Tough topics up for debate for Oxford Farming Conference at Cereals

In keeping with the challenging stance of the Oxford Farming Conference to stimulate debate, the Conference will once again be hosting its open-forum sessions via the Arable Conference at the 2012 Cereals Event on 13 and 14 June 2012.  

Four sessions will be run during the two days at which 20 panelists will debate some controversial topics like, is modern farming harming the countryside?, where will the new brains that farming needs come from?, do we really have the means and the will to boost productivity? and what is the depth of the impact likely from the CAP reform?

“The Oxford Farming Conference' mission is to challenge, inform and inspire and this Arable Conference allows us to achieve this specifically for the UK arable sector,” says Mike Gooding, chairman of the 2013 Oxford Farming Conference. "The style of the session is informal and the events are open to all. Past experience suggests the sessions will be very busy and interactive so we encourage those coming along to join the debate."

The Cereals Arable Conference is sponsored by The Crop Protection Association, HGCA and the RSPB. All sessions are free and will be chaired by Oxford Farming Conference Directors and give visitors a taste of the main Conference held every year.

"The Oxford Farming Conference is a charitable organisation with a remit of furthering knowledge and ideas within the farming sector; the Cereals Summer Conference is a big part of this intent," Mr Gooding adds. "We will also be using the event to encourage people to enter the 2013 OFC ‘Practice with Science’ award in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural Society of England and sponsored by AB Agri. The award recognises scientists who are focusing on delivering major benefits to farmers through improved production, efficiencies or care for the environment."

Full details of sessions:

Wednesday 13th June
11.00    -     Is modern farming harming the countryside?
Should we be prioritising food production over the environment?

Chairman - Mike Gooding
Speakers:
-    Peter Kendall, President, NFU
-    Martin Harper, Conservation Director, RSPB
-    Richard Butler, farmer and Chairman of the Voluntary Initiative
-    Graeme Matravers, Chair of the Soil Association Farmer and Grower Board

14.30    - Chasing the yields and feeding the world
Do we have the political, scientific and economic means to significantly increase UK crop output?

Chairman – Richard Whitlock
Speakers:
-    Rt. Hon. Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food
-    Professor Wayne Powell, Director, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural     Sciences (IBERS)
-    Mark Driscoll, Head of One Planet Food at WWF
-    Dominic Dyer, Chief Executive, Crop Protection Association
-    Andrew Wraith, Head of Agribusiness, Savills

Thursday 14th June
11.00    -    New brains to boost productivity
Is farming attracting new farmers for the future? How to overcome any barriers to entry

Chairman – Nick Tapp
Speakers:
-    Harry Cotterill,  President CLA
-    Dr David Llewellyn, Principal Harper Adams University College
-    Adam Metcalfe, AWSM Farms, Farmers Weekly Contractor of the Year Finalist 2010
-    Gary Markham, Director of Agriculture, Grant Thornton

Thursday 14th June
14.30 - CAP reform – what’s now at stake for the arable sector?
The certainties and unknowns of the reform programme and what it means for farming

Chairman – Tom Hind
Speakers:
-    Martin Nesbit, DEFRA Director of EU and International Agriculture
-    Guy Gagen, Chief Arable Adviser NFU
-    Andrew Hughes, Hampshire farmer, BBC Farmer of the Year Award 2011
-    Richard King, Partner and Head of Business Research, Andersons

For more details of the Cereals Event debates see www.cerealsevent.co.uk/event-highlights/arable-conference.