Landwards Summer 2021
Editor’s Welcome
to recognise some of the unsung talent supporting the profession and the Institution often behind the scenes. It was a lovely way to acknowledge excellence and be a part of the wider agricultural engineering ‘family’. If you have already flicked through this edition and think you have missed the awards write up, it’s with the magazine as a standalone Awards Extra publication, as the winners are worth shouting about. Congratulations one and all.
The last quarter has been busy for the Institution, and this edition of Landwards is all the richer as a result. Let’s start with some long overdue celebrations. Like buses, no IAgrE award ceremonies in 2020, and then not one but two award ceremonies on one day at the end of April! Albeit still virtual, but a great opportunity
“May you live in interesting times” is an oft-quoted Chinese curse (it’s worth googling the origins of the saying, you may be surprised) and we do live in interesting times. Agricultural engineers are adept at rising to challenges and thrive with complex problems, so Alastair Tulloch’s discussion piece in Practice p16 on the future of the internal combustion engine is timely, to say the least.
The editor spends too much time contemplating the future/ looking out of the window/procrastinating (delete as appropriate). On the horizon p12 delves a little deeper into some of the more interesting perspectives showing potential directions of travel for agricultural engineering. Looking ahead, this year’s conference promises to be one not to miss. A range of speakers will look at alternative fuels and how agricultural engineering is rising to the challenges of moving away from carbon-based energy. See the back cover for more details and dates. I wish you well for the summer. I hope that you will find stimulation and food for thought in these pages to help your agricultural engineering journey.
Andy Newbold Editor andy@farm-smart.co.uk
Agricultural Engineering Institution (IAgrE) maintains professional status The Engineering Council (EC) has renewed IAgrE’s professional licences for a further five years. The EC licence is granted to Professional Engineering Institutions to authorise them to assess applicants for inclusion on the Engineering Council’s register of professional engineers and technicians. The licence gives IAgrE the authority to assess the competence and commitment of candidates for registration as chartered engineer, incorporated engineer and engineering technicians to qualified members.
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formed to provide an internationally recognised professional qualification for environmental practitioners (CEnv) and IAgrE is able to offer the award to suitably qualified and experienced members. The Society also recently launched a new qualification Registered Environmental Practitioner which will provide more individuals with the opportunity to gain professional registration and achieve external verification of their competence.
The Society for the Environment has also renewed IAgrE’s licence for five years.
To qualify for renewal IAgrE was re-assessed by the EC and SocEnv to ensure continuing compliance and that the correct procedures are in place to continually monitor the professional development and conduct of registrants.
IAgrE is a founder constituent body of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv), an umbrella body for environmental professionals. It was
From the beginning of this year the IAgrE has experienced a large increase in members applying for professional registration.
“IAgrE offers professional recognition to an extraordinarily wide range of people working in the application of science, engineering and technology to the land, whether it is for food or industrial production, amenity or environmental stewardship,” said Charlie Nicklin, IAgrE CEO.
