ÎÞÂ붯»­

Annual Soil and Water Conference to focus on boosting resilience and building food security

Posted Today

Experts from across the globe are set to share their wisdom on boosting resilience and building food security at a conference at ÎÞÂ붯»­ this December.

The annual Soil and Water Conference at the University has long provided a forum for both Harper Adams academics and voices across the industry to share the latest developments, research, and policy – and a packed programme for this year’s event looks set to continue the tradition.

The conference- which this year has the theme Tackling the Yield Gap And Advancing Resilience – will aim to equip attendees with a strong understanding of the current thinking in Government on food and farming, as well as some practical tools which they can use to make their farming systems more sustainable and more resilient.

It will open with a keynote address on the Government’s , which was published this summer.

Drawing on the insight of two experts who have been closely involved with the strategy – the Chief Environmental Adviser for the National Farmers’ Union, Diane Mitchelll and the Head of Agriculture at Natural England, Peter Craven - the session will explore how the Government intends to translate the policy on the page into practice in the field – and boost food security in an uncertain world.

International speakers during the day will include two experts who will be speaking about their experience of controlled traffic farming in Denmark – Hans-Henrik Pedersen, who will be speaking about his passion for feeding the world while reducing the carbon footprint of food production, and Brian Fruergaard-Roed, a farmer who is Vice-Chairman of the Innovation Centre for Organic Farming in Denmark – which is leading a drive for Danish organic agricultural production to become climate neutral.

Experts from Britain will include David Clarke, from NIAB, who will be speaking about what can be learnt from the long-erm Soils and Agronomic Monitoring Study, and Alexander Betley, an Ecologist, Land Manager and Executive Officer at the Forestry Commission, who will explore the principles of Agroforestry.

During the day, case studies from farmers will bring practical insights to the principles discussed – and there will also be opportunities for networking and discussion.

Conference Chair Marina Behnke said: “Every season brings new challenges - and new opportunities for positive change

“This conference is about sharing practical ideas and tools that help you boost yields, protect your soil and stay resilient. We hope people will join us in learning from peers and take home solutions that make a real difference on-farm.”

The conference has been organised by the Soil and Water Management Centre in partnership with and is supported by CLAAS and Natural England.

It will run on December 3 as both an in-person event in ÎÞÂ붯»­’s Queen Mother Hall and online – and students can attend for free.

For more information and to book, visit: