The Oxford Farming Conference

Tuesday 6th January, 2015

14:30
Delegate Registration Opens

Examination Schools Foyer

15:00
Scholars' Reception

Room 6

15:15
The Oxford Farming Conference AGM

Room 8

15:30
Fringe Event - Tesco

Using our scale for good

Room 10

16:00
Fringe Event - BBSRC

Accelerating bioscience from lab to field – bringing science and farming together

Room 11

16:30
Fringe Event - Soil Association and The Woodland Trust

Britain's soil: securing farming's most precious asset

Room 14

17:00
Fringe Event - Freedom Food

Freedom Food's new consumer brand

Room 9

17:30
Fringe Event – National Centre for Universities and Business

Collaborate to Innovate

Room 10

18:00
Chairman's Reception

(by invitation only)

EAST SCHOOL, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

18:30
Champagne Reception

THE MARQUEE, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

19:30
Pre Conference Dinner

After Dinner Speaker:

Rupert Soames, Group Chief Executive of Serco – a major services provider

NORTH SCHOOL, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

21:45
After Dinner Bar

THE MARQUEE, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

Wednesday 7th January, 2015

07:30
Morning Prayer

with Jerry Marshall 
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CHAPEL

07:30
Delegate Registration Opens

Examination Schools Entrance

07:45
Barclays Bank Breakfast

Do farmers produce for the market or themselves?

Hosted by Martin Redfearn

ROOM 10, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

08:45
Conference opening

Richard Whitlock, 2015 Conference Chairman

09:00
Session 1: Politics

Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Truss, Defra Secretary of State

Huw Irranca Davies MP, Shadow Minister Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Stuart Agnew MEP, UKIP Agricultural Spokesperson

Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, Scottish Government

10:00
Coffee break

(hand in of question forms)

EAST AND NORTH SCHOOLS, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

10:40
Question Time - Politics Session

With the session speakers and chaired by Richard Whitlock

11:45
Novel food canapés

Host: Alastair Brooks

12:15
Lunch

MARQUEE AND NORTH SCHOOL, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

13:45
Frank Parkinson Lecture

Climate change – challenge or opportunity

Lord John Krebs, Principal, Jesus College, Oxford

14:15
Questions and discussion
14:30
Session 2: Championing the Supply Chain

Chairman: John Giles 

Are shorter supply chains really benefitting farmers?

Laurence Olins, Chairman of Poupart Ltd

Processing locally for global consumption

Paul Vernon, Chief Executive, Glanbia UK and N Ireland

How does the UK retail scene look against the rest of the world? 

Professor Martin Hingley, Lincoln University

15:55
Questions and discussion
16:25
Close and tea

East and North Schools

16:30
Scholars Workshop (Scholars only)
17:45
The OXFORD UNION Debate

"This house believes that intensive agriculture is no longer sustainable."

Proposing: Philip Lymbery
Chief Executive, Compassion in World Farming and co-author of "Farmageddon"

Seconder: Charlotte Johnston
National Federation of Young Farmer's Clubs

Opposing: Caroline Drummond MBE
Chief Executive, LEAF

Seconder: Chris Manley
National Federation of Young Farmer's Clubs

19:00
Post Debate Supper

St Catherine's College

22:00
Bar opens

St Catherine's College

Thursday 8th January, 2015

07:45
Glencore Breakfast

Global Commodity Markets - a Glencore perspective

 ROOM 10, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

09:00
Session 3: Farming's Future and its Challengers

Chairman: Andrew Brown

Biodiversity: A farmer's perspective 

Apollo Onyango, Kenya Horticultural Exporters Ltd

A new future for the land work 

George Monbiot, The Guardian

Food Supply in the Balance: Opportunities and Threats to Production

David Caffall, Chief Executive, Agricultural Industries Confederation

10:25
Questions and discussion
11:05
Coffee break

EAST AND NORTH SCHOOLS, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

11:35
Presentation of 2015 Oxford Research Report

Chairman: Tina Barsby

Great British Farmers – what gives them the edge?

Graham Redman, Partner, The Andersons Centre

12:05
Questions
12:25
Science in Practice Award
12:55
Lunch

MARQUEE AND NORTH SCHOOL, EXAMINATION SCHOOLS

13:50
Session 4: Smart farming: Guardian of the environment?

Chairman: Alastair Brooks

Advanced performance monitoring in livestock - new sensors & the connected farm 

Dr Edmond Harty, Dairymaster

 

Can environmentally-friendly farming also be productive?: a scientists' view

Professor James Bullock, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

 

Urban Agriculture, a SMART solution to complement sustainable intensification?

Kevin Frediani, Head of Sustainable Land Use, Bicton College

 

The power of precision agriculture - using tomorrow's tools today 

Dave Nelson, Brokaw Supply Company, Iowa, USA

15:20
Questions and discussion
15:45
Chairman's Closing Remarks

Alastair Brooks offers a 2016 Conference taster

15:55
Close and Tea
19:30
Oxtail Club Dinner

WORCESTER COLLEGE

Tuesday 16th June, 2015

20:51
OFC at The Cereals Event

The lead debate at the Arable Conference at the 2015 Cereals Event, partnered by the Oxford Farming Conference.