feeding the future - appg-agscience.org.ukappg-agscience.org.uk/linkedfiles/jim godfrey presentation...

Feeding the Future Innovation Requirements for Primary Food Production in the UK to 2030

Jim Godfrey

(Feeding the Future Steering Group)

Research Priorities & Recommendations


Basic Research

(AFRC)

Strategic Research

(AFRC,MAFF, Industry)

Applied R&D, and Extension

(ADAS, Levy Boards, Industry)

1970-1980, The Garden Of Eden?

Outputs

More food, Lower costs, ++ Support

payments


THE APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

IN THE UK.

• Reduced the real-terms cost of food

• Ensured security of supply

• Supported the transition to an urban lifestyle

• Helped to generate a diverse diet

• Maintained viable farms


HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A DOWNSIDE.

• Globalisation of food chains has affected UK

Producers

• Secure food supplies have influenced the

political climate relating to agriculture

• Public attention has been directed towards the

impacts and risks of agriculture rather than

towards its benefits

• R&D investment has fallen in real terms and

has had to address a much wider range of

issues

Economic

Sustainability (Levy Bodies, Link, Industry,

TSB) Environmental Sustainability (EA, Industry, NGOs)

Rural

Sustainability (RDA, EU)

Strategic research

Defra, SEERAD, DARDNI;

plus EU & Industry

In some areas

Policy

Development

Basic research (NERC, BBSRC, ESRC)

Other

Outputs

THE R&D LANDSCAPE AT THE MILLENIUM Feeding the Future Innovation Requirements for Primary Food Production in the UK to 2030


‘Foresight’ Has Changed The Debate.

• Food and Energy security back up the political

agenda

• “Sustainable Intensification” beginning to drive R&D

• Both Funders and Providers of basic research much

more involved in promoting “Impact”

• “Grand Challenges” are encouraging systems approaches to R&D


Are We Making The Best Use Of Funding ?

194

66

51

21

36 18 RESEARCH COUNCILS

DEFRA

SCOTLAND AND OTHER DGs

PRODUCER BODIES

UNIVERSITY FUNDING COUNCILS

TSB

Distribution of the annual spend on UK agricultural and related research

by UK agencies Total c. £386m.


Challenges

• Imbalance between basic, strategic and applied

funding

• Basic funding and Funding Council support also

about maintaining research excellence across a

range of disciplines

• Lack of cohesion between different funders relating

to objectives, timescales, deliverables and

knowledge transfer.


Addressing The Challenges

• Need for change widely recognised Post-Foresight

• A number of reviews, studies and reports emphasised the need to

‘reinforce the delivery pipeline’

• The Joint Commissioning Group was established in 2011 to develop a

‘Producer View’ of priorities

supported by


To add value to and support existing activity, by building on existing

sector R&D strategies, to develop an overarching coherent strategy

for UK primary food production by :-

Identifying key cross-sector Priorities, Synergies and Antagonisms

Identifying the current impediments to achieving / mitigating

these

Highlighting the industry’s current Knowledge, Capacity,

Technology, Product & Service gaps’?

Brief

To help the Industry meet the mid-century challenges identified

by Foresight


Methodology

• A series of sectoral and cross-cutting workshops held

during 2012, together with additional directed

consultations..

• ..cross-referenced with existing sector Strategies and

Research agendas, to develop a set of Key Priorities

and Researchable Issues that are producer-focused,

generic and long-term..

• ..supported by a set of Key Recommendations to

facilitate delivery of the above


Research Priorities


Research Priorities

1. Utilisation of modern technologies to improve the precision and

efficiency of key agricultural management practices.

2. Apply modern genetic and breeding approaches to improve the quality,

sustainability, resilience and profitability of crops and farm animals.

3. Use systems-based approaches to understand better and manage

interactions between soil, water and crop /animal processes.

4. Develop integrated approaches to the effective management of crop

and animal pests & diseases within farming systems.


Research Priorities

5. Develop evidence-based approaches to value ecosystem service

delivery by land users and incorporate these into effective decision

support systems at the enterprise or grouped enterprise level.

6. Extend the training and professional development of researchers,

practitioners and advisors to promote delivery of the targets above.

7. Improve the use of social and economic science to promote

development, uptake and use of sustainable, resilient and profitable

agricultural practice that can deliver affordable, safe and high-

quality products.


• Develop remote monitoring, control and application technologies to optimise input use efficiency, improve animal health & welfare, sustain product quality and safety, reduce the impact of machinery traffic on land and promote effective delivery of environmental goods and services

• Integrate and utilise the increasing volume of yield mapping & recording, soil, crop and animal data in order to develop better decision support tools for integrated farming systems

• Improve platform flexibility, inter-operability and applicability to the UK environment in order to promote delivery of the above

Utilisation of modern technologies to improve the precision and efficiency of key agricultural management practices.

Researchable Issues- examples from Priority 1


‘Big Ticket’Issues

• Importance of engineering solutions for precision agriculture

• Importance of systems-based approaches to optimise resource use efficiency

• Throughout the pipeline a need to “upskill” as well as deliver new knowledge and products

• Need to involve social and economic science to maximise impact


Recommendations to Improve Delivery

• Levy bodies must build on recent developments by basic and strategic

funders to deliver effective research partnerships

• Levy bodies and other funders need to develop better understanding of

each other’s strategies

• Government Departments should continue to develop a common

approach to promoting innovation within the land-based sector

• Funders of basic and strategic research should consider how to develop

capacity in both new and existing key skills and how to deliver impact

effectively across the industry


Next Steps

Emerging Findings to be used as basis for responses to BIS and to GO

Science for their concurrent reviews

Dialogue between ‘Interested Parties’ to be continued, focussing on the report recommendations

Industry Consultation Now – 31st Jan 2013

APPG Presentation Dec 4th 2012

Presentation of Final report March 2013

www.feedingthefuture.info/consultation


Download the full report at

www.feedingthefuture.info

http://www.feedingthefuture.info

feeding the future - appg-agscience.org.ukappg-agscience.org.uk/linkedfiles/jim godfrey presentation...

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