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REAP Conference 2018: Agri-Tech For A Productive Future
Wednesday 7th November 2018 @ 9:30 am - 5:30 pm

What is the future we want for agriculture and how can innovation help deliver it?
Is competitive, sustainable food production where agri-tech can make the most impact?
Or should we concentrate our resources on land use for something we can’t buy cheaper elsewhere? High value crops to support a bio-economy? Novel forms of food production? Enhanced ecosystem services?
Agri-Tech East’s fifth REAP conference comes at a time of unprecedented change, uncertainty and challenge for the industry.
We’ll be asking a number of technical experts with different perspectives what they think the future agri-food industry could look like and we will explore the exciting ideas and innovations that will take us there.

Programme highlights
Hear why you should come to REAP from previous attendees
Agri-Tech for a Productive Future - Speakers
Welcome and Introduction
Agri-tech offers new futures
Start-Up Showcase
Debate: “This house believes supporting land-use for competitive sustainable UK food production should be the priority for agri-tech innovations”
Closing remarks
Programme
08.30 Farmer Breakfast session – Engaging in the R&D Agenda (by invitation only)
Sponsored by Savills
09.30 Registration, Coffee and Networking
10.00 Growing the agri-tech innovation ecosystem
Welcome and introduction
Richard Anscombe, Chief Executive Officer of FramFarmers and Chair, Agri-Tech East Stakeholder Group
10.20 Agri-tech offers new futures
Sponsored by AHDB
Chair: Dr Susannah Bolton, Knowledge Exchange Director, AHDB
Decision-support systems and high speed computing infrastructures are two of the technologies that have the potential to increase productivity and shape the future of farming. Two exciting field-trials are discussed by:
Dr Zhenling Cui, China Agricultural University, Winner, Norman Borlaug Award
Prof Gerard Parr MBE, Head, School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia
11.30 Emerging Agri-Tech
Sponsored by BBSRC/UKRI
Chair: Kiryon Skippen, Hutchinsons
Speakers from leading universities and research institutes give lightning presentations about their research including: increasing efficiency of photosynthesis, how soil indicators can help inform land management decisions, and how radar data reveals new insights about crop growth.
12.30 Accelerating innovation
Sponsored by BASF
A hackathon brings together programmers from different disciplines with specialists offering deep-rooted industry knowledge. Agri-Tech East hosted its first hackathon this year and the outcomes in 48 hours were remarkable. Participants will discuss the learning points.
Paul Hughes, Director of Enterprise Support, Allia
Aaron Croucher, hackathon technical advisor
Charles Gentry, overall hackathon winning team
Richard Corden, Business Development Manager (Agricultural Solutions), BASF
12.45 Lunch
An opportunity to look around the technical exhibition and to network.
14.15 Start-Up Showcase
Sponsored by Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise
Chair: Nicole Sadd, Executive Director, RoCRE
Introducing some of the UK’s leading new agri-tech start-ups looking for investment, partnership, collaboration or industry insights.
15.30 Tea
16.15 Debate:
“This house believes supporting land-use for competitive sustainable UK food production should be the priority for agri-tech innovations”
Chair: Mark Suthern, Head of Agriculture, Barclays
For years the price paid for food has been disconnected from the cost of production; now, as the regulatory environment shifts, agriculture will be exposed to uncertain market forces. What future do we want for farming? Is food security and the supply of high quality, nutritional food incompatible with the demand for cheap food? Does higher productivity always mean compromising the environment or can agri-tech help achieve both? Should farmers go high-tech and automate to compete or instead diversify and produce premium products for the bioeconomy?
This is a chance to hear the views of diverse industry experts:
For:
Dr Dave Hughes, Head of Global Technology Scouting, Syngenta
Stuart Knight, Deputy Director, NIAB
Prof. Claire Domoney, Head, Metabolic Biology Department, John Innes Centre
Tony Bambridge, Managing Director, B&C Farming, former NFU Norfolk Chairman
Against:
Andrew Spicer, CEO, Algenuity
William Cracroft-Eley, Lincolnshire farmer and Chairman, Terravesta
Guy Poppy, University of Southampton, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Food Standards Agency
Ande Gregson, Founder and Director, Green Lab
17.30 Closing remarks
Dr Belinda Clarke, Director, Agri-Tech East
17.40 Networking reception
Sponsored by SmithsonHill
An opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of the day with colleagues while enjoying some agri-innovative drinks and nibbles!
18.30 Event close and depart
See some of the highlights of this year's exhibition:
Exhibitors:
A big thanks to our sponsors...
Gallery and feedback
Welcome to REAP 2018!
Sponsored by Innovate UK; bursary sponsored by AF
Take a look below through the image carousels for each part of the day, and read some of the comment we have received about REAP 2018.
Farmers Breakfast
Sponsored by Savills
“Many thanks for breakfast yesterday morning and the opportunity to attend the breakfast discussion. It was an excellent day all round with lots of thought provoking discussion.”
Agri-tech offers new futures
Sponsored by AHDB
“It was brilliant to be a part of the Conference on Wednesday – another thought-provoking and engaging event. It is always inspiring to talk to many new innovative companies, see future agri-tech possibilities, engage with academics and the agri-tech industry in our work, enable new networks for them and links to growers or researchers or catch up with familiar faces from across the sector. “
Emerging Agri-Tech
Sponsored by BBSRC/UKRI
“I wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic REAP conference. I thought the mix of presentations was excellent and pitched just right. The debate to conclude proceedings was also excellent and thought provoking.”
Accelerating innovation
Sponsored by BASF
“Personally, what I took away from REAP is the importance of the need to ‘collaborate to innovate’ and beyond – the need to ensure collaboration is at every stage of the journey to create user centric solutions. However, how to collaborate is a challenge in itself. I also felt a real emphasis on the right data and the right information rather than just any data (or big data!) in order to make informed decisions.”
Start-Up Showcase
Sponsored by Rothamsted Centre for Ressearch and Enterprise
“Thank you all for last week’s events, it made a fascinating change from day to day farming.”
Debate
“REAP was really good event for us and we are definitely planning on coming back next year and continuing to be part of Agri Tech Week.”
Exhibition and Networking Reception
Reception sponsored by SmithsonHill
“I made a tonne of useful connections and it was a great environment to showcase our technology.”

See you at REAP 2019 on 6 November 2019 at Rowley Mile Conference Centre, Newmarket, CB8 0TF