The Oxford Farming Conference
Wednesday 2nd January, 2019
12:00
Emerging Leaders' and Scholars' Training Workshop
13:00
Emerging Leaders' Lunch Reception
Sponsored by BASF
15:00
Registration Opens
15:00
Scholars' Reception
Sponsored by McDonald's
15:30
Oxford Farming Conference AGM
East School
16:00
Fringe Events
A range of drop-in talks focusing on knowledge exchange with industry leaders plus tea and coffee
- The National Farmers Union - Room 9
The future of land tenure in a new agricultural era
A wide ranging discussion with NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts and a panel of farmers on how tenanted farming can survive and thrive the transition into a new UK agricultural policy.
- The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs and the Rural Youth Project - Room 10
Will there be a next generation?
Focus on the needs, challenges and aspirations of young farming and rural people and will include research findings from NFYFC and the Rural Youth Project (RYP). The hosts will also outline current work regarding future plans. This event is for anyone, of any age, interested in the future of young people in our farming and rural economies. Sponsored by Kuhn.
- Sainsbury’s – Room 11
Intelligent Agriculture at Sainsbury’s
Utilising data across the agriculture supply chain to unlock insight driving continuous improvement.
18:00
Innovative Farmers' Event
Save New Year’s resolutions for one more day and join The Great Cider Debate to taste and discuss all things cider.
ON THE PANEL & BRINGING THE CIDER ARE:
- Barny Butterfield, Sandford Orchards
- Henry Chevallier Guild, Aspall
- Albert Johnson, Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Company
- Helen Thomas, Westons Cider
CHAIRING THE DISCUSSION IS:
Anna Hill, Farming Today
The event is open to all and timed to fit alongside both Oxford Farming and Oxford Real Farming Conferences. It will be held in St Edmund Hall, a 7-minute walk from Oxford Town Hall, 2 minutes from the Examination Schools. It is free to attend but please book your place when you are booking your ticket.
18:30
The Arysta Conference Drinks Reception
20:00
Pre-Conference Dinners
Choose from one of two optional dinners in one of the university’s beautiful and ancient colleges:
The Arysta Conference Dinner at Exeter College, or new for 2019, the TAP Social Dinner (casual) in association with Syngenta – great food, great music and fabulous beer. Transport provided.
Please select at time of booking
Coaches depart from Examination Schools at 19.40
Thursday 3rd January, 2019
07:30
Food & Faith Fringe
University College Chapel
07:30
Barclays Bank Breakfast
Room 9
Join us for coffee and a breakfast roll at our Barclays Bank networking event
08:45
Fringe Events
A range of drop-in talks from industry-leading organisations:
- Hectare Agritech - Room 9
The Future of Farm Trading
Doug Bairner, CEO of Hectare Agritech (owners of SellMyLIvestock and Graindex), will host a panel discussion on the future of farm trading, featuring some of the industry’s most forward-thinkers.
- AHDB - Room 10
How do we get the commercial advantage for UK Agriculture PLC?
- What are the opportunities and how do we get access?
- Know your customer and how this impacts marketing.
- The world means business – the how and why it works well - Industry business example/case study.
- Map of Ag - Room 11
Farming, making money from the newest crop – farm data
Farms generate a huge amount of data and this volume is growing exponentially. This presentation and discussion will explore business models where farmers can be properly rewarded for contributing farm data in a secure and permissioned environment.
09:30
Coffee and tea break
Room 7 and 8
09:45
Conference start
Take your seats in South and East Schools
10:05
Conference Welcome
with conference chairman Tom Allen-Stevens
10:15
Politics Briefing
The headlining political briefing - the Government's plan for British farming, presented by the Defra Secretary of State Rt Hon Michael Gove.
This will be followed by a panel session which will bring the Secretary of State into discussion with his opposition counterpart David Drew MP and NFU President Minette Batters. Head of Research at Shore Capital, N Ireland, Dr Clive Black will join what promises to be a fascinating and enlightening discussion.
