Speakers from across the country and overseas, covering some of the MOST EXCITING farming and food production initiatives of our time.
Our 2025 Line-Up
Welcome and Introduction
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Dr Belinda Clarke OBE
Conference Chair
Belinda is driven by the belief that innovation is a vital driver for agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability and economic growth. Starting her career in crop research, she developed experience at the interface between industry, innovation and government, and became determined to bring farmers, researchers and technology developers closer together to improve the effectiveness of communication and mutual understanding, and to accelerate the adoption of new innovations on farms. For the last decade she has led the creation and expansion of the award-winning membership network which is Agri-TechE. With members from across the UK and internationally, Agri-TechE is one of the largest and longest-established agri-tech innovation ecosystems in Europe. In 2019 it was named national Networking Group of the Year at the UK SME Business Awards and a finalist in the Innovation category for Trade Association of the Year 2024. Belinda is a Trustee of Niab and a member of the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee. In 2021 she was awarded the Sir Timothy Colman Prize by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association for “outstanding leadership in the agri-tech sector” and received an OBE for services to agri-technologies and farming in the Kings Birthday Honours List 2024.
Opening Keynote Address
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Achieving more Value from our Land
Jeremy Moody
Secretary and Adviser, The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV)
Secretary and Adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) since 1995, supporting professional advice to farmers and owners across the UK and liaising with governments on the new policies developing across the UK. Writing and speaking widely on policy and practice, he handles the many issues covered by the CAAV including agricultural tenancy and land occupation issues, taxation, valuation, planning, the competition for rural land use, climate change, energy and environmental issues. He analysed the effects of the October 2024 Budget’s Inheritance Tax proposals, gave evidence to the Commons EFRA Committee and the House of Lords and engaged with Government, farming and other organisations. Looking at a period of rapid change, current work includes improving farming profitability and productivity without direct support from government, with more extreme weathers and the darkening international situation as well as the government’s planning, land use and energy actions as they affect the countryside. He is an Assembly member of the European Group of Valuers’ Associations (TEGoVA) and Vice Chairman of the European Valuation Standards Board.
Henry Astor
Owner of Bruern Farms
Henry Astor is a 3rd generation farmer and miller based in the Cotswolds. He is a founder of the North East Cotswolds Farm Cluster, works with Good Food Oxfordshire to help create farm to fork in the county; and runs the Bruern Flour Mill that supplies bakers nationwide with a variety of traditional and heritage flours milled from wheat grown on his farm. His mission is to create an alternative farming system and business that operates outside the current agro-industrial complex.
Joe Howard
Director Howard Farms and Grass Roots Farming Ltd
Joe was brought up on an intensive arable and veg farm in Nottinghamshire and always had the ambition to be involved in the family farm. After Graduating from Nottingham University with a 2.1 in Agriculture in 2007 he went straight into a hands on role in the veg side of the business. Joe became a partner in 2009 and took on the root veg management and has retained their majority share of the UK chantenay market. Joe developed a passion for livestock while working in New Zealand in 2003 and wanted to bring this home into a mixed farming approach to drive soil sustainability and thus business sustainability; a view which is very much shared by the rest of the family. Joes father Max introduced grass into the arable rotation and started their Angus suckler herd in 2004 which peaked at calving 400 in 2020. In 2014, Joe developed Lundie Farming Ltd a grass based spring calving dairy milking 600 cows near Dundee. The native beef cross calves from this dairy were reared and finished on Joes Nottinghamshire farm, paving the transition into the dairy cross beef model. By 2021 all the suckers were to be replaced by dairy cross beef and Joe now finishes 2000 a year into Dovecote Park and Grassroots. Joe became a shareholder and director of Grassroots Farming Ltd, a beef outlet marketing regeneratively produced beef into premium restaurant markets in 2024.
Case Study 1
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Johnny Wake is the Managing Partner of Courteenhall Farms, a diverse rural estate business in Northamptonshire which he has grown substantially since taking over in 2013. He transitioned from his original career as a medical doctor and has overseen the journey to regenerative agriculture, promoting soil health and biodiversity and has led Courteenhall into a large Higher Tier scheme with Natural England. As part of his drive to make farming more environmentally and financially sustainable, he co-founded the Tove Valley Cluster Farm group and founded and chairs the Central England region of Environmental Farmers Group. He is a Trustee of LEAF and recently finished terms on the Country Land & Business Association Policy Committee, and the Wildlife Farms and Estates England Committee. He has set up and chairs an educational charity at Courteenhall for local schools called New Leaf Learning and has made Courteenhall the first farming business in the UK to become a member of the Good Business Charter. He is a Patron of HomeStart Daventry & South Northants and a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. He was recently awarded The British Farming Awards Sustainability Award, the Royal Agricultural Society’s Bledisloe Gold Medal for excellence in land management, and Cranfield University’s Entrepreneur Alumni Award.
