The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
We are delighted to announce that Joeeta Murphy has joined the ip21 team as our new Head of Life Sciences and Associate Director. Joeeta’s appointment marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to delivering exceptional intellectual property services to clients in the dynamic and innovative life sciences sector.
Joeeta brings a wealth of experience in intellectual property law, combined with a deep understanding of the complexities faced by clients in this specialised field. As a CIPA (Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys) Council Member and an active participant in CIPA’s Professional Development working group, Joeeta has demonstrated a passion for advancing professional standards and supporting innovation in life sciences.
Joeeta has also been recognised globally for her contributions to the field, having been listed in the prestigious IAM Strategy 300 for the second consecutive year. This accolade highlights her outstanding ability to develop and implement strategies that maximise the value of IP portfolios. The IAM Strategy 300 identifies the best and brightest in the field through rigorous annual research, and we are proud to have Joeeta’s expertise as part of our team.
Her impressive track record includes developing and managing client portfolios in this sector, as well as fostering strong relationships with foreign agent clients working in related areas. These qualities, combined with her leadership, position ip21 to expand its technical expertise, build new client relationships, and further strengthen existing ones.
Speaking about Joeeta’s appointment, Managing Director Richard Jones shared: “Joeeta is an industry-leading patent attorney whose expertise and leadership will be invaluable in growing our client base and supporting our existing clients in the life sciences sector. We’re thrilled to have her join the team and look forward to the impact she will make as Head of Life Sciences.”
We warmly welcome Joeeta to the ip21 family and look forward to further developing the the services we provide to our clients in the life sciences, pharma, medtech sectors and beyond.
Stay tuned for updates as Joeeta begins her journey with us, and feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more about how our growing team can support your intellectual property needs.
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Ceres Research was delighted to deliver itsfirst technical event for clients in early December at the Young Farmers Club in Essex. Alongside farming experts from our partners at Ceres Rural, we provided a comprehensive overview of the 2024 harvest season, reflecting on successes and challenges faced, before looking at strategies for the 2025 season. The event featured insights from various experts–a summary of each talk provided below.
Session 1: Looking back on harvest 2024
A personal perspective – Tom Streeter
Tom shared his personal experience at Harps Farm, highlighting the diverse cropping programs and the challenges faced, such as yield timing, break crop options, and weather impacts. Tom also discussed the economic challenges on the farm relating to cost of production, greater economies of scale, machinery and market prices. He emphasised the importance of managing risk through informed decision-making and investment planning, as well highlighting sustainability not just in terms of traditional environmental or business thinking, but also farmer mental health – encouraging farmers and landowners to check in with Yana if they or their team need support.
Key take away:
Manage the risk within the business by following informed decision-making.
What does the data tell us? – Dr Alex Setchfield
Alex presented data-driven insights, showing how the 2023/24 weather patterns affected cereal yields. The data conclusively revealed that excessive rainfall and higher temperatures are correlated to crop performance. He discussed the detrimental effects we will continue to see as climate change increases the likelihood of these weather extremes. Alex explained the mechanisms behind yield loss under excessive rainfall, which related to lower soil oxygen availability affecting root growth and corresponding shoot growth above ground.
Figure 1: Winter Wheat yield example in response to rainfall and temperature this harvest year
Alex also discussed the lifecycle of ergot, considering its detriment to the crop this year, emphasising that the sclerotia (ergot bodies in mature heads) drops off into soils and germinates causing infection in the following crop in spring. Alex explained that there is little direct impact of ergot on wheat yields as such, but it is detrimental to the grain qualitydue tocontamination, with cleaning required to make it marketable and safe for human consumption. Alex then focused on practices to reduce ergot, such as ergot–free seed, managing host grassweeds and manipulating crop rotations to reduce the sclerotia. Sclerotia can survive for 1-3 years and so a 3-4 rotation with unsusceptible crops could lead to a reduction in the number of viablesclerotia in the field to take hold of the crop.
Yield losses depend on the timing and type of adverse weather, with issues like waterlogging affecting crops at root and shoot levels. The fungal pathogen ergot thrives in cool, wet conditions during flowering, contaminating grain despite low yield impact. High-performing crops for 2024 include spring oats, spring beans, and winter beans. Integrated management strategies are critically important.
