Insights and overviews of emerging trends from Agri-TechE Director Belinda Clarke.
The agri-tech innovation pipeline remains full, and the need for activities to help showcase new, evidence-based opportunities to farmers has probably never been stronger. However the relationship between tech developer and early adopter needs to managed carefully to ensure both partners gain mutual benefit.
The need for more automation, improved methods of forecasting and prediction that can cope with extreme conditions, and new methods of seeing the whole picture and managing the fine details beneath have all become more clearly articulated in this challenging period. Managing at different scales is the theme of our REAP 2020 conference.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” according to Greek philosopher Plato, and never have we had more need of invention and innovation than in the middle of a global pandemic. Agri-TechE has long been an advocate of “open innovation” and this is fast-tracking a response to the challenges created by COVID-19
Two major reports show the UK is forging ahead in terms of agri-tech investment, diversifying into areas such as Novel Farming Systems, alternative proteins, AI, robotics and agribusiness market places.
Nearly 50 per cent of US crop and livestock production is located within 500 miles of St Louis so this is a good launch point for companies looking to engage with US food production.
Mark Sutherland, CMO of Missouri Partnership says: “We see many synergies with the membership of Agri-TechE and so are keen to broker one-on-one meetings and create networking opportunities to support innovation and productivity within the two clusters.” The partnership has a stand in the REAP2020 TechHub
Food Agility CRC is a $150million innovation hub that is creating new digital technologies for the Australian agrifood industry. Many Agri-techE members participated in the summit and wider mission. Talk to Breedr, Outfield, Yagro and Rothamsted at REAP 2020.
The existence of two simultaneous farming conferences in Oxford in January raises eyebrows to those not close to the situation. Why would there be TWO
We were so proud to be crowned Networking Group of the Year 2019 at the SME Business Awards. Helping our members is at the heart of everything we do. And now we can measure it, we can improve it even more.
The increasing interest from across the UK and overseas in engaging with Agri-Tech East, has meant that we have outgrown our name. Although our heart is very much in the east of England, our activities are not restricted by geography. So from January we are becoming Agri-TechE.
The Growing Better report not only sets out the scientific evidence and the economic case for transforming food systems but also highlights the $4.5 trillion a year new business opportunities this will create – this is very timely for the discussions at REAP 2019.
Farming businesses that participate in research have ‘first footer’ advantage when it comes to the adoption of new techniques and equipment but it also requires an investment of time and resources and this can be difficult to balance with the demands of the day job. However the benefits are far reaching it was revealed at a recent Pollinator.
We are on the verge of war…..a war on “waste”, which we expect to see increases in productivity, profitability and sustainability across the agri-food chain, and in which technology will be a major catalyst for change.