South East Farmer August 2021

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THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE SHOW AND CONFERENCE In September 2022, ARU Peterborough, a brand new university being built in the heart of the city, will welcome its first intake of students. The course portfolio has been co-created with businesses to ensure it provides the skills needed by regional employers. Our BSc degrees in agri-food technology and environmental management are designed to support individual aspirations while providing the talent and expertise needed to realise the long-term goals of the East of England’s agri-environmental industry, helping to drive regional prosperity. All those involved in food supply will be aware of the opportunities, as well as challenges, arising from the transition from the Area Arable Payments Scheme to the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS). Not surprisingly, sustainability and the natural environment were the focus of many

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A NEW UNIVERSITY FOR

THE EAST OF ENGLAND presentations, debates, and discussions at this year’s Groundswell conference. Education and research need to respond to these changes to make sure the next generation of farmers, agronomists and technologists, as well as society as a whole, can benefit. That is why the combination of farming and the natural environment is a key part of both our new degree delivery and our research activities. ARU Peterborough’s degree courses start in 2022, and we are already carrying out research, running

workshops and providing continuous professional development training in agri-environmental areas. Our focus is on data science, crop modelling, food supply chains, soil health and soil carbon, food security and technology integration. We are working with stakeholders throughout the supply chain as well as those associated with it, such as water companies and the health sector. If our future food supply is going to be sustainable, this must apply to all aspects, not just production in the field.

To get involved, or find out more about our teaching or research, visit: www.aru.ac.uk/peterborough

GET AHEAD OF THE GAME Groundswell is arguably among the most important events on the farming calendar. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you cannot have missed the increasing references to ‘regenerative’ in the farming press. And about time, too. We’d go so far as to say that the collection of practices described as ‘regenerative’ has huge potential to put the brakes on – and even reverse – many of the negative impacts of intensive agriculture. Groundswell is the epicentre of all things regenerative. It’s THE event where you can discover what the buzz is all about in a relaxed, welcoming environment. As an organisation, it was our first time exhibiting at Groundswell. Although we’re a relatively new farm certifier in the UK and Europe (only launching here in 2016), A Greener World operates across four continents, certifying and empowering over 6,000 farms – including more than 4,000 in the UK and Ireland alone – and covering over 1,000,000 acres of farmland globally. Groundswell presented the perfect opportunity to promote our family of farm certifications, including Certified Animal

Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW, Certified Non-GMO by AGW, and our newest addition – Certified Regenerative by AGW, a whole-farm programme measuring real change to benefit soil, water, air, biodiversity, infrastructure, animal welfare and social responsibility. In a post-Brexit world, trusted certifications like A Greener World’s will become increasingly important, particularly as more consumers seek

AUGUST 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

out British meat, dairy and eggs and make better, higher welfare food choices. Our no-nonsense farm certifications give farmers the tools to talk with pride to customers and the confidence that they are backed up by an independent, credible and trusted farm certifier that guarantees the highest farming standards in environment and animal welfare. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch. Or pop by our stand at Groundswell 2022!

JASON GALE

jason.g@agreenerworld.org www.agreenerworld.org


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