System reflections: what worked and what didn’t? – Jock Willmott
Jock reflected on the positives and negatives in the 2024 season. Overworked soil and compromised timings were identified as areas needing improvement. It was noted that it was a challenging harvest when soils that were either very wet or dry were then drilled and followed by 2+ inches of rain. Those that drilled early then got caught out by disease. On the other hand, effective field drainage, deep soil loosening, light tine drills, the use of pre-emergence herbicides and a lot of patience were among the successful strategies.
Jock discussed national crop trends in 2024, using data from Essex-specific yields, alongside the complete Ceres 2024 data, and Defra England’s dataset, highlighting that heavy land is becoming less consistent at achieving high wheat yields. Medium and lighter land is suffering less and potentially benefiting more from additional rainfall. Additionally, the typical yield penalty for later drillings is less than it used to be because of the warmer conditions associated with climate change.
Figure 3: Essex yields vs national yields across several crops
Jock discussed wheat protein content – looking at the data, there seemed to be a correlation between grain protein levels and seasonal rainfall, showing that higher rainfall during winter and spring tends to result in lower grain protein percentages. So, it is getting harder to achieve consistent protein content in the grain, but the mechanisms behind this change are still unclear.
Figure 4: Wheat grain protein and rainfall
Key take away:
Warmer winters are influencing our crops, meaning adaptation in practice is required to continue maximising crop productivity. It is important to review growth stages, disease levels and crop health in early February and discuss potential strategies for the year ahead earlier than before.
Session 2: Looking ahead to harvest 2025
Sustainability of cropping programs – Alice Andrews
Alice discussed strategies for sustainable cropping, focusing on the benefits of diverse rotations, including:
Control of pest and disease
Enhancing soil health/biology
Balancing nutrient replenishment in the soil
Spreading the risk for commodity prices and growing conditions
Maximising winter what margins
Alice covered financial aspects and gave some examples for winter beans, sprint oats and winter oilseed rape, where SFI actions were stacked to derisk and increase crop gross margins.
Alice provided two case studies; one of beans and the second of spring oats, highlighting the importance of tailoring break crops to suit individual farms. Alice explained that whilst some agronomic practices maximise break crop yields, their success is largely influenced by the weather.
Figure 5: Wheat crop establishment showcasing rooting depth following a bean rotation (left) and oilseed rape rotation (right)
Key take away:
Diverse crop rotations offer benefits across the farming business, such as improved soil health, workload balance, pest control, and reduced market risks. Break crops should maintain or enhance winter wheat yields, but must be tailored to individual farm conditions.
Harnessing soil biology – Dr Dannielle Roche
Danni explored the mechanisms behind soil biological activity and organic matter breakdown, discussing the important and differential roles that fungi and bacteria have in organic matter breakdown and soil nutrient bioavailability for plant uptake.
Figure 6: Mechanistic understanding of soil microbial activity in the breakdown of different substrates
Danni also explained the linkages between soil biology with physical and chemical soil properties, and their innate interdependence. Danni then discussed the potential future impact of temperature and water availability on soil microbial processes, and how to approach these changes resiliently. First, she highlighted the fact that ‘what we don’t know, we can’t measure!’ and suggested adding microbial analyses to soil testing to gain a better understanding of what is needed to promote the microbial community on each individual farm. Danni discussed options to promote soil biology in dry conditions, such as amendments like mulches or biochar to increase water retention of the soil. Similarly, she discussed options for water-logged conditions, such as adding gypsum (a flocculent) that can increase pore space in the soil, allowing for improved water infiltration. Danni briefly touched on the importance of having a diverse microbial community and general practices to promote this diversity including: crop rotations, cover crops/additions, and more tailored fertiliser application.
Key take away:
Don’t underestimate the importance of soil biology in a changing climate. There are multiple ways to harness this changing biology to promote soil nutrient bioavailability and uptake in crops, despite adverse weather conditions.
Grants, SFI (sustainable farming incentive) and CFAs (contract farming agreements) – Rachel Bush
Rachel finished off the session discussing SFI and other rural grants, and the financial performance and future viability of CFAs. Rachel suggested some SFI ‘easy wins’, highlighted in the table below.
SFI 2024 ACTIONS
CSAM1: Soil Analysis – £6/ha + £97/agreement
CIPM1: Integrated Pest Management Plan – £1,129/plan
CNUM1: Nutrient Management Plan – £652/plan
SFI Management Payments: £20/ha up to 50ha
Rachel also discussed how to use SFI to your advantage and provided some suggestions of where to start (below).
