Seedling Sessions: Agriculture Innovation

With mounting pressures to improve on-farm biodiversity, farmers will want to ensure their businesses are secure and that they see financial benefits from this work. In the final episode of this mini-series, Tom and Emily explore potential funding mechanisms that allow farmers to make biodiversity investments viable and rewarding, and reflect on the future of biodiversity on UK farms.

They ask:

How are subsidy programs and incentives shifting to motivate nature-friendly farming practices?

Can emerging biodiversity credit markets offer farmers new revenue streams for conservation and restoration efforts?

How might supply chain stakeholders and consumers help fund biodiversity-positive agriculture through product pricing and premiums?

Guests:

• Rob Addicott - Farmer, Stratton Farms
• Sophie Alexander - Farmer, Hemsworth Farm
• Peter Cheek - Farmer, Godminster Farm
• Professor Louise Manning - Professor of Sustainable Agri-food Systems, Lincoln University
• Alex Godfrey - Co-head of Natural Capital, Savills
• Natalie Duffus - PhD student, University of Oxford
• Andy Cato - Co-founder, WildFarmed

Links and resources:

Monitoring biodiversity 24/7 Project at Hemsworth Farm case study video.

Hemsworth Farm Soil Association profile.

Learn more about the Agri-EPI Centre

Learn about the UK Agri-Tech Centres

Biodiversity Agri-Tech we work with:

Listen to our episode with Pollenize here or learn more about them here.

Listen to our episode with AgriSound here or learn more about them here.

Learn more about Chirrip and DawnChorus here.

Learn more about NatureMetrics

Learn more about NatureBound

Uk Agri-Tech Centres:

Learn more about the Agri-EPI Centre

Learn about the UK Agri-Tech Centres

Thanks to Cofruition for consulting on and producing the show.

If farmers are going to improve biodiversity on their land, they need to be able to measure it. Emerging technologies offer new promise for monitoring this in ways that are more affordable and comprehensive than ever before, addressing a major barrier to management and improvement. In this episode, Tom and Emily explore some of these innovations.

They ask:

Why do we need to monitor biodiversity levels on farm?

Why do traditional monitoring techniques sometimes fall short?

What technologies can help identify on-farm species abundance and diversity, and how do these technologies differ in the strengths and use cases?

What are the main obstacles to farmer adoption of new biodiversity monitoring tools, and what support do they have available to them?

Guests:

• Sophie Alexander - Farmer, Hemsworth Farm
• Tom Ludwig - Sales Manager (Onshore Industries), Nature Metrics
• Ross Robertson - Head of Mixed Farming (Agri-Tech), Agri-EPI Centre
• Marianna Herold - CEO, NatureBound

Links and resources:

Monitoring biodiversity 24/7 Project at Hemsworth Farm case study video.

Hemsworth Farm Soil Association profile.

Learn more about the Agri-EPI Centre

Learn about the UK Agri-Tech Centres

Biodiversity Agri-Tech we work with:

Listen to our episode with Pollenize here or learn more about them here.

Listen to our episode with AgriSound here or learn more about them here.

Learn more about Chirrip and DawnChorus here.

Learn more about NatureMetrics

Learn more about NatureBound

Thanks to Cofruition for consulting on and producing the show.

Biodiversity plays a critical role in the health and function of farms, yet it has declined significantly in recent decades. In this episode, hosts Thomas Slattery and Emily Laskin explore the complex relationship between biodiversity and agriculture.

They ask:

Why does biodiversity matter, and what functions does it serve on farms?

How did we end up deprioritising biodiversity?

What farming practices can help to enhance biodiversity, and will these differ across different farms?

Should improving on-farm biodiversity fall solely on farmers' shoulders or is it a shared responsibility?

Can enhancing biodiversity also benefit farmers directly beyond its environmental benefits?

Guests:

• Rob Addicott - Farmer, Stratton Farms
• Natalie Duffus - PhD student, University of Oxford
• Sophie Alexander - Farmer, Hemsworth Farm
• Professor Louise Manning - Professor of Sustainable Agri-food Systems, Lincoln University

Links and resources:

Monitoring biodiversity 24/7 Project at Hemsworth Farm case study video.

Hemsworth Farm Soil Association profile.

Learn more about the Agri-EPI Centre

Learn about the UK Agri-Tech Centres

Biodiversity Agri-Tech we work with:

Listen to our episode with Pollenize here or learn more about them here.

Listen to our episode with AgriSound here or learn more about them here.

Learn more about Chirrip and DawnChorus here.

Learn more about NatureMetrics

Learn more about NatureBound

Thanks to Cofruition for consulting on and producing the show.

Dive deep into the heart of sustainable agriculture with our new series where we explore the world of biodiversity in farming. Each episode is a journey through innovative technology, challenges, and the future of nature-friendly farming. 

🔍 Episode 1: We kick off with the intricate and complex relationship between biodiversity and farming, delving into its importance and the role it plays in sustainable agriculture. 

🌾 Episode 2: Explore the practical aspects - how farmers can use technology to help measure, monitor, and enhance biodiversity on the land the steward. 

💡 Episode 3: We address the critical question - how can these biodiversity-friendly practices support business sustainability? Uncover insights into financial support, market dynamics, and the real cost of food. 

Join us as we meet tech innovators, farmers and industry folks at the forefront. 🌍

Learn more about the Agri-EPI Centre
Learn about the UK Agri-Tech Centres

In this episode of Seedling Sessions, host Thomas Slattery welcomes Eoghan Finneran co-founder of Farmeye, a company that has developed a digital measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) platform for natural capital in agriculture.

