Jonathan Lodge

Westminster Food and Nutrition Policy Forum - Priorities for data and transparency in the food system - 16th September Yesterday I was involved in a session on "Priorities for improving quality data collection and consistency of metrics in the agri-food sector" with other speakers from AHDB, Raynor Foods, British Standards Institution and Law Firm Mills and Reeves to unpick the issues all along the food chain from farmer to supermarket shelf. It proved to be a fascinating debate. I was able to share information on how Farm Carbon Toolkit is making great strides to develop greater harmonisation with other carbon assessment tools to reduce variance and agree on data standards. Aptly our session was chaired by a Parliamentarian who is also a dairy farmer and really understood the challenges facing farmers. At FCT we are very mindful that farmers and growers are in a unique position to be able to enable us to meet our legal commitment to reach net zero by 2050. However to do this farmers need to be properly rewarded and incentivised to take the action required. We see this is starting to happen, but there is much more to do.

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This week's Agri-TechE round up: 📡 Defence and agri-tech – shared innovations and opportunities and challenges with UK Food Valley with Lincolnshire County Council. 🌏 A great meeting with the leaders from the @Beijing Vocational College of Agriculture – a real meeting of minds! 🌿 Agreeing vehemently with CropLife UK around the regulatory environment for crop solutions 👋 Welcome to some of our latest new members:               Pangaea Biosciences (overcoming resistance to pesticides and reducing the need for surfactants) The Fresh Partnership – expert advice to develop agri-food supply chains OptiGene – detecting bacteria and viruses attacking crops and livestock 😴 Recovering from the World Agri-Tech Summit - still doing follow ups!. 🙌 Joining the Niab Board. Featuring: Effie Warwick-John; Simon Pearson; Louise Sutherland; Ben Turner; Daniel Kindred; Feodora Rayner; Nick Gooch; Pieter van Egmond; Tadas Mickus; Jonathan Ralling; Ross Haffenden; Mario Caccamo; David Buckeridge; Helen Ferrier; Jon Regan ARAgS; Trish Malarkey; Guy Smith; Richard Taylor;

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🌿 Recently, I had the privilege of joining a group of dairy farmers from all systems and sectors to feed into the Farm Profitability Review led by Minette Batters DL Batters, held at the brilliant Yeo Valley HQ in Somerset. The review is part of a wider government initiative backed by DEFRA’s newly formed Profitability Unit to support British agriculture through a changing landscape. Baroness Batters has been appointed to lead this six-month review and will be putting forward recommendations that inform food strategy, land use frameworks, and a new 25-year roadmap for UK farming. It was an inspiring and energising day that reminded me just how much farming is at its heart a people business. Behind every litre of milk, field of crops, or innovation in sustainability, are people. Profitability isn’t just about numbers it’s about those people: the consumers we feed, the workforce we nurture, the families who farm, and the future generation of milk drinkers and growers who will carry this industry forward. We spoke about the real challenges on farms, but also about the human potential the creativity, the resilience, the leadership that exists at every level of the farming community. We must start to value and reward that leadership, not just in words, but financially, as other sectors do. Farmers who take initiative, build collaboration, or share what works should be recognised and supported it’s this kind of leadership that will drive the industry forward. We shared honest experiences from across the dairy world from organic and conventional systems to different supply chains, scales of operation, and business models all united by the same goal: a resilient and thriving future for British farming. Some takeaways I found particularly powerful: 🔸 We need to make case studies of what works more visible, accessible, and real 🔸 Regional collaboration and farmer-led groups have huge potential with the right leadership and support 🔸 Profitability must go hand in hand with long term sustainability, food security, and public understanding 🔸 Policy must be shaped by practical insight and grounded, real-world experience farmers’ voices need to be heard 🔸 People must be at the centre of future farming policy and that includes financially valuing the leaders who drive progress on the ground This is about more than margins. It’s about the long-term viability of food production in the UK, and the confidence farmers need to invest in their futures. It was a real honour to be involved and to represent a small part of the dairy sector in this work. Grateful for the open conversations, the energy in the room, and the chance to speak up for a future I believe in. 📍 Hosted at: Yeo Valley HQ 🧀 With thanks to: Baroness Batters, DEFRA, and all who made space at the table #FutureOfFarming #FarmProfitability #FoodSecurity #YeoValley #FarmLeadership #UKAgriculture #FarmingVoices #WorkingTogether #FarmersFirst #NextGenFarming

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Exactly what UK farming needs right now. Defra has just announced £45.6M in grants focused on: -      Boosting food production -      Increasing farm profitability -      Protecting and enhancing nature This aligns perfectly with what I've been advocating - technology as the path to agricultural transformation. The Tech Trinity of Digital Trust technology, Web3 and AI can deliver what farmers desperately need. Two Hands will be pursuing these grants to demonstrate how our platform delivers:  ✅ Increased income for farmers (product value + carbon/biodiversity credits)  ✅ Regenerative farming incentives to improve soil, air and water health  ✅ Digital Trust-authenticated ESG reports for buyers and consumers Key application dates:  - ADOPT competition: Opens 28 April (£20.6M available)  - Support grants of £2,500 available through FarmPEP  - Two further £12.5M competitions open from 5 May Are you applying? Technology can transform these opportunities into lasting change for UK farming.

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Savills Rural Research Andrew Teanby unpacks the GB Farmland Market so far in 2025. 📉 Nationally farmland supply has decreased by 15% compared to the same period last year. 💰 Overall average farmland value has fallen by 1%. 🐄 🌽 'Corn' vs 'Horn' performance - 49% of land marketed was on arable farms compared to 37% over the last 10 years. https://lnkd.in/eDkbwAdw

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A big win for big dairy? Everyone’s seen the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that milk terminology is exclusively restricted to ‘genuine dairy products’. This means bovine (although there is also a niche market for goats’ milk) mammary secretions that are produced by cows following the birth - and removal - of calves, cycle after cycle, for 5-6 years, until cows are considered ‘spent’ and slaughtered. Their welfare is typically poor in intensive dairy systems, with e.g., lameness, mastitis, metabolic hunger, restricted movement, and of course the impact of separating calves causing mental and physical health and wellbeing problems. The natural life span of cows is 15-20 years or longer. There we have it: only the products that were destined for calves but taken and bottled up for human consumption (the only species consuming milk after weaning) can be called ‘milk’. Is this a big win? Time and time again, surveys show that consumers are not confused about labels, but actually want common names to support their search for functional use of products. They can tell apart animal-based from plant-based ones, especially when the plant or nut name is used in association with the word ‘milk’. The ‘drink’ label is too broad and quite illogical too, as we don’t say ‘non-alcoholic drink’ either when we mean zero percent beer. The "post milk generation" slogan that was slapped down applies to a different world vision, not a product. It describes an unstoppable rise in more plant-rich diets that are good for people and the planet, and can refer to opportunities to create real ‘dairy’ without the animal using precision-fermentation. This ruling won’t change the direction of travel. Like the ongoing and accelerating green energy revolution, a healthier and more sustainable food system is both required and