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REAP Conference 2021: Changing Time(s) For Agriculture
Wednesday 10th November 2021 @ 9:00 am - 5:15 pm

Save the date: REAP 2022 will be on Tuesday 8th November
Imagine a world where agriculture is not constrained by time
Timing is crucial in agriculture, through the cycle of sowing to harvest and calving to slaughter, 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, and REAP 2021 explored the many ways this is happening through advances in technology and breakthroughs in science.
The adoption of innovation is getting faster. By 2030 over 80% of rural areas across the world will have connectivity, with frontier systems like LEO satellites promising faster communications.
Putting the speed of fibre optic connections in the air will open up access to a new generation of agri-tech, as low latency and high-resolution near-earth observation are essential for many agri-tech applications.
Additionally, knowledge of the role of circadian rhythms for controlling ripening, reproduction, response to disease and medication may create the opportunity to time-shift – enabling ‘spring’ lamb all year, offering multiple harvests, increasing the shelf-life of fruit and vegetables by weeks and mitigating the impact of climate change.
What are the implications for agricultural business models and supply chains in a world without time constrictions?

Programme
Pre-REAP reception for farmer delegates: Tuesday 9th November 16:00-18:00:
‘The Carbon Conversation’ – the enabling technologies, business models, economics and learning points from the road to carbon neutral (by invitation only).
The Exhibition and International Café have live sessions throughout the day.
9:00 Opening time
9:00 – 9:15 International Café:
Trendlines (Singapore)
09:30 Welcome and Introduction
Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE
John Barrett, Director of Sentry and Chair of the Agri-TechE Stakeholder Group
09:45 Keynote Session
Sponsored by AHDB
Chaired by Susannah Bolton, Research Director, AHDB
Precision agriculture is becoming more precise. For millennia, day length and temperature have created a seasonal calendar of farming events – now ground-breaking research has revealed how to manipulate the biological response to time. When combined with space-tech advances in earth observation, positioning and connectivity this discovery is opening a new window on a sustainable future.
Different perspectives will be provided by two inspirational speakers:
Chronoculture, using circadian biology to improve yield and sustainability
Alex Webb, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Ecosystem analysis – combining old and new knowledge
Jan-Erik Petersen, European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen
11:00 Break time
11:10 International Café and Exhibition
The International Café is sponsored by Barclays Eagle Labs
The agri-tech ecosystem is expanding rapidly, so whatever your challenge there will be like-minded people at REAP wanting to explore the solutions. If you are looking for partners, collaborators, distributors or customers then visit the exhibition. For opportunities in the US, Europe, Far East or Middle East markets then visit the International café. Or play the wild card and try speed networking to meet someone new.
The International Café is the place to drop into to find out about agri-tech in different markets. You might be looking for partners, collaborators, distributors or customers – or just wanting to know about the challenges and opportunities in different countries. We’ll be hosting international agri-tech missions from key markets in the café, so stop by the Departure Lounge and join the “flight” to find out more about overseas agri-tech.
11:10 – 11:25 Live exhibition session:
Small Robot Company
11:10 – 11:25 International Café:
Oost NL (Netherlands)
11:25 – 11:40 Live exhibition session:
AHDB
11:25 – 11:40 International Café:
Abu Dhabi Investment Office (UAE)
11:40 In the Beginning – there is Emerging Agri-Tech
Sponsored by BBSRC
Chaired by James Phillips, Senior Portfolio Manager – Agri-food Business & Innovation, BBSRC
Join us in the lab to hear first-hand from scientists about how they hope their research will make a difference in the industry. We’ve asked all our speakers to share their discoveries, based around a specific date, time or event that has inspired their work. This is your chance to peek into the pipeline of research with the potential for farmer impact.
11:40 – 11:55 Live exhibition session:
Agrimetrics
11:55 – 12:10 Live exhibition session:
Wyld Networks
12:40 Lunch time
A chance to explore the exhibition, International Café and network
13:00 – 13:15 Live exhibition session:
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
13:00 – 13:15 International Café:
Research Triangle Regional Partnership (USA)
13:15 – 13:30 Live exhibition session:
ADAS
13:30 – 13:45 Live exhibition session:
Rothamsted Enterprise
13:45 – 14:00 International Café:
Western Growers Association (USA)
13:45 – 14:00 Live exhibition session:
Pherosyn
14:00 Accelerating Agri-Tech Innovation – with the Start-Up Showcase
Sponsored by Rothamsted Enterprises
Chaired by Nicole Sadd, CEO, Rothamsted Enterprises
Our ever-popular Start-Up Showcase features a line-up of some of the most exciting early-stage agri-tech ventures. They are building businesses around technologies from pollination innovation to data services, and agri-robotics to diagnostics. Some are seeking investment, some are seeking your advice and input, others might be wanting trials partners, and some are already at market. Who from the cohort of REAP 2021 will make it into the Agri-TechE Hall of Fame?
15:00 Break time
A chance to explore the exhibition, International Café and network
15:10 Back to the Future – The Sofa Session
Chaired by Vicky Foster, Head of the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO)
The Sofa Session is the time to take stock and look forward. Disruptive technology impacts business models and value chains – what are the implications for the ideas and innovations discussed in the conference? How near to market are they? What new opportunities do they offer? And how quickly? Building on our industry insights and the outputs of our design workshop looking forward to a net zero future by 2020, this session will also ask the speakers to project forward to a new world enabled by technology.
