TO BE PUBLISHED January 2027
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This conference will examine next steps for agri-tech growth and adoption in England, in the context of wider UK developments in innovation and advanced manufacturing. Areas for discussion include approaches to supporting wider uptake by farm businesses as well as commercial growth for developers, routes from trial and testing to commercial adoption, use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, the data and digital infrastructure needed to support adoption, and implementation of precision-breeding regulation.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss progress so far and next steps for the technology commitments set out in the Farming Roadmap 2050, alongside the practical questions affecting investment in, development of and uptake of new technology.
Policy support, adoption & commercial growth
In the context of the Government’s response to the Farming Profitability Review, agri-tech's designation as a frontier industry in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, and the extension of the Farming Innovation Programme - including the recently closed £20m automation and robotics competition - the planned agenda will consider how different strands of policy fit together, with discussion on implications for farmers, technology developers, investors and supply chains.
Research, testing & commercial adoption
Planned sessions will examine pathways from research and farmer-led testing to validation, manufacturing, procurement and routine use on farms. Attendees will assess the contribution of the Farming Innovation Programme, ADOPT Fund, Investor Partnerships, and AgriScale, alongside the Farmer Collaboration Fund in supporting cooperation, knowledge-sharing and the uptake of new approaches and technologies. There will be consideration of access to finance at different stages, the costs and risks facing farm businesses and developers, and approaches to reducing upfront capital exposure and supporting promising technologies through to commercial use.
Further discussion will look at independent evidence, demonstration and peer learning, access to advice, rural connectivity, integration with existing systems, and the availability of skills, servicing and technical support, including where these factors may limit adoption by smaller or less well-capitalised businesses.
Regulation, data & market access
Delegates will also assess the regulatory, data and market environment for agricultural innovation. This will include implementation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 for precision-bred plants in England, as precision-bred confirmations continue to be issued and the new FSA food and feed authorisation process is put into practice, transparency and traceability, public trust and consumer confidence, and standards and assurance for AI and autonomous equipment.
Attendees will also consider farm-data governance and interoperability, questions around access to, control and commercial use of farm data, the implications of regulatory differences within the UK and ongoing UK-EU SPS negotiations, including the treatment of precision breeding, for breeders, exporters and supply chains, and priorities for coordination and accountability.
Overview of areas for discussion
- Farming Roadmap 2050 delivery, adoption and outcomes:
- milestones towards regulatory reform and simplification - responsibilities, roles and measurement of adoption - practical impact, value and outcomes for farm businesses
- funding, investment and costs of adoption:
- FIP, ADOPT and Investor Partnerships - scale and terms of private investment - upfront costs, commercial returns and access to finance across farm sizes and tenures
- moving from trials to wider use:
- farmer-led testing and the Farmer Collaboration Fund - continuity between research, testing, manufacturing and deployment - independent evidence, demonstration and peer learning
- confidence in performance under commercial farming conditions
- on-farm adoption, advice and skills:
- costs, confidence and evidence requirements - trusted advice and digital capability - integration, servicing and technical support for farmers and advisers
- differences in what is practical across farm types, sizes and business models
- AI, automation and robotics:
- applications across different farming sectors and potential to address labour pressures - integration with existing machinery - regulations and standards hub for agri-robotics
- safety, human oversight, liability, cybersecurity and standards - costs and evidence of return for farm businesses
- data, digital services and infrastructure:
- ownership, consent, portability and commercial use of farm data - interoperability and access to government services
- connectivity and tackling digital exclusion - confidence in data sharing and practical benefits for farmers
- precision breeding and regulatory alignment:
- operation of 2025 Regulations - Defra and FSA processes - transparency, labelling, public and consumer confidence
- treatment in UK-EU SPS negotiations - implications for breeders, exporters and supply chains
- manufacturing, scale-up and routes to market:
- Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan priorities for agri-tech - AgriScale, moving from successful trials to commercial production and the capacity to manufacture at scale
- procurement and certification - exports, investor confidence and access for farmers to proven, market-ready technologies
- productivity, resilience and sustainability:
- assessing value for money of the FIP and Genetic Improvement Networks in relation to research, adoption and farm-level outcomes
- costs, yields, input use, food security, climate resilience and crop improvement - where technology can make a practical difference to productivity and business resilience