Dr Johnny Wake
Managing Partner Courteenhall Farms
Future needs for future farming systems
Jules Pretty
Emeritus Professor of Environment and Society at University of Essex
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Jules Pretty is Emeritus Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex. His books include The Low-Carbon Good Life (2023), Sea Sagas of the North (2022), The East Country (2017), The Edge of Extinction (2014), This Luminous Coast (2011), The Earth Only Endures (2007), Agri-Culture (2002), and Regenerating Agriculture (1995). He is former Deputy-Chair of the UK government’s Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, and has served on advisory committees for UK research councils, the Government Office for Science, and the Royal Society. He was appointed A D White Professor-at-Large by Cornell University for 2001-07, and received an OBE in 2006 for services to sustainable agriculture, an honorary degree from Ohio State University in 2009, the British Science Association Presidential Medal (Agriculture and Food) in 2015, the Tropical Agriculture Association Development Agriculturalist of the Year award in 2022. He was appointed President of Essex Wildlife Trust in 2019, is Chair of the Essex Climate Action Commission, a fellow of WWF-UK, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Essex in 2023. This Luminous Coast was winner of New Angle Prize for Literature, and The East Country was winner of the East Anglian book of the year. He launched a YouTube channel in 2025 on “Story for Climate and Nature Recovery (https://www.youtube.com/@JulesPretty58 ), and writes the series The Climate Chronicles at www.julespretty.com.
Emily Rout
Head of Strategic Accounts and Industry at Collaboration Mondra
I am a food innovation and sustainable diets leader with over 15 years’ experience across the food supply chain, from grassroots farming to large-scale UK retail. During more than six years at Tesco, working across Sustainable Food & Innovation, Healthy & Sustainable Diets, and Product Development, I led customer-led health strategies, HFSS reformulation, sustainable product development, and the delivery of large-scale, commercially viable food innovation. In my current role, I work across the food industry through Mondra and the BRC Mondra Coalition, collaborating with UK and EU retailers, foodservice businesses, agricultural bodies, NGOs, and government organisations to drive meaningful, future-proof change. I am passionate about building high impact, resilience focused innovation pipelines and working with cross-functional teams spanning agriculture, technical, product development, nutrition, R&D, and customer and commercial functions to turn ambition into action. With a strong grounding in UK nutrition policy, labelling standards, agriculture, sustainability frameworks, and customer behaviour, I am deeply motivated to improve access to food that is delicious, nutritious, and affordable. My purpose is to help create future-proof diets for all; balancing taste, value, quality, and sustainability to deliver meaningful change at scale and support truly resilient food supply chains.
Tom Pearson
Farms and Estate Manager at the Raynham Estate
Tom Pearson is Farms and Estate Manager at the Raynham Estate in Norfolk. Growing up in a farming family, he developed an early passion for agriculture and has worked in Norfolk for the past ten years. At Raynham, Tom works to evolve farming practices that respond to political change, weather volatility, and rising costs, with a strong focus on attention to detail and achieving marginal gains. He is particularly interested in developing future farming systems that remain profitable while delivering improved environmental outcomes through the use of technology and data.
Case Study 2
David Cross
Tenant Farmer, Glovers Farm
David farms a tenanted family farm in north-west Norfolk and is a participant in the AHDB Monitor Farm programme (2021–2025). The farm historically operated a conventional arable rotation focused on sugar beet, wheat, and barley, but in recent years has undergone a significant transition in both enterprise mix and management approach. The business has invested heavily in livestock infrastructure, including the installation of an “alleyway” grazing system across approximately 90% of the farm. This has enabled a shift towards integrated livestock systems with a strong focus on improving whole-farm profitability, enhancing soil health, and developing labour-efficient grazing enterprises. The farm sits on sandy loam over chalk, making it particularly vulnerable to drought. This risk is managed through the use of decision-support tools such as Farmax, alongside the adoption of drought resilient plant like lucerne and fodder beet and ongoing on-farm trials to optimise forage performance. Current enterprises include a multiplier flock of Easydam ewes producing rams for sale, contract-reared cattle, and pasture-raised laying hens, with eggs sold direct to local customers. Most of the farm is now entered into SFI and Countryside Stewardship schemes, and David has recently joined the Regenerate Outcomes programme, combining carbon sales with mentoring to support continued system improvement.
