AHDB and Food & Farming Futures Conference 2018

Disruptive technologies have transformed the way we do business, the way we travel and how we access information and services. 

Recent well-known disruptors include Uber, now the biggest taxi company in the world and Airbnb, the biggest ‘hotel’ chain in the world. They rely on smart-phone apps, public data, Google Alphabet systems and cloud-server data processing. 

Innovation in Agri-food business has affected processes from farm to fork but is there more we can do?

Gene editing is enabling focussed crop protection and designer foods with enhanced nutrients from animals and plants with increased resilience.  The use of robotics and artificial intelligence is advancing by the day with mechanical harvesting and hands-free technology commonplace on farm. 

Blockchain is a decentralised technology that is having an impact through greater transparency, trust and traceability. These systems have the potential to reach back into farming to link the growing use of data in decision support systems and productivity monitoring.  
There are new opportunities open to us that may accelerate the uptake of innovative technologies and our industry must adapt quickly to exploit them.

The AHDB and Food & Farming Futures Conference happened on 1 & 2 May 2018 in Warwick.  Some of the presentations from the day are available here:

• A New Zealand Perspective
• Blockchain: Is it going to be good for us?
• Innovation Acceleration
• Innovation in Practice
• Putting Farmers in the driving seat
• Today's technology, Tomorrow's farm
• Why a What Works centre could work for us