“Extreme events over recent years have brought the recognition that if you want to stay in business, you need to be open to change. All the companies in this year’s REAP Start-Up Showcase were addressing a real-world problem that is becoming more urgent – but they are also viewing the challenge through a different lens, and this brings hope,” says Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE.

She comments that it was noticeable this year that farmers are working closely with innovators to co-develop farm-ready technologies: “The rising cost of labour and inputs based on fossil fuels are driving innovations that will reshape the sector.”

The Start-Up Showcase included innovations for: benchmarking progress towards sustainability metrics; improving soil health through real-time monitoring of soil nitrogen and biological activity; increasing the immune response of plants to pathogens; smart automation for asparagus farmers; support for precision livestock production; and a new high-value crop for vertical farms.

A further driver for innovation is new legislation that came into force this year. It requires larger organisations within the agri-food sector (and others) to show how they are measuring and reducing their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the goals of the international Paris Agreement.

This is creating a new dialogue around regenerative farming, and for the first time this year REAP featured a Supply Chain Panel of sustainability managers from B-Hive Innovations, Diageo and Tesco. They discussed creating new collaborations within the agri-food sector around a common need to reduce negative environmental impacts whilst improving food security.

David Exwood, livestock farmer and NFU Vice-President, said in his keynote address that although farmers have been considered the problem for many years: “We are starting to turn a corner where we are part of the solution. For example, precision livestock production will enable us to improve the consistency of the delivered product while reducing waste in the system. There is also potential to create a byproduct to replace inorganic fertilisers and generate a biofuel.”

‘Measure to manage’ is vital for both corporates and farmers, and there is a global market opportunity if UK agri-tech can provide improved metrics for monitoring environmental factors.

Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser for Defra, also spoke in the keynote session at REAP 2023. He comments:

“Improved measurement and monitoring will enhance the data-driven management of soil and plant health. The second call for the Defra-UKRI Innovation in Environmental Monitoring Programme is planned for this winter and will be a business-led opportunity to support the development of new sensing systems and monitoring capabilities.

“As the science and technologies presented at REAP today have shown, there is a wealth of innovation in agri-tech. This funding opportunity from Defra and Innovate UK, which looks to improve monitoring of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, and water quality across sectors, will help to catalyse the co-development of the farm-ready solutions that are so urgently needed.”

Find out more about REAP at reapconference.co.uk.