Keynote Address
Dr Rebecca Harding
Global Supply Chain Economist
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Dr. Rebecca Harding is CEO of the Centre for Economic Security and a leading authority on international trade economics. She is a Director of Sovereign Resilience Finance and serves in strategic advisory roles including Chief Economic Adviser to the Defence Security and Resilience Bank Development Group. Through her strategic advisory business, Rebeccanomics, she specializes in sustainable trade, digital trade and defence and security finance. In 2022 she received the "Net Zero Entrepreneur of the Year" award at the Scale-up Group's Enterprise Awards. Harding has built three data-driven technology businesses in digital trade and ESG. Her distinguished academic career includes positions as Senior Research Fellow at the British Foreign Policy Group, Head of Corporate Research at Deloitte, and Senior Fellow at London Business School. She previously served as Chief Economist at the Work Foundation and at UK Finance, and has advised the Treasury Select Committee and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship. She is a member of the Alphen Group, a Senior Associate at Earendel Associates and an Associate Partner of T3i Partners. She authored "The World at Economic War: How to Rebuild Security in a Weaponized Global Economy" (2025) which was in Martin Wolf’s top books of 2025 list in the Financial Times. Additionally she has co-authored several influential books on trade and geostrategy, including “The Weaponization of Trade: the Great Unbalancing of Politics and Economics” in 2017. Her media presence includes regular appearances on BBC, Bloomberg, Sky News, and CNBC.
Landing the Message
Enabling farmers to use their voice for positive change in UK farming
Olly Harrison
Farmer and Entrepreneur
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Farmer and entrepreneur Olly Harrison has been working the land for 44 years, building his farming operation from just 180 acres to over 1,500 from outside Liverpool to Manchester. He is the face behind popular YouTube channel @OllyBlogsAgricontractfarmer. The daily videos, which he started in lockdown, provide a glimpse into the real-world challenges and triumphs of farming, marked by a touch of humour and diversification tales to fund his machinery and tractor addiction! Olly's online presence reaches over 450,000 across his social channels, 150,000 of which are on YouTube. His 2200+ videos have been watched over 117 million times, where he shares insights, experiences, and challenges faced in the agricultural industry. His content resonates with both farming enthusiasts and those curious about the intricacies of rural life. Olly is a passionate voice for the farming industry. In 2024, he led a major march in London against proposed increases to inheritance tax for farmers, rallying thousands both in person and online, ensuring national attention was drawn to the issue. Never afraid to speak out about the industry, he achieved the DLG accolade of ‘International Agricultural Influencer for YouTube’ and was recognised as an NFU Community Farming Hero. His ability to explain the complexities of farming in straightforward language has made him a regular contributor across BBC channels, including BBC News and BBC Radio 4. The farming business in has 14 different income streams, from ‘dog walking fields’, to chipping wood for biomass, to a merchandise operation that grossed over £100,000 in 2023 alone. With a truly diverse range of activities, Olly, who left school at 16 having struggled with dyslexia, has grown his farming acreage from 180 to 1500. From traditional crops to sunflower mazes, office rental and holiday lets, Olly will always find a brilliant way to commercially exploit his land and assets. He promised himself that by the age of 40 he’d own a brand new combine harvester, and having achieved that he then decided to drive his Claas Lexion combine from John O’Groats to Land’s End, all in the name of charity! Olly is not just about farming, his dedication extends to charitable contributions that exceed £450,000 to date. From his tractor runs through Liverpool, to the YouTube channel’s ‘birthday bumper’, many have benefited from his fundraising, including Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the North West Air Ambulance. As recognition of his continued hard work, Olly has been made a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside. Olly is engaged to Charlotte and has three children. He’s promised to leave one farm to each of them as he continues to build his farming empire. His unique blend of farming wisdom, humour, and community engagement has garnered him a dedicated following, where his impact extends beyond the fields, making him a notable figure not only in agriculture but also in charitable endeavours across the UK.
