Farming in a Warming, Wetter World
Recent years have seen increasingly challenging and diverse environmental conditions under which plants and animals are being managed.
From breeding technologies to better forecasting, building resilience to more extreme environments in crops, flocks and herds are helping open new markets and protect supply chains.
Join us to discover innovative strategies for thriving in the face of a changing climate.
How is farming and the agri-food supply chain going to be impacted by a warming world?
With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record - and January 2025 continuing the trend - we’re looking at the role of innovation in helping the industry respond to this most pressing of challenges.
From breeding technologies to new farming practices and improved forecasting, building resilience to more extreme circumstances in crops, flocks and herds is key to helping open new markets and protect supply chains.
Agriculture is one of the industries most likely to be impacted by a changing climate – as animals and plants struggle in the extremes of weather, amid the expectation of continued supply and feeding consumer demands.
Join us to hear from leading experts – including researchers, farmers, agronomists and breeders – about their innovations designed to support climate change adaptation and mitigation.
We’ll also be hearing from the latest research – in a farmer-chaired “fireside chat” format – to find out what solutions are in development.
Key topics we’ll be discussing include:
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Predicting the unpredictable – is weather forecasting as good as it’s going to get?
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Pests and diseases – on the move
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Farming practices to help reduce your risks
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Modelling the future – new crops in new places?
CPD BASIS points
If you're eligible, 2 Basis /1 NRoSO points will be allocated to delegates for attending this event.
Cost
Event price for non-members is £65 (+ VAT). Member discount applies (depending on tier). Members need to login or register for an account to access the member discount .
Learn more about the benefits of Agri-TechE membership.
Agenda
Prof. Kevin Hiscock is currently researching the impacts of land management practices and climate change on groundwater resources through the application of groundwater models and my involvement with the EU FARMWISE and UNESCO International Hydrological Programme GRAPHIC (Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures from Humanity and Climate Change) projects.
Graduated from Harper Adams in 2011, with a BSc (Hons) degree in Agriculture with Crop management. Holder of the BASIS Diploma in Agronomy and HAUC Graduate Diploma in Agronomy. Worked as an agronomist in southern England since graduating, covering a large acreage of predominantly combinable and forage crops. Within Agrii is the technical advisor, nationally, for regenerative farming. Coordinates trials locally with a particular focus on soil health and crop nutrition. A hobby beekeeper in spare time using bees on farm to assist in observing interactions between pollinators and arable farming systems. Winner of Farmers Weekly Awards Arable Advisor of the year 2023, and National Arable and Grassland Awards Young Agronomist of the year 2024.
Originally from the Houston, Texas area, Chris has had a lifelong passion for meteorology and remembers wanting to be a weather forecaster from a very early age. He first came to the UK to study meteorology and climatology at the University of East Anglia as part of a study abroad program while attending Louisiana State University for his undergraduate studies. After completing his Masters’s degree in Operational and Broadcast Meteorology at Mississippi State University, Chris moved back to Norfolk and joined the Weatherquest team in 2005.
Chris Nankervis joined Howden’s Climate Risk and Resilience (CRR) team in 2025 as a climatology specialist. CRR brings together Howden’s deep (re)insurance and financial markets capabilities with a diverse breadth of climate advisory expertise. As a member of the Howden Resilience Laboratory, supported by Microsoft, he also supports services such as transforming large volumes of environmental, societal and financial data into actionable insights.
Holding a Doctorate degree in Quantitative Earth Observation/ Atmospheric Science from The University of Edinburgh, Chris has extensive experience processing a variety of meteorological datasets essential in monitoring climate.
Founding a seasonal climate prediction company in 2014, he led the development of the Re-Climate® API product, combining observations and meteorological data from the EC Copernicus Climate Change Service to deliver validated daily precipitation outlooks. These seasonal forecasts extended weather outlooks used in agricultural decision-making tools from weeks to months.
About the Chair: Alistair Cargill is a regenerative farmer and contractor in North Norfolk, Executive member Rural Economy Research Group, Belted Galloway lover and Sans Culottes. Passionate about the environment, education and everything French.
The latest research developments:
- Jon West, Principal Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research - "Effects of extreme weather and future climate on crop diseases"
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Graham Dow, Group Leader, Ecophysiology and Climate Adaptation, NIAB - "Genetic approaches to improve crop water-use efficiency"
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Toby Townsend, Senior Climate and Sustainability Consultant, ADAS - "Win-win-wins: Practices for climate change mitigation, resilience and profitability"
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Dianne Saunders, Head of Department, John Innes Centre - "Tackling climate-driven resurgence of a forgotten foe"