Figure 7: Ways of using SFI to your advantage, with an example of what to include in an arable rotation
Rachel explained capped actions (i.e. capped at 25% of the farmed area), which are provided below.
CAPPED ACTIONS
CIGL1 – Take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management
CIGL2 – Winter bird food on improved grassland
CAHL1 – Pollen and nectar flower mix
CAHL2 – Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land
CAHL3 – Grassy field corners and blocks
CIPM2 – Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips
WBD3 – In-field grass strips
AHW1 – Bumblebird mix
AHW9 – Unharvested cereal headland
AHW11 – Cultivated areas for arable plants
When discussing CFAs, Rachel explained that unfortunately 2025 harvest budgets are not looking healthy and the sharp reduction in BPS has compounded poor prices. Rachel highlighted that there is no ‘one size fits all’ in terms of CFAs, and contractors need to thoroughly understand their own cost of production when negotiating terms. For landowners, she highlighted the need to consider the longevity of the CFA relationship, and a landowners own ability and desire to manage SFI agreements themselves.
Key take away:
Providing your business with a stable income requires planning your rotations properly, don’t knee-jerk to current weather conditions – coordinate with your agronomist as to how options can fit into your business.
Rob Metson – “Another excellent Ceres event, James and I thank the team for providing the professional and informative mix of speakers at the recent Reflect and Project 2024. Advice was encouraging, mind provoking and revealing. Here’s to some much-needed improvement and calming waters!”
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On the 29th December we were excited to attend the Romsey Young Farmers Tractor Run 2024, held in Romsey, Hampshire, England. This inspiring event brought the community together to celebrate and support British farmers. With the powerful message “Support British Farmers,” the tractor run showcased the hard work and dedication of local farmers while raising awareness of the vital role agriculture plays in our daily lives.
The event featured over 200 tractors, and the organisers made a huge effort to entertain the community with festive Christmas-themed decorations. The tractor drivers were also fantastic sports, flashing their lights and tooting their horns, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere for everyone. All of this was done while emphasising the main theme – supporting British farming, which plays such a huge role in food production and sustains our communities.
For Paul-Tech, attending the event was not only a way to show our support but also an opportunity to better understand the challenges and opportunities British farmers face daily. Engaging with the community and seeing their enthusiasm reinforced our commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower farmers to thrive. Events like the tractor run remind us of the importance of collaboration and community in creating a brighter future for farming.
At Paul-Tech, we are committed to empowering farmers through innovative solutions. Our real-time soil monitoring systems are designed to help farmers make data-driven decisions that enhance productivity and sustainability.
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Our client asked:
Our client wanted to determine the precise positioning and settings of a wide variety of agricultural implements, such as tillers, harrows, and sprayers, in order to provide alerts and notifications to the driver of the tractor. The client’s aim is to optimise the agronomic performance of those implements and ensure that the driver is operating within safe limits.
The project story:
The natural environment presented challenges to conventional image analysis algorithms due to the variability in lighting from sunshine to night working, and the challenges of drifting dust affecting visibility.
Sagentia Innovation assessed the performance of several vision systems, using a combination of experience, modelling and lab-based experimentation. We identified that low-cost, standard cameras in combination with active illuminated markers were the optimal solution for this specific challenge.
We built a prototype vision system and conducted field trials using off-the-shelf cameras and lenses to collect images in the natural environment. Processing the data with conventional analysis routines produced variable results and often failed to find the objects of interest.
A few hundred images, captured under various environmental conditions, were labelled by hand to mark up the objects they contained. This data set was used to train a convolutional neural network.
The trained neural network was then used to successfully identify objects with high accuracy in subsequent images.
Once the objects have been successfully located in each image, other automatic processes can be carried out on them. Two cameras can be used to get a stereo view, and the 3D position of the object can be accurately measured.
Results: deliverables and outcomes
Our client received a robust prototype system that allows them to accurately determine the position and settings of the towed implement, whilst undertaking agricultural activities. We continue to develop this prototype into a mature product that offers significant benefits to farmers, in terms of enhanced safety and agronomic performance.
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As part of our “Back to the Future” project, we’re asking Agri-TechE members to reflect on how the agri-tech industry has evolved over the past decade and to share their vision for the next ten years. By compiling these insights, we aim to create a powerful outlook on the future of agriculture, a compelling call to arms for the industry driven by the diverse perspectives of our community.
