East of England.

The event aims to provide a greater understanding of our collective sector strengths and opportunities, and the willingness across the food chain to engage in regional collaborative project. It will include those involved in LEP activities and research and specialist organisations working on agri-food projects.

University of Reading

Tuesday: Overcoming barriers to implementation of robotics in soft fruit

Robot Highways will deliver what is widely considered to be the world’s first robotic farm. A fleet of robots will perform a multitude of on-farm functions as one operation, powered by renewable energy.  The project, aims to ensure industry sustainability by addressing labour shortages, the need for global food production and reduce the environmental impact of the farming sector. The consortium draws together Saga Robotics, the University of Lincoln, the University of Reading, Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited, Berry Gardens Growers, BT, and Clock House Farm.

In this free virtual event there will be an opportunity to gain an update on this exciting project.

This event aims to identify priority solutions to overcome barriers to the adoption of robotics and will include a discussion panel featuring Innovate UK, University of Lincoln and Saga Robotics, as well as views from the grower perspective.

Agri-TechE

Wednesday: REAP Conference 2021: Changing Time(s) For Agriculture

Timing is crucial in agriculture, not just through the cycle of sowing to harvest but also for strategic decision-making such as predicting demand for perishable goods and automation to extend the working day.

The ability to manage and manipulate time is increasing. REAP 2021 will explore the many ways this is happening through advances in technology and breakthroughs in science.

Read more at reapconference.co.uk >>

Norwich Research Park

Thursday: Ensuring a sustainable future through sustainable agriculture

As extreme events intensify, the need for sustainable agriculture increases. The Norwich Research Park has a strong track record of work in this area over many years.  Researchers at the University of East Anglia were among the first to warn of the consequences of global warming several decades ago.

Presentations will cover aspects of  zero carbon agriculture, food security, biodiversity, climate resilient crops and disease control.

This virtual event offers a great opportunity to learn about innovations from Earlham Institute, John Innes Centre, University of East Anglia and The Sainsbury Laboratory.

RNAA

Thursday: Catalyst Farming – Exploring the Collaboration Triangle: people, technology and data

This event will provide a deep dive with Poul Hovesen and Dominic Swan of Catalyst Farming to explore the collaboration of people, technology and data and its impact on enhancing the productive, financial and ecological results of our farming

Catalyst Farming was founded by five Norfolk farming businesses: Holkham Emerald, Holkham Farming Company, NE Salmon Ltd, Raynham Farms and Salle Farms (Company) covering over 7,000 hectares with 700 fields across different parts of Norfolk.  It aims to harness the power of data to inform decision-making and to scrutinise, discuss, adjust and monitor current and alternative techniques and varieties.

NIAB

Friday: Carbon avoidance or carbon capture?  Which is the best strategy for Net Zero? 

This event presents two alternative approaches for achieving Net Zero.

Carbon avoidance strategies, focus on adding value by reusing materials that would otherwise have been sent to landfill or degraded to produce low value material.  In carbon capture the aim is to store or sequester carbon, locking it up in biomass or the soil.

In addition to experts from NIAB there will be contributions the NFU and organisations including:  CamBond, a Cambridge-based company that is using agricultural waste such as straw, fruit and vegetables as a replacement for plastics, and InsPro, which is using black soldier flies to convert food waste into animal feed and fertiliser.

The event will finish with a discussion about whether the two strategies will result in either true Net Zero or a compromise.

Agri-Tech Week is a partnership initiative founded in 2014 by Agri-TechE with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association.