Farmer: Tom Pearson, Manor Farm, Caxton
Agronomist: Ed Ford, Technical Agronomist, Dyson Farming
Scientist: Paul Kersey, Deputy Director of Science, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew
Technologist: Andrew Tewkesbury, Solutions Consultant, Connected Intelligence, Airbus
Vet and investor: Matthew Dobbs, Digital Practice Lead for Stonehaven
16:25 In the Long Run – Closing Comments
As formal proceedings of REAP 2021 draw to a close, we “clock off” with some final thoughts and invite delegates to continue networking, have further online chats, check their meeting programme and gather their post-REAP thoughts.
Belinda Clarke, Director, Agri-TechE
16:40 International Café
The International Café is sponsored by Barclays Eagle Labs
Last chance to explore the exhibition, International Café and network
17:15 Closing time
16:40 – 16:55 International Café:
Missouri Partnership / World Trade Center St Louis (USA)
Thursday 11th November
The event will be open until 4pm where you will be able to continue networking and re-watch the sessions.
Speakers and Chairs
Sponsors
Sponsorship packages include up to 3 complimentary tickets for the conference and an exhibition stand, as well as name-checks in the pre-event communications and your organisation and logo in the post-conference report. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of REAP 2021, let’s have a chat!
Bursary application
The AF Group is delighted to be once again supporting REAP with bursaries to allow farmers and growers to attend the conference for the discounted rate of £50 (+VAT) per delegate. Anyone in the UK who is a grower or farmer, or who is in full-time education in agriculture (or an agriculture-related discipline such as plant science, agri-engineering, environmental sciences etc.) is eligible to apply.
REAP aims to inspire new thinking, and the availability of a bursary kindly sponsored by The AF Group, the UK’s largest agricultural purchasing co-operative, encourages farmers, growers and agricultural students to attend.
The closing date for applications was Friday 22 October 2021.
5 Basis CPD points will be available for attendees this event – link to register will be shared on the day.
These are some of the responses from bursary applicants to the question:
Why is agricultural innovation important in your business or future career, and what are the opportunities you see to implement the thinking from the REAP conference in your future?
“Innovation will be the only way we can meet our climate objectives, be it collaboratively or with personalised data. Real-time management will take more centre stage going forward as we react to changing weather.”
– Farmer
“Our role is to advise our landowners and help them achieve their aims. These include rebuilding soils, carbon capture and net zero for their farms, alongside sustainable profit and biodiversity. My aim is to bring opportunities, innovation and ideas to them to help them achieve their goals.”
– Contract farmer
“I’m always interested in ideas for the future as farming needs to change.”
– Farmer
“I am keen to use my scientific background to contribute towards making positive changes in this area in my future career. I believe the REAP conference would be an opportunity to learn more about current innovations and future goals and ideas. I would really appreciate the chance to hear from experts from both sides, science and agriculture, as I believe that sharing knowledge and collaboration is key to making progress in the right direction”
– PhD Student
“Agriculture innovation is hugely important in giving us as farm managers the tools to efficiently and effectively manage our farms in the modern farming era. It is fast paced, with hugely important weather-restricted decisions needing to be made at the drop of a hat. Understanding and then using data is everything – if we cannot measure it we cannot manage it. I can see the success of our innovators over the next few years is going to play a huge part on our farm and determine how successful our farm will be in years to come.”
– Farmer
Exhibition
Gold
exhibitors
Silver exhibitors
Sponsor exhibitors
International Café
Sponsored by Eagle Labs
At REAP 2021 we are featuring a new International Café, where delegates will be able to explore business opportunities in other markets.
With international missions, trade and business visits severely restricted, the REAP International Café will give organisations from around the world the chance to make connections, showcase capabilities and promote the opportunities available to investors, researchers and entrepreneurs.
And conference visitors will be encouraged to attend the Café throughout the day, with regular calls to go to the ‘Departure Lounge’ to see and hear live presentations from each of our international delegations.
If you’re keen to explore overseas opportunities, meet potential collaborators, or get a feel for tech and innovation in other markets, the International Café is the place for you at this year’s REAP Conference.
We’re looking forward to renewing old acquaintances from Europe, North America and further afield, and making new friends from other regions. So make sure you pop into the Café during the day, and listen out for alerts letting you know when the delegations will be speaking live.
Some of the international organisations presenting will include:
Live sessions throughout the day
9:00 – 9:15 Trendlines (Singapore)
11:10 – 11:25 Oost NL (Netherlands)
11:25 – 11:40 Abu Dhabi Investment Office (UAE)
13:00 – 13:15 Research Triangle Regional Partnership (USA)
13:45 – 14:00 Western Growers Association (USA)
16:40 – 16:55 Missouri Partnership / World Trade Center St Louis (USA)
Find out more about the International Cafe in this video:
In the Beginning – there is Emerging Agri-Tech
Sponsored by BBSRC
Join us in the lab to hear first-hand from scientists about how they hope their research will make a difference in the industry. We’ve asked all our speakers to share their discoveries, based around a specific date, time or event that has inspired their work.
Find out more about the Emerging Agri-Tech Session in this video, and scroll down for a glimpse of what’s to come…