This submission is part of the collection of reflections and predictions from our members, offering unique perspectives on the industry’s past milestones and future directions. Each contribution adds to a broader dialogue about the innovations and challenges that will shape the next decade in agri-tech.
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A new partnership between Bayer’s Crop Science division and Cambridge-based plant science organisation Niab will see researchers embark upon a series of innovative research projects focused on exploitation of genetic diversity in wheat, control of flowering in strawberry, root symbiosis in wheat, and phenotyping technology.
The five projects, that got underway this autumn, have been funded under the Bayer – Niab Challenge Grant Program, an open innovation challenge created to support innovative science in areas of interest to both organisations.
Bayer will provide financial and mentorship resources, with a total award of £100,000 over one year and access to its leading crop science researchers, who will provide guidance as the research progresses.
Dr Phil Taylor, Director of Open Innovation and Outreach for Bayer’s Crop Science division said: “The Bayer – Niab Challenge Grant Program provides an exclusive opportunity for Niab scientists to receive funding for cutting edge ideas and connect with the Bayer team for their execution.
“We are looking forward to advancing innovations together in what is an exciting time for plant science in the UK as it moves forward with detailed regulations for precision breeding in England.”
Two of the projects aim to advance understanding of the genetic diversity in wheat.
Niab Director of Research Prof Xiangming Xu, who will coordinate the research programme, said:
“We are using two different approaches to help us better understand and exploit genetic diversity in the D-genome, facilitating further genetic discovery and exploration of haplotypes linked to useful traits such as disease resistance.”
The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Fotenix, a University of Manchester spinout dedicated to supporting farmers with smarter, sustainable farming solutions, has announced a major investment from River Capital’s Fund:AI. This funding will accelerate Fotenix’s mission to help growers protect their profits while adopting more sustainable practices.
At the heart of Fotenix’s innovation is its spectral imaging technology, combined with AI-powered insights. These cameras allow farmers to detect early signs of crop stress, such as pests and disease, giving them the ability to take targeted action before problems escalate.
For horticultural growers, this means reducing costly crop losses, optimising resource use, and maintaining consistent quality to meet market demands.
“Farmers are at the core of everything we do,” said Charles Veys, CEO of Fotenix. “We understand the immense pressure they face to deliver high-quality produce while dealing with rising costs and environmental challenges. This investment enables us to bring accessible, practical solutions to their operations—helping them maximise yields, cut waste, and farm more sustainably.”
Fotenix’s technology supports growers in reducing their reliance on chemical inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides, contributing to a lower environmental footprint. By making data-driven decisions, farmers can also improve water and energy efficiency, critical in regions affected by resource scarcity.
This investment from River Capital’s Fund:AI will allow Fotenix to expand its team, scale its operations, and reach more farmers in high-value horticultural markets, including the glasshouse sector. With a farmer-first approach, Fotenix is committed to empowering growers to protect their profits while meeting the demands of a more sustainable and competitive agricultural industry.
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Cambridge Business Park is set to contribute to a new innovation ecosystem in Northeast Cambridge, providing a variety of office and lab spaces for start-ups and established businesses, alongside a residential, leisure and cultural offer for the wider community. It will greatly support the UK’s science, innovation, and technology ambitions.
Led by The Crown Estate, the mixed-use regeneration project worth £1.5bn will support the Government’s focus on keeping the UK at the forefront of global innovation. This builds further on The Crown Estate’s recent partnerships with Great British Energy to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, and with Pioneer Group and Oxford Science Enterprise to deliver a new 100,000sq ft life sciences, technology and innovation space in the heart of Oxford.
As a major national landowner, The Crown Estate has a proven track record of enabling innovation and generating long-term social value, and is driven by its remit to create economic, social, and environmental value for the nation. Through redeveloping Cambridge Business Park, it intends to create an inclusive destination; connecting ideas, people, and industries that facilitate important science innovations with tangible social impact.
This is part of The Crown Estate’s wider long-term ambition to invest up to £1.5 billion in the science, technology, and innovation sectors nationally over the next 15 years. Supported by the creation of a globally significant Innovation District in Northeast Cambridge, the proposals will nurture homegrown skills and enable businesses to scale up in the UK and attract investment.
