Insights and overviews of emerging trends from Agri-TechE Director Belinda Clarke.
As July 2022 has seen temperatures across the UK and Europe hit record levels, we are looking at climate-friendly tech to cool us down. Agri-tech demonstrated at Groundswell, the Royal Norfolk Show and Fruit Focus show that there are solutions emerging.
Although recent events, the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine have changed the landscape since the launch of Henry Dimbleby’s Food Plan last year, a strategy for food, farming and land use needs to have a long-term horizon. So, it was with interest that we reviewed the government’s response to the Food Plan.
Leveraging the interface between real and digital worlds – precision farming gets personal at REAP
Recent months have seen a noticeable increase in our smaller tech-focussed members seeking new CEOs to help lead early-stage ventures through their next round of fund-raising, or to bring commercial acumen and contacts to the business.
The much-anticipated AgFunder report for 2022 has landed, revealing the voracious global investor appetite for agri-food tech continues. UK-based deals reached £1.3bn in value, its highest since AgFunder has been collecting the data.
The phrase “measure to manage” is of particular relevance to the Environmental Land Management, where improvements in soil health, biodiversity and water quality need to be quantified
90 per cent of respondents to a Lombard poll were “somewhat” or “very” confident that agri-tech could help their business in the very near future. However, an NFU Mutual survey revealed only 14% were planning to invest in agri-tech. This finding has led us to consider a ‘hierarchy of needs’ – conditions that need to be met to enable investment in innovation.
It may work in the lab but what about the working farm? Over the hedge and comparing notes was one of the earliest forms of networking and is still one of the most effective in agriculture …. this year we are revisiting the grassroots approach alongside pushing the boundaries of the latest technology to keep the community connected.
The pressure to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is leading to some innovative thinking over electrifying agriculture
Time, agriculture and the climate are themes of the REAP21, presenting emerging agri-tech solutions for Net Zero.
Evidence that the agri-tech ecosystem is maturing has come with the announcement of a number of large deals
Clocks go back, this shift in day length and temperature is a vital cue for plants and animals to move into the next stage of their life cycle.