They discuss the origin story of Farmeye, the importance of ground truth data, and the role of technology in driving sustainable and regenerative farming practices. The guest shares their background in agricultural research, education, and advisory services, and how Farmeye was initially a university-funded project focused on digitizing soil health. They explain how the company pivoted to provide value to both farmers and the agri-food supply chain, including food processing companies and retailers.

Farmeye's platform now covers soil health, farm carbon, water quality, and biodiversity, providing valuable insights to farmers, agronomists, and the wider agri-food sector. The guest emphasizes the importance of verification and ground truth data in ensuring the authenticity of regenerative food production claims.

The conversation also touches on the challenges of interoperability and adoption of agri-tech solutions, the role of agronomists as technical advisors, and the potential benefits of insetting over offsetting in the carbon market.

Farmeye Website
Agri-EPI Website
Tenacious Ventures Article

In this episode of Seedling Sessions host Thomas Slattery is joined by Johannes Scheibe, the co-founder of Ruumi, to discuss the progress Ruumi has made since their last conversation on the podcast in October of last year.

Ruumi is a technology company on a mission to build a future where farming enriches the Earth, and they're doing this by creating infrastructure for the global sustainable farming transition. In their previous conversation, they learned about Ruumi's origins in Berlin, where the founders were inspired by farmer protests to explore opportunities in the agriculture and farming sector. They eventually focused on grass, the world's largest crop, and developed a free-to-use grazing management app that helps farms improve their grazing practices, soil health, and profitability. A significant bonus of using Ruumi is the potential eligibility for carbon credits.

Since the last episode, Ruumi has secured a sizable investment, grown their team, and undergone a significant rebrand. They now have over 1500 farmers signed up on the Grazing app, predominantly in the UK and Ireland, and have started working with their first corporate insetting customers.

In this episode, they discuss the challenges of scaling an agtech startup, the importance of listening to farmers, and the future of insetting and offsetting in sustainable agriculture. Join them as they catch up with Johannes and learn about the exciting developments at Ruumi, their vision for a future where farming enriches the Earth, and the role of technology in driving this transformation.

In this episode of the podcast, Thomas Slattery interviews Mark Jarman, founder of AgriTIERRA, a consultancy that bridges the gap between Latin American (LATAM) and UK markets, particularly in the agritech and digital agri-food sectors. Mark shares his journey from working with a UK innovation center to starting his own consultancy in Bogota, Colombia. We discuss the opportunities and challenges for UK agritech companies in the LATAM region and the importance of understanding the diverse agricultural landscape.

Mark's background includes leading the agriculture and food work at a UK Catapult. He has been working with Agri-EPI, to identify potential international smart farm partners and ecosystems in the LATAM region. The goal is to create a two-way collaboration between UK and LATAM companies, leveraging the strong UK brand perception in the region. The LATAM market offers unique opportunities for UK agritech companies due to its enormous size, diverse agricultural landscape, and the perception of quality associated with the UK brand. However, it is crucial for UK businesses to understand the differences across the region, tailoring their products and services to the specific needs of each area. Building partnerships and ecosystems is key to success in the region, as well as fostering relationships and understanding the local culture.

Ever thought about how a simple idea transforms into a tangible product? Let our guest, Zane van Romunde, Associate Director at eg Technology, enlighten you about this fascinating process. We delve deep into the world of product development consultancy, focusing on its critical role in agri-tech. Zane touches upon how innovative technology is revolutionizing community health, animal welfare, and environmental conservation, and how early-stage companies can gain by aligning with consultancies like EG Technology.

Without a doubt, user feedback is a vital cog in product development. In the second half, we dig into user studies, their power in shaping products, and how they inform decisions on crucial aspects like size, weight, and power requirements. We also explore how eg Technology leverages data-driven decision-making and discuss their transition to employee ownership. This episode is a goldmine of information for those into product development, agri-tech, or sustainable energy. Don't miss it!

eg Technology will be hosting a mini agritech expo event 3rd October 2023 - https://www.egtechnology.co.uk/developing-agritech-2023/

In this episode of the podcast, Thomas Slattery interviews Ewan Wardman, CEO and co-founder of iLivestock, a company that provides software and hardware solutions to simplify and streamline the data capture process for livestock farmers all over the world. Ewan shares the inspiration behind the creation of iLivestock, which came about while he worked for a tag company that installed a large-scale RFID system on a pig farm in China. He noticed that the farmers there were using their smartphones to take pictures of EID tags and jotting down notes beside them. This led him to think of creating an app that could streamline the process.

Ewan emphasizes the importance of spending time on farms and understanding the problems faced by farmers before launching a product. He shares how, in the early days of iLivestock, he and his team would spend up to a week on a farm just to apprentice with the farmers, so they could fully comprehend and address the challenges of their potential users.

The conversation then turns to the various products that iLivestock offers, including hardware such as a bluetooth enabling weigh head that connects with load bars, as well as software that allows farmers to keep track of their livestock's health and performance. Ewan stresses the importance of data capture for sustainability and environmental compliance, and how his company's platform can be used to help farmers meet these goals.

In this episode of Seedling Sessions, Thomas Slattery sits down with David Booth, Group Technical Sales Manager at Analox, a company specializing in gas analysis and detection. Booth shares his extensive experience in gas analysis and detection, and specifically how his expertise is being applied in the agri-food sector. From monitoring ruminant gas emissions to working with farmers and researchers to reduce the impact of methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia, Booth gives listeners a glimpse into the cutting-edge world of farm tech. Slattery and Booth discuss the company's history, the use of infrared sensors in the field, and how the data on GHG emissions around livestock can help farmers manage their herds more effectively while reducing their environmental impact. Booth also shares his insights on the future of methane reduction in the farming industry and how similar patterns may emerge to those seen in carbon credit schemes. Overall, this episode is a fascinating dive into the intersection of technology and agriculture, and how companies like Analox are helping to shape the future of the industry.