Cambridge is well-positioned to capitalise on this growth and support investment in innovation. Today it is firmly established as Europe’s largest technology cluster, with more than 60,000 people employed by around 5,300 knowledge intensive businesses in the area. With a raft of science and R&D-focused spaces within Cambridge, the curation of a national, innovation focused ecosystem will help to contribute to this growth and create further opportunities for Cambridge, the wider region, and the UK. The Crown Estate aims to deliver a scheme that will fulfil a wider mission-led purpose, fuelling meaningful social, environmental and economic change for the public good that connects top talent, research and funding to address urgent global challenges. The Crown Estate is well-positioned to play a key role in UK innovation through its unique combination of assets, customers, and partners which it intends to leverage for the benefit of the sector.
Initial proposals for the transformation of Cambridge Business Park will be shared as part of public consultation, due to commence later this month.
Dan Labbad, CEO at The Crown Estate, comments: “The Crown Estate is investing where it can have the most meaningful impact in addressing areas of national need, meeting local challenges and realising opportunities. Our vision for Cambridge Business Park is to create an inclusive and connected place that is industry leading in terms of sustainable and innovative workspace.
“Working with government and our partners, we intend to contribute to the UK’s science, technology and innovation sectors’ success on the global stage, acting as a catalyst for innovation and economic growth, while delivering a community of socially-conscious and environmentally-focused business leaders.
“We are confident Cambridge Business Park will play a pivotal role not only in enabling SMEs to scale up, but also in connecting and convening the brightest minds and organisations to innovate with impact, and support our wider aims of improving planetary health.”
The Crown Estate has a diverse national footprint, proven ability to bring together the public and private sectors, and a unique structure compelling it to act in the long-term national interest. It has identified science, technology and innovation as key sectors where it can have a meaningful impact to support regional economic growth.
The redevelopment of Cambridge Business Park is still in its infancy, with the new masterplan in very early stages of design and a wider public consultation planned for later this month to inform proposals. The site currently comprises 12 buildings across 20 acres, providing in the region of 325,000 sq ft of commercial office space only. The developing masterplan intends to create a thriving and biodiverse innovation-led destination comprising a mix of retail and leisure spaces, a brand-new high street, ‘science on show’ focused lab buildings and office space and homes. Central to proposals will be a ‘no borders’ ethos through the opening up of the site, creating improved accessibility and connectivity to Cambridge North station and surrounding science parks, as well as opportunities for young people and the local community to enjoy the facilities and access STEM focused educational opportunities.
Subject to planning, construction at Cambridge Business Park is anticipated to begin in 2026 through a phased approach, with the new destination open and operational by 2030.
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The Crown Estate is partnering with a range of expert bodies across the UK to launch five new projects that will support with accelerating the nation’s path towards a net-zero and energy-secure future, whilst enabling our marine and coastal ecosystems to thrive.
These initiatives, backed by a £7.3 million investment through the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC), are led by the Offshore Wind Industry Council, Scottish Government Marine Directorate, Historic England, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult with support from numerous public, private and charitable organisations.
The projects will aim to fill critical evidence gaps around the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine ecosystems, advance solutions to reduce those impacts, enhance access to marine data and explore the opportunity for co-location of fisheries and offshore wind farms.
Subject to contracts, the projects are part of The Crown Estate’s £50 million investment in the OWEC programme, delivered in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Defra. Through a mix of targeted studies, research projects, and comprehensive evidence-gathering, the programme aims to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind while supporting nature restoration. By building a robust evidence base, OWEC is helping to speed up the consenting process, enhance biodiversity, and provide a better understanding of the spatial needs of seabed user groups.
The five projects are:
1. Disco Scallops
Scientists found that scallops love ‘disco’ lights. They were successful in developing a new low-impact fishing technique that led to a 500% increase in scallop catch, and want to roll this out at a regional scale. This project will provide the evidence base to demonstrate that static fishing methods can be used in areas where mobile methods might be restricted – like in offshore wind farms and marine protected areas.
Led by the Offshore Wind Industry Council.
2. ECOCHANGE
Ecosystem Consequences of Changes to Habitats and implications for a Net Gain Energy approach.
Building new offshore wind farms creates changes in biodiversity – both in new sealife communities that attach to the infrastructure and in the sandy, soft-bottom habitats around developments. This project aims to determine how much these changes influence the wider ecosystem and our marine food webs.
Led by Scottish Government Marine Directorate.
