A sustainable farming field event will seek to explore the challenges, opportunities and threats to achieving lower-impact farming.
The Integrated Farm Management (IFM) field event will be run by sustainable farming organisation LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming).
The event will take place on Thursday, May 16 and will be hosted by the LEAF Demonstration Farm, Cambs Farms Growers Ltd., in Cambridgeshire.
During the day, farmers, innovators and industry experts will come together to explore the significant challenges facing the uptake of more sustainable agriculture.
Programme
Titled ‘The economics of more sustainable farming – the costs, the gains and the glory’, topics to be discussed will include:
- Short-term gains vs. long-term change: Building benefits in the short term through better monitoring, measuring and management vs taking the long view and considering what are the priorities on the horizon that farmers need to be ready for?
- AgTech: Do the agri-tech revolution and cross-sector collaborations offer a win-win for farmers? Are claims being overstated or is technology a game changer for more sustainable and productive farming?
- Climate-smart agriculture: What are the emerging climate resilient strategies and what they really mean for the farmer on the ground?
- Policy to implementation: A look at UK Government policy and how Integrated Farm Management is feeding into key national and global sustainability objectives
Speaking about the event, Caroline Drummond, LEAF chief executive said: “Farm businesses are facing dramatic shake-ups in future support mechanisms, as well as changing public expectations about how land should be used and managed.
“The unpredictable and incentive-driven climate, will require smart business strategies that offer greater resilience, consistency and cost benefits. We must work together to ensure we optimise the capabilities of our food supply chain now and in the future.”
Alice Midmer, demonstration and innovation manager at LEAF, added: “Attendees at this year’s IFM Field Event can expect to hear from the best in the business about how they are streamlining their operations, using technology as part of their sustainable approach and investing in the long-term resilience of their farms.
“We will be drawing on the research and demonstration activities of the LEAF Network of Demonstration Farms and Innovation Centres throughout the day and seeing practices in action on-farm at Cambs Farms Growers.”
The event will take place from 9:30am to 3:00pm at Hainey Farm, Barway. To book your place, visit: www.trybooking.com/uk/book/event?eid=6448&.