Sponsored by Fendt
11:30
Inspirational Journey
A Personal Perspective from Nyasha Mudukuti, Zimbabwe farmer, who wants her nation to see the importance of biotechnology in agriculture and use it to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Sponsored by M&S
12:00
Frank Parkinson Lecture
Sponsored by The Frank Parkinson Trust
Disruptive Innovations and the Communications Challenge
Julie Borlaug, VP for Communications at Inari Agriculture, continues her grandfather Norman Borlaug’s work to end hunger and eliminate poverty. She will be talking about successful collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors to ensure the advancement of innovation and technology in agriculture.
12:50
Lunch
North School, Rooms 7, 8, 9 and 14-15
Sponsored by Openfield
14:10
Session 2: Future Farmers
Farmers share their stories and opportunities in alternative incomes.
Deer as part of an integrated livestock system
Matt Smith, Trefranck Farm, Cornwall, UK
Growing a global market from seedlings
Stijn Baan, Koppert Cress, Netherlands
Rewilding the farming business
Sir Charlie Burrell, Knepp Castle Estate, W Sussex, UK
The floating farm and why it is the future of dairy farming in the Netherlands
Minke van Wingerden, Beladon, The Netherlands
Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience
15:40
Science Lecture
Putting Science Back into Policy
with former Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Professor Sir Mark Walport, now Chief Executive of the newly formed UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Sponsored by Burges Salmon
16:15
HRH The Princess Royal
16:25
Closing remarks
16:40
BBSRC Innovation Hub
An exciting opportunity to get up-close with the latest agricultural research from around the country. Learn about BBSRC’s investment in world-class bioscience research, and how it could help your business adapt to change.
North School
Sponsored by BBSRC
18:15
Oxford Union Debate
Stimulating debate in an historic seat of learning.
Motion: This house believes the country would be better served if farmers focused on profits rather than public goods
Proposer: Guy Smith, NFU Deputy President
Seconder: Sarah Bell, consultant and mixed farmer
Opposer: Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust
Seconder: Tom Lancaster, Principal Policy Officer for agriculture, RSPB
Friday 4th January, 2019
07:30
The Prince's Countryside Fund Breakfast
Room 9
Join us for coffee and a breakfast roll at our Prince’s Countryside Fund networking event
08:15
Conference resumes
Take your seats in South and East Schools
08:45
Session 3: The World Beyond Brexit
A positive session with politicians about how to take advantage of Brexit, focused on trade and finding a competitive advantage with George Eustice MP, Minister of State, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Barry Gardiner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade & Climate Change.
Followed by discussion with Sir Lockwood Smith, ex-New Zealand Trade Minister, Claire Urry, Executive Director, China-Britain Business Council and Mark Clark, Managing Director, Grampian Growers Ltd, Montrose.
Sponsored by Openfield
10:00
Personal Perspectives
A view from the City
Sir Ian Cheshire, Chairman Barclays Bank UK
The radical alternative for British agriculture
Caroline Lucas, former leader The Green Party
Sponsored by M&S
10:50
Coffee Break
11:20
Personal Perspective
Artificial intelligence on our farms
Dr Matthew Smith, Business Development Director for Microsoft UK
Sponsored by BBSRC
11:45
Session 4: A World of Innovation
A focus on some of the world's most spectacular innovations in food and farming, their impact on the world, and the barriers to acceptance and how to overcome those.
Why gene editing matters:
Prof Cristobal Uauy, Project Leader in wheat genetics and genomics at John Innes Centre
Brian Barker, AHDB Strategic farmer, Suffolk
An answer to antimicrobial resistance:
Prof Brendan Gilmore, Chair of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at Queens Uni Belfast
Dr Kate Pressland, Programme Manager for Innovative Farmers
Sponsored by BBSRC
12:55
Closing remarks
13:00
Taste and Flavour of a World of Opportunity
A cooking demonstration of some of the products UK producers export to places around the world.
Sponsored by AHDB
13:20
World of Opportunity Celebration Lunch
Taste some of the UK’s leading export opportunities and explore the flavour of global markets
North School
Sponsored by AHDB
14:30
Emerging Leaders’ and Scholars' Final Workshop
Sponsored by BASF
14:30
Scholars Workshop
Sponsored by McDonald's
19:00
Oxtail Dinner
Worcester College