Speaking at an event hosted by global data platform provider, Map of Ag, in London this month (October 3), Agri-food Consultant Duncan Rawson, a partner at EFFP, emphasised the critical role of collaboration and building trust in meeting sustainability objectives.

"Building relationships is hard to quantify, but without trust, even the best strategies will fail," Mr Rawson said. "Collaboration across the food supply chain—from farmers to processors and retailers—is crucial for achieving long-term sustainability."

Mr Rawson stressed the need to align stakeholders' goals and ensure a deep understanding of each group's needs to forge successful partnerships.

Adam White, Head of Agriculture at Barclays, underlined the importance of farm-level collaboration, especially around data collection.

"I don't want to be asking farmers for data they are already reporting elsewhere. Data sharing is essential. There's so much information available, and we need to make better use of what's already being collected," said Mr White.

Ben Williams, Sustainability Manager at Leprino Foods, echoed this sentiment, warning that farms face a "data overload." He called for streamlined data collection processes and a focus on actionable insights that can drive meaningful decision-making.

"Too much data without the right knowledge and insight becomes a barrier to change," Mr Williams explained. "We need collaboration to overcome these obstacles. The knowledge to deploy technology effectively and extract value is what drives real progress."

Mr Williams added that while the agri-food industry has thought leadership in abundance, it now requires "actual leadership" to move the needle on sustainability. He said that partnerships with platforms like Map of Ag can help simplify data management, ensuring farmers receive the insights they need.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is already taking steps to implement a data-driven approach to measure sustainability and productivity in UK farming. AHDB's Head of Environment (Techincal), Rachael Madeley Davies, detailed their baseline project involving 170 farms, utilising technologies like LiDAR to track biomass and underground soil conditions.

"This will provide us with a UK dataset we currently lack," said Mrs Madeley Davies. "Once we gather on-farm evidence, it's crucial to demonstrate the positive work farmers are doing alongside producing sustainable, nutritious food. The narrative should not shy away from highlighting the delivery of ecosystem services alongside food production—this must be done in a data-driven way."

The six industry speakers involved in the session agreed during a panel discussion that collaboration, backed by robust data, is essential to driving meaningful progress toward a more sustainable and resilient food system.

For more information or to speak with a representative from Map of Ag, please visit https://mapof.ag/contact-us/