If regenerative agriculture is to be a success it needs to be supported by good data and the use of some smart innovations to help farms make the transition from existing models of agriculture to more sustainable options.
Regenerative agriculture seeks to create a more sustainable and resilient farming system by embracing techniques like reducing soil disturbance, integrating livestock and using crop rotation to reduce the broader environmental impacts of food production. But its adoption also requires scalable, science-led innovation as well as enthusiastic farmers with an appetite to change - and the curiosity to experiment.
This is the subject of the next in the current series of SCItalks, SCI’s free online talks that tackle vital issues in science and innovation.
The talk, Sustainable innovations for regenerative agriculture, will be given by Dr Harry Langford, an environmental scientist and agri-tech innovation specialist focused on advancing crop productivity in a sustainable way.
Langford’s innovation work spans everything from environmental sensing and controlled environment agriculture to low-carbon fertilisers. At the UK Agri-Tech Centre, he shapes collaborative R&D across the agri-food supply chain, translating science into product development, and leads on open innovation.
The talk will showcase some of the collaborative R&D the centre is involved in, from sensors and earth observation to low-carbon and soil-building inputs and how to integrate these technologies and prove their efficiency and sustainability metrics to drive commercialisation.
“At UK Agri-Tech Centre we work strategically to try and identify innovation needs to unlock regenerative agriculture at scale,” Langford said. “Regenerative agriculture is not just about practicing change and the core principles, it’s about harnessing innovation to accelerate that regeneration of the soil, the biodiversity and carbon capture and the ecosystem benefits while keeping the farm profitable.”
One of the greatest challenges to scale-up of regenerative agriculture is overcoming the initial drop off in yield that can occur while the system adapts to changes in practices. Better data and new technologies like AI, precision application of fertilisers and sensors can help farmers to understand what the regenerative transition might look like for them. Helping to prove technologies and return on investment around them is crucial to getting them adopted, Langford said.
Adopting some of the elements of regenerative agriculture can be achieved by many farmers. “There will be farm systems in which you might be able adopt only some of the regen principles and there will be farm systems in which you will be able to adopt all the regen principles. Everyone should be able to take some steps down that journey,” Langford said.
Sustainable innovations for regenerative agriculture
This online talk takes place on Wednesday 29 October at 4pm. The talk is free but you should register in advance at the link above.
This is the second event of the three-part SCItalks series on sustainability.
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