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There are so many variables in agriculture, with profitability impacted by everything from the nutrients in the soil through to extreme weather events. Some factors are controllable, many are not, but informed decisions can mitigate risk – and the digital world is facilitating this.

The role of advanced sensors and tools for modelling, forecasting and scenario planning – including digital twins – were all discussed by farmers, technologists, researchers and others with a passion for turning challenges into opportunities for the agri-food industry.

In the conference report we aim to capture some of the highlights and discussion from this vibrant event.

This event aimed to provide an opportunity to hear from farmers and advisors that have participated in early trials and also from the technologists and researchers that are developing techniques and tools to assist them.

This report summarises the latest technology and research working to support farmers to deliver environmental benefits alongside sustainable food production and the achievement of industry net zero targets.

An additional report is also available to members.

Timing is crucial in agriculture, through the natural cycle of sowing to harvest and birth and maturation of livestock, but also for strategic decision-making such as predicting demand for perishable goods and scheduling interventions. For humans, without automation, the working day is limited by the number of daylight hours available. Light is also key to agricultural production.

At REAP this year the delegates and speakers were asked to imagine a world where time was not an obstacle. Together they reviewed emerging agri-tech that has potential to remove this constraint from agriculture and unlock greater potential from all of its resources.

There was a lot of information to absorb on the day, along with all the networking and the International Café, so the report provides an opportunity to review the content at your leisure.

Scene-setting talks outlined the new market opportunities for pea protein, fibre and starch as nutritional and functional food ingredients, the constraints on cultivation and the external impacts on value of the crop. Then the delegates were asked to discuss the challenges and identify the priorities for further knowledge creation.

Seven key themes emerged:

1. Soil health and improved rhizobia performance
2. Crop nutrition
3. Good farm practice and evidence-based technology
4. Alternative pest control
5. Alternative disease control
6. Breeding for improved plant physiology and growth
7. Development of new food markets

A detailed report was created capturing the information delivered in the workshop, it is available to read here.

With demands on agriculture increasing REAP 2019 explored how the concept of ‘One Agriculture’ – an integrated approach to harnessing innovations – could help farmers and growers fulfil these roles and also create profitable, productive and sustainable businesses.

With experts from different spheres, leading research, cutting edge technology, and the next generation of industry leaders, REAP 2019 showcased how agri-tech will enable farming to be part of the solution to grand challenges.

The presentations, demonstrations and outcomes – including thoughts on how and where to go from here – together with the exciting developments on display in the technology exhibition, have been captured in this report.

It reviews the problems with the existing model of agriculture and identifies a number of levers where productivity, profitability and sustainability can be increased.

A number of successful initiatives, stimulated by the agri-tech cluster, are discussed and a new method proposed for validating the productivity benefits of technology.

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?

This report includes comments and presentations from a number of technical experts with different perspectives on what they think the future agri-food industry could look like, and explores the exciting ideas and innovations that will take us there.

REAP 2017 approached these issues from a number of perspectives. Some of the new thinking discussed at the conference involved going back to the wisdom of pre-Green Revolution farmers and reinvigorating their approach to land management with the benefit of science and technology.

We have attempted to capture this energy and enthusiasm in the REAP report.

To achieve profitable farming and healthier food we need to make a big change, however it is difficult to imagine how to do things differently.

The idea behind REAP 2016 was to bring together experts from other industries and other geographies to challenge us with new perspectives. This report aims to capture some of the ideas and discussions that came out of REAP.

There are few industries that have to balance as many variables as agri-food.

With an increasingly volatile natural environment, unstable financial market and increasing world population, the need for quality food delivered with minimal waste at a price that is affordable to consumers, while supporting a sustainable business for producers, is a big challenge that needs new thinking.

To get a flavour of the event we have produced this report to capture the key themes, discussion points and outcomes.

This report looks at the requirements for new technology by all stages of the value chain and identifies different models for supporting innovation in the industry. It provides an evaluation of the current situation and proposes ways forward.

Agri-TechE is already making a significant impact on the agri-food industry through its pragmatic approach and this report aims to support the next phase – fast-tracking innovation from lab to field.