Breakfast:
A good breakfast sets you up for the day…
…it also provides energy in a timely manner, just like nutrient additives do for crops. But can the next generation of nutrient pellets also help us move toward net zero?
1978:
The summer of flares and disco glitz…
… also saw the first steps toward facial recognition for humans. Fast forward 30 years and researchers are applying this technology in sheep to better understand their behaviour and assess their health.


1660:
Newton’s prism was key…
…in his discovery of the colour spectrum, and went on to grace the cover of Pink Floyd’s classic album “the Dark Side of the Moon”. But can splitting light into its component colours also provided a spotlight into the production of high density salads?
1843:
A humble crop of wheat was drilled…
…in what was to become the world’s longest running field experiment, revealing the importance of nitrogen to crop development. Now AI and computer vision are revealing new insights to nitrogen use by plants for more efficient input application.


1970s:
A decade that saw the “Great British Heatwave”…
…as well as challenges in the availability of power and commodities such as sugar. Plant hormones were also discovered – and have now helped inspire a new approach to smart irrigation.
1982:
The year blackgrass herbicide resistance was first detected.
After 40 years of resistance to commercial herbicides, are there viable alternatives to manage this weed?


1950:
Sci-fi writer Aldous Huxley made a bold prediction…
…farming would be autonomous by the year 2000. So what is the latest for robotics and automation on farms and how close is it to widespread commercial reality?
1880:
The first electric train was tested…
…GMT was invented, the Gilbert and Sullivan classic “Pirates of Penzance” was first staged, and Charles Darwin published his seminal book on plant movement, where he first eluded to the notion that plants can sense time. How are these circadian rhythms today informing key activities in the farming calendar?


1980s:
Whilst the UK and Europe were dancing away…
…to the new sound of techno, a surprisingly different type of techno was emerging on the opposite side of the globe. How does intensive ‘Techo-Grazing’ compare to more conventional methods of livestock grazing?
Autumn:
Falling leaves look pretty…
…but as the climate changes, how are warmer autumns changing the patterns of disease transmission in crops such as oil seed rape?


Date Night:
With Tinder, Uber and Deliveroo…
…all of which have been enabled by satellite GPS. But how will advances in satellite applications enable tomorrow’s farmers to embrace precision agriculture?
Start-Up Showcase
Sponsored by Rothamsted Enterprises
The REAP Start-Up Showcase is one of the most hotly-anticipated sessions of the conference. We keep a watching brief on emerging and growing ventures and invite them to share their thinking at REAP. Some may be seeking investment, but most are looking for partnerships, industry insights and co-development collaborators to help make their business a commercial success. We have invited eight of the most exciting start-ups to share their technologies and their ambitions with you – YOU can be part of their journey and make a different to the industry?
Take a look through this year’s companies, and then see how previous participants are doing in the Start-Up Hall of Fame.
Feedback
Just some of the comments we’ve had about REAP 2022:
“I thought it was really well run with great content and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. I feel it was the best one you have done so far and whilst I know AF always get something out of the day, I was able to get a lot from it myself.”
Tom Carter, Head of Membership at AF