From improving animal welfare, to cutting costs and slashing environmental footprints, the right tech on UK farms boosts business for manufacturers, brands and retailers alike. In this exclusive webinar, leading experts will reveal how to unlock the full, shared potential in agtech.
Worth some £13.3bn in the UK alone, the pace of agtech innovation is rapid.
From livestock monitors that detect lameness to AI systems that automate carbon accounting and precision bots surveilling crops, each week brings a new technological tool designed to transform UK farming – and deliver myriad benefits for the whole supply chain.
Yet, despite all this promised potential, take-up behind the headlines remains slow and inconsistent, with many farms reluctant to shell out.
So, what exactly is behind the hold-up?
What hurdles do UK farms face when it comes to integrating the latest tech?
What benefits are they – and their customers – missing out on?
And, crucially, given that the right agtech solution supposedly creates a win-win for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, what role does the rest of the supply chain need to play when it comes to accelerating adoption?
In this upcoming Grocer Vision webinar, industry experts including Judith Batchelar, Jude Capper from Harper Adams University, John Allen founder of Kite Consulting and Johnny MacKey from MSD Animal Health will dig into the realities of integrating agtech into UK farming and the challenges that could be preventing UK food and drink from reaping the rewards.
They’ll look at the shared benefits for manufacturers, brands and retailers, as well as farmers, and explore how a more joined-up approach could help to unlock agtech’s multi-billion-pound potential in the years to come.
Plus, you’ll get the chance to put your burning questions to our panel.
Meet the panel:
Judith Batchelar, chair, trustee, non-executive director and advisor
Judith is a biochemist, nutritionist, and started her career in pharmaceuticals and teaching before finding her true vocation in food and farming. She has worked in the food and drink industry for over 40 years, in manufacturing at Bass and Mars, before moving into retail at Marks and Spencer and eventually Sainsbury’s.
Today Judith is Honorary President of the British Nutrition Foundation, Chair of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Co-Chair of the Eco Working Group, part of Defra’s Food Data Transparency Partnership, Chair of MicroSalt, a Non-Executive Director of Monaghan Mushrooms and Daemon. Judith is a Trustee of The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, The Food Foundation, an ambassador for the Woodland Trust and Farm Africa, and an advisor to AgrigateOne, AgriSound, and Oscar Mayer.
Johnny Mackey, stakeholder engagement lead, MSD Animal Health GB
Johnny is the Stakeholder Engagement Lead for MSD Animal Health in GB. Johnny joined the Allflex business in 2017 as National Sales Manager following an 18-year career focused on the Scottish livestock and red meat industries including roles with NFU Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland and the Luing Cattle Society. Following the acquisition of Allflex by MSD Animal Health in 2019, Johnny’s role covered After-Sales, Market Access and Public Policy. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University in Biological Sciences of Agriculture. Johnny lives in Blairgowrie, Perthshire and runs a commercial beef and sheep breeding farm.
Jude Capper, ABP chair and professor of sustainable beef and sheep systems, Harper Adams University
Jude L. Capper, PhD DSc (h.c.) FRAgS is the ABP chair and professor of sustainable beef and sheep systems at Harper Adams University; and is an independent livestock sustainability consultant. Jude’s research focuses on modelling the sustainability of livestock production systems, specifically dairy, beef and sheep. She is currently working on projects relating to on-farm greenhouse gas emissions from UK beef and sheep production and the impacts of livestock health on system sustainability. Jude is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers; vice-chair of the National Beef Association and chair of the Route Panel for Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care at IfATE. In 2021, Jude was awarded an honorary doctorate (DSc honoris causa) by HAU; and the Sir John Hammond Award by the British Society of Animal Science and British Cattle Breeders Club, both in recognition of her contributions to the UK livestock industry.
John Allen, founder, Kite Consulting
John was a founder of Kite Consulting, recognised consultancy specialists in the UK Dairy Sector, which was acquired by AB Agri in 2022. He now is leading the corporate and global business for the AB Dairy business and works along the dairy supply chain with some of the UK’s leading dairy farm operators and has linkages with international processors. The business is focussed on growing secure sustainable dairy for the supply chain. He has been recognised with a number of awards for his contribution to the industry.
Megan Tatum, Moderator
Formerly features editor at The Grocer magazine, Megan now works as a freelance features journalist. Covering topics spanning retail, technology, health and sustainability, she writes for a variety of publications, with bylines in The Guardian, The Times, Wired UK and MIT Tech Revi.
