2022 Contemporary Scholars Conference CSC) Overview

2022 CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS CONFERENCE

Nuffield UK hosted this year’s international Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) from 7th to 15th March in Norfolk and London. 9 days, 130 scholars and delegates, from 15 countries! Our thanks go to all the generous Sponsors along with all our Speakers and Hosts for their time, energy, inspiration and advice. Below are thoughts on the whole event from some of our Scholars that attended…

JAMES WRIGHT 2022 NSch

Attending the 2022 CSC was a fantastic start to my Nuffield Journey, with a jam packed itinerary thoughtfully put together by the UK Nuffield office, the nine day CSC was so beneficial to me on a number of levels. The opportunity to network and socialise with over 120 scholars from all over the world was incredible. I have made connections that will not only serve me well for the duration of my travels but also friendships that will certainly be long lasting. The insightful training and speaker sessions led by Wyn Owen and the team revisited much of the leadership training I have been lucky to have over the years and really pulled it all together. A great refresher which upon returning to the business post CSC has given me clarity and certainly helped with my time management and the all-important skills required to delegate during my time away travelling. Our stay in Norfolk was aptly rounded off by a visit to Holkham Hall, hosted kindly by the Earl of Leicester, learning about the Coke of Norfolk and the history of Agricultural reform – what an inspiration! Our CSC then concluded in London, hosted in the Houses of Parliament by Nuffield scholar Robbie Moore. Following a tour round Parliament it was a great honour to have an audience with Lord Currie and The Right Honourable George Eustice MP where we had the opportunity to present on a variety of international agricultural challenges focussed around climate change and food security. Robbie is a true inspiration with infectious passion and enthusiasm, I’m sure one day we may see our first ‘Nuffield’ Prime Minister! Thank you to all at Nuffield for a truly memorable start to my Journey.

VIC BALLANTYNE 2022 NSch

I’d been warned about the intensity of the CSC and having now had time to reflect I am still blown away by the experience of being in a room with so many interesting people from around the globe. It was a unique opportunity to meet people, many with experiences and views different from my own, yet all with the same goal of improving and changing the way we produce food and fibre. Our first day coincided with International Women’s Day and it was wonderful to see so many strong and capable women representing all areas of agriculture from across the world.

Scholar’s celebrating International Women’s Day

The developing situation in Ukraine throughout the week was a reminder of the volatility of market prices and pressures. Combined with increasing changes in climate, discussions were very much focussed on input costs, availability and what the future might look like. The leadership sessions led by Wyn Owen challenged us to question ourselves and those around us. Robbie Moore MP (Nuffield 2016) generously hosted us at Westminster, giving us the chance to put these skills to the test during a session with George Eustice MP. I would like to thank the organising team for the work they put in to pulling this off under difficult circumstances. Hosting not just one, but two years worth of scholars, was no easy feat and the resounding opinion was that it was a huge success.

MIRANDA TIMMERMAN 2022 NSch

Scholars from all across the globe from Canada to Chile, from Kenya and Zimbabwe to Australia and New Zealand a conflation of ideas, ambitions and experiences came together to attend the 2022 CSC. Having been postponed due to COVID two years worth of scholars were able to attend, making it fascinating and overwhelming all at once! A brief introduction to the farming history of Norfolk led by our UK chair, Chris Graf Grote introduced one of the liveliest speakers, David Hughes, the pink whirlwind that is Professor Food. He took us seamlessly through the ups and downs of the World’s food economy, its history and future and trends and projections. It was a great all encompassing talk which really spring boarded our attitudes for the rest of the CSC thinking about areas outside of our comfort zones and pushing us to consider the ultimate consumer.

The day followed on with a discussion by Berry Marttin of Rabobank and a swift turn of pace and perspective led by Wyn Owen and Geraint Hughes to start a series throughout the week of workshops on leadership and resilience. A first full on day summed up by our after dinner speaker, Minette Batters, a fitting end for International Women’s Day!

ANNA BOWEN 2021 NSch

The CSC was a long awaited experience, as my cohort lost our own conference in 2021 as one of many events lost to the pandemic. The wait only made it better, as did having the opportunity to mix with not only our own year group but also the 2022 scholars. Minette Batters’s after dinner speech was as always inspiring and hugely interesting. She is a brilliant person to have representing the industry, and an excellent public speaker- she had the whole room intently listening and then fielded lots of questions from passionate scholars. Minette is also a great ambassador for women in agriculture, and this representation can’t be downplayed. It’s hard to pick out a particular speaker or session as all were challenging and thought provoking, but the morning we spent on farm safety was one that stayed with me. We all know that our industry has an appalling

health and safety record but hearing the stark statistics from James Chapman about his own farm accident really reinforced the message. Table discussions afterwards allowed scholars to share their own experiences, and I think it will make us approach both our scholarship visits and our own farming careers with a heightened awareness of what we can and should be doing. I’ll finish by thanking the organisers who put on a fantastic event. It was well worth the wait! Thank you!

OLIVIA CHAMPION 2022 NSch

Our Nuffield journey started with the CSC at which all scholars from around the world came together to learn about each-others agricultural systems, leadership and how to implement positive change. The scholars bonded in an extraordinary way and the energy in the group was phenomenal. Perhaps it was due to the shared experience and collective trauma of the pandemic over the past couple of years, the lack of social interaction and heightened awareness of how unpredictable life can be, but the atmosphere at the CSC was electric. Scholars were encouraged to mingle and aim to speak to everyone in the room, which was a challenge with such a large group, but the activities provided us with plenty of opportunity. The activities planned for the CSC led us on a journey through the scientific research that is being carried out to support Agriculture; at the Norwich Research Park we learnt about gene editing technology, soil microbiota and the challenges of climate change. We visited and learnt about a diverse range of agricultural businesses, and the challenges they face, on the Norfolk food enterprise Centre, including vertical farms, mills and agricultural buying groups. We toured farms and learnt about dairy and arable farming in Norfolk. The conference culminated in a trip to Westminster, where Agricultural policy is made. This carefully crafted journey through the different aspects of Agriculture showcased British Agriculture, architecture, enterprise, innovation and hospitality at its very best.