Welcome to this year’s NFU Conference, a pivotal gathering in the farming calendar that brings together farmers and growers, politicians and policymakers, and key industry stakeholders.
This year, after 12 months of momentous change for farming, the NFU Conference returns to Westminster for the first time in over two decades.
At this critical time, it seems right that we are meeting where so many important decisions impacting the future of farming families across the United Kingdom are taken.
Our Conference this year focuses on what farmers and growers need to build a confident and forward looking sector and, after the last six months, rebuilding trust.
Our sessions will focus on the foundations needed for growth: growth in investment, growth in exports, growth in technology and R&D.
We are excited to welcome leaders in their respective fields, offering insights that will inspire and motivate us to adopt new ideas and approaches in our farming practices.
The clear message for all is that farmers and growers are ready to embrace the changes needed for growth – but are politicians, regulators and the supply chain ready to change and adopt ways of working that support a thriving food and farming sector?
What's on in the morning?
The day kicks off with journalist and broadcaster Charlotte Smith chairing a political session which will feature an address from, and Q&A session with, Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed.
While the government has been in office for less than a year, food and farming has seen plenty of changes – not least with the surprising and devastating announcement of changes to inheritance tax.
I am sure Conference will listen with interest to what the Secretary of State has to say and there will be plenty of questions about the government’s vision for the future of British food and farming.
This session will be followed by a session on science and technology, which will see Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University, and Phil Bicknell, CEO of the UK AgriTech Centre, discussing how advancements in science and technology can and will play a key role in creating a solid foundation for farming’s future.
Our next session will look at exports, with Sandra Sullivan MBE, Director of the Food & Drink Exporters Association, and Richard Clothier, Managing Director of Wyke Farms, outlining how the opening up of new export markets is crucial to the creation of a resilient future for farming and food production in this country.
What's on in the afternoon?
After lunch, the focus will shift to investment as Rain Newton Smith, Chief Executive of the CBI, and Angus Davison, Eccentric Chairman of Haygrove, talk about the importance of investment in securing sustainable and profitable futures for our food-producing businesses.
And the day’s final session will see Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, deliver the NFU’s annual Henry Plumb Lecture, an event which is certain to be as interesting and thought-provoking as the previous lectures have been.
To close the day there will be an optional networking session, where delegates will have the chance to share view and experiences with like-minded people from all sectors of agriculture and all parts of the country, as well as NFU officeholders and staff.
I hope you have a thoroughly enjoyable day and that the sessions entertain you and provide you with food for thought about the foundations for the future of farming and food production.
Tom Bradshaw, NFU President
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