3. MDE Heritage Accelerator
This project will improve access to marine heritage data which is gathered when offshore wind farms are developed to enable faster, informed decision making by regulators, developers and their advisors.
By integrating data from the Marine Data Exchange (MDE), into Historic England’s National Marine Heritage Record, the project aims to enhance planning and strengthen how heritage is represented.
Led by Historic England.
4. Piloting of Offshore Wind Environmental Mitigation
This collaborative project between Government and the offshore wind industry will pilot two proposed innovative mitigation measures that could further reduce the impact of offshore wind farms on the marine environment. The Piloting of Offshore Wind Environmental Mitigation (POWEM) project will consist of two pilots:
turbine blade painting to reduce bird collisions, and
an offshore wind piling noise limit to reduce the impact of construction noise on marine species.
Led by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in collaboration with the offshore wind industry.
5. S3 (Subsea Soundscape)
This project will pioneer a new regional framework in the Celtic Sea to provide valuable insights into existing underwater noise conditions and marine mammal presence – understanding these baseline conditions will support with future environmental assessments for new floating offshore wind in the region.
Led by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.
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The Crown Estate has published a new ambition for Nature Recovery that will drive a consistent approach across its diverse assets on land and seabed, following a 12-month engagement process with a wide range of nature experts and organisations.
To ensure cohesive action across a diverse array of habitats and interconnected ecosystems, The Crown Estate sets out company-wide nature goals and commitments that will raise the bar on its ambitions for Nature Recovery. These goals set the focus of its delivery plan and there will be a further update published in 2025 with public targets and KPIs.
The ambition brings together The Crown Estate’s work on nature recovery from across its portfolio, integrating the approach with addressing other national needs including the development of offshore wind to enable secure and affordable energy; building homes; developing places; supporting food production; and creating economic opportunity.
This requires a joined-up, systemic and partnership-led approach that maximises its contribution to not just nature recovery, but also efforts to reach net zero and an energy secure future, while supporting thriving communities.
The Crown Estate has set three new goals to drive holistic delivery on nature recovery and building on activities where The Crown Estate is already delivering an impact, including;
Best practice in conservation across its Windsor Estate, rapid action on tree and hedgerow planting across its rural estate with its £10m environment fund, and more systemic approaches to embed nature across leases with new Environmental Farm Based Tenancy agreements.
Existing activities in its Marine business to prioritise nature’s nature recovery by leveraging its best-in-class data and mapping capabilities, supporting the development of high-integrity marine natural capital markets and funding essential research through its world-leading Offshore Wind Evidence & Change (OWEC) programme.
Our approach to increasing nature and biodiversity in urban environments, from the Park-to-Park initiative with Westminster Council, to create a permanent green corridor in the heart of London’s West End; to enhance nature, wellbeing and climate change resilience, to regional initiatives such as reintroducing Beavers to Rushen Lakes Retail Park happening in October.
To help set its ambition The Crown Estate consulted over 40 nature experts from leading ENGOs, public bodies, SMEs, corporates, academics and trade unions across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, gathering insights and testing and validating its approach over a 12-month consultation period.
The goals underpinning The Crown Estate’s approach are aligned with domestic and global ambitions for nature recovery, helping to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and contributing to nature’s recovery by 2050:
Goal 1: Deliver increased biodiversity – deliver a measurable increase in biodiversity for The Crown Estate’s holdings across land and sea by 2030, supporting climate adaptation and resilience.
Goal 2: Protect and restore freshwater, marine & coastal systems – identify and tackle causes of water degradation and water stress in areas within The Crown Estate’s influence by 2030.
Goal 3: Increase social and well-being benefits from nature – reconnect people with nature, delivering measurable health and well-being benefits by 2030, including community engagement with nature across our projects and developments.
To deliver these goals The Crown Estate has set out four key commitments to embed nature recovery across its business:
Understand Nature: Identify high quality data to inform decision-making
Design for Nature: Embed nature as a core priority in its management of land and seabed
Fund Nature: Unlock capital at scale to protect and restore nature
Partner for Nature: Collaborate at scale to accelerate nature recovery
Anna Swaithes, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Crown Estate, said: “We are setting nature goals and commitments that raise our ambition to deliver joined up action across land and sea. This approach to nature will interconnect with our approaches to net zero, placemaking and communities,ensuring we create lasting and shared prosperity for the nation.”
“Consulting with a wide range of expert stakeholders has enabled us to understand how our activities fit within a systems context, including ecosystems and economic systems. It’s crucial we create space for collaboration and engagement at a national and local level as we know that nature recovery cannot be delivered in isolation.”
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Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have received a share of £14.5 million in funding to support projects that seek to revolutionise agricultural practices, land use change and soil health in the pursuit of a more sustainable future.
Five projects have received the funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and government partners, under phase two of the Transforming Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People programme (LUNZ), which aims to boost the UK’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The three-year, £4 million UEA project – OpenLAND – will see researchers carry out an evaluation of climate-resilient interventions for land management and soil health that could benefit net zero targets, biodiversity and agriculture.
The work will be led by Professor Rachel Warren of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change at UEA, and Professor Brian Reid from the School of Environmental Sciences. It will create a validated, UK-wide, spatially explicit integrated modelling framework to evaluate potential net zero pathways.
The project will extend the capability of the OpenCLIM modelling framework, which was developed with previous UKRI funding. This will be achieved by ground-truthing soil carbon and soil health using empirical data and by developing and trialling robotic monitoring for measuring and verifying soil carbon and health.
“OpenLAND will use computer models to look at how the way land is managed in the UK can contribute to net zero,” explained Prof Warren. “It will map out plans for land use management that combine carbon storage, restoration of biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
“We will use the computer models to quantify and map the relative merits and effectiveness of alternative land management plans with stakeholders to assist them with their decision making. A unique aspect of the project is that we will calibrate the computer models with measurements of carbon stored in the soil at a number of field sites in Norfolk and beyond.”
The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Since being introduced in July 2015, the Arusha protocol for the protection of novel plant varieties in Africa has finally entered into force on the 24th November 2024, after ratification by a fourth member state. The states currently to have ratified the protocol are Cape Verde, Ghana, Rwanda, and São Tomé e Príncipe.
The protocol aims to provide a central harmonised system in Africa for protecting plant variety rights, sitting within the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO). Applications can be filed through ARIPO, examination follows the usual DUS testing, and once granted the rights should have a uniform effect across the designated states, much like a community plant variety right in Europe. Provision is made in the Protocol for the claiming of priority from an application in any country that is a party to an “international agreement for the protection of new plant varieties” (including the UPOV Convention). It is hoped that more of the 22 African ARIPO states will sign up in future such that the protection offered to users by the protocol will become more extensive.
There has been historic resistance to the protocol given that some feel it would only benefit large multinational breeders, not the local famer, and threatens traditional farmer’s rights to save seed and exchange seed for future harvests which are common practices in Africa. The protocol follows that of UPOV 1991, in that it only contains limited exceptions for farm saved seed, subject to payments to the PVR owner. To attempt to combat this, ARIPO have implanted a provision which states that the PVR will have effect in the designated state, provided that the designated state has not refused the grant of the PVR. Therefore giving a get-out clause for states to refuse the grant of the PVR within 6 months of receiving the application, as long as they have good reason to do so. Perhaps if it were to threaten a key staple crop in that state.
There is some speculation this could hamper the use of the new system which has already proven to be fairly limited in its introduction. Furthermore the Arusha protocol joins a patchwork of different rights that are available in Africa for plant varieties including national rights, the OAPI system, and the SADC protocol, adding to the complexity in the region. However, it is still viewed as a crucial development towards easier access to improved varieties in Africa, with the potential to help food security, environmental issues, and encourage the development of new varieties adapted for this market. Craig Kahn, Head of Patents at South African firm Spoor and Fisher feels the overall benefit is positive: “For multinational breeders, it is an extremely important development for Africa and will encourage investment and job creation in the ARIPO member countries that ratify the Arusha protocol. It is a pity that only four ARIPO member counties have so far ratified the Protocol and, of these four countries, only two have Plant Breeders’ Rights legislation, namely Ghana and Rwanda. However, since the announcement of the Arusha protocol coming into force, we have been contacted by a number of multinational breeder clients interested in filing applications at ARIPO. We expect more ARIPO member countries to ratify the Protocol such that it becomes a cost effective option to protect new varieties of plants in the ARIPO member countries”.
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Ceres Research
Paul-Tech OÜ
Sagentia Innovation
British Beet Research Organisation
Niab
FOTENIX
The Crown Estate
University of East Anglia (UEA)
HGF Limited