Amy Jackson
Agricultural Communications Specialist
Amy is an agricultural communications specialist who has worked with the UK and Irish farming industries on high profile challenges such as horsemeat, the rise of ‘megafarms’, bovine TB, antibiotic use and perceived environmental damage. She has a particular interest in public perceptions around some of the more contentious aspects of modern farming, which first led her to a Nuffield scholarship in 2012 ("Can we Learn to Love the Megadairy?") then a PhD in 2022, examining public preferences for dairy farming in the UK. As well as continuing to run her own consultancy Oxtale, Amy is a part time Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham vet school, looking at farmer and public attitudes towards cattle disease, climate change and farm animal welfare. Amy chairs the Dairy Technical Advisory Committee for Red Tractor, is on the Appeals Panel for Quality Meat Scotland, and was a Behaviour Change ‘Champion’ for the UK's Agri-Food for Net Zero Network+ (AFN) research project. She was recognised as an industry ‘Gamechanger’ in the 2024 Farmers Weekly Awards.
Karen Brosnan
Management Consultant, Former Chair Nuffield Ireland
Karen Brosnan is a management consultant, facilitator and board adviser with over 25 years’ experience working with agri-food businesses, boards and public bodies in Ireland and internationally. She specialises in strategy and organisational development, leadership development, board governance and executive coaching, and is widely regarded as a trusted adviser across the agri-food and rural sectors. Karen works extensively with boards and senior leadership teams to strengthen governance, support organisational and cultural change, and develop leadership capability. She has led major consultations and strategy processes for government departments, semi-state organisations and industry bodies, and regularly chairs conferences and national dialogue events. She currently serves on the Board of Horse Sport Ireland and the Agri-Food Regulator, and is a Director of Agri Aware. Karen is Chair of the Northern Ireland Nutrients Action Programme, where she leads cross-sector engagement on environmental and agricultural policy. She is also Programme Director of the WCF Rural Business Management Programme, supporting the development of future-focused rural and farming businesses. A former Chair of Nuffield Ireland and Gurteen Agricultural College, Karen is a Nuffield Scholar and Fellow of the CIPD. She holds an MBA and brings a strong commitment to leadership, sustainability and inclusive growth within the agri-food sector. Website: www.karenbrosnan.ie LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/karen-brosnan-6257205
Case Study 3
Keynote Closing Address
Ryan McCormack
Farm Manager at Dennington Hall Farms
Ryan is the Farm Manager at Dennington Hall Farms based in East Suffolk. Dennington Hall Farms is a 1,500ha combinable crops and sugar beet operation. Since joining the business in May 2022, Ryan has developed a diverse cropping rotation, set a new machinery strategy to suit a regenerative approach and is creating a forward-thinking team culture. With a key focus on soil, air and water health, Ryan now operates a 12-year cropping rotation, integrating grazing livestock across arable land, moving to variable rate liquid fertiliser, reduced tillage and a block of Wildfarmed Bi-cropping. Ryan is BASIS and FACTS qualified and has a continued passion for data, innovation and technology. Ryan is the current Farmers Weekly, Farm manager of the Year. A member of the 68th Worshipful Company of Farmers, Ryan completed his Advanced Business Management Course in 2018. Ryan also sits on the NFU National Combinable Crops Board.
Sir Peter Kendall
Honorary Professor, Centre for Food Policy and Foresight at the University of Nottingham
Peter is a high profile, and well-regarded leader, who has been at the head of British agriculture in both the UK and Europe for over 15 years. A graduate (Agricultural Economics) and Honorary Doctorate of the University of Nottingham, Peter is an active partner in a family farm with practical experience of the farming community, the legislation, and the trialling of new technologies. As NFU President (2006-2014), Peter’s top priority was changing the image of agriculture through the use of all media channels. Leading a rejuvenated organisation following a relocation from central London saw the reversal of a 17-year decline in membership. Peter’s other roles include Presidency of the World Farmers Organisation (2014), AHDB Chair (2014-2020), Trustee of the Lawes Agricultural Trust (2015-2023), Chair of Rothamsted Research (2024-) and Chair of Elveden Farms Ltd (2024-). He is noted as intelligent, forceful, articulate, and bursting with energy and ideas. Organised, determined and decisive, Peter has a firm leadership style and a high work ethic. He accepts responsibility, adapting to challenging and changing situations. Peter was Knighted in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to agriculture. Sir Peter Kendall’s support for the Centre for Food Policy and Foresight includes developing industry and policy networks for the Centre, drawing on his extensive connections across the agri-food chain.