South West AgriTech Showcase attended by over 150 people

The event focused on the future of food production and the need for innovation in the industry.

Keynote speaker Baroness Minette Batters, a tenant farmer and cross-bench peer, addressed the audience, emphasising the urgency of a balanced approach to land use and the role of technology.

Baroness Batters said: "We need a plan, we need to be ambitious, and we need to be absolutely focused on the optimisation of agriculture.

"We need to deliver for food and nature."

She also highlighted the importance of setting food production targets, saying: "Targets drive everything; we have targets on defence, on housing, on net zero - we have environmental targets on taking land out of production, for clean air and water - but we still don’t have targets for food.

"We cannot continue with this flippant approach to food production."

Baroness Batters identified three key elements which would be hugely influential, these being a land use framework, a farming road map, and a food strategy.

She said: "If all of those can come to life and be made to work, they can deliver.

"There is a real need to come together and focus on what they are going to look like."

She also addressed the issue of land sale, adding: "The countryside is up for sale; we’re selling off land to people who are not farming it and not producing food."

A range of agri-tech businesses attended the event, showcasing their commitment to optimising food production.

This included everything from controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to using artificial intelligence for detecting cow lameness.

Joanna Rufus, chair of South West AgriTech, said: "The event showcased how innovative technologies can help improve crop yields, resilience, sustainability, and overall productivity."

A workshop session held by Satellite Applications Catapult encouraged discussion around challenges faced by those developing agri-tech, focusing on building better relationships with end users, challenges faced by end users, barriers to adoption, and possible support to accelerate uptake.

She added: "It’s clear in the third year of the event that the appetite for agri-tech is still growing, and we hope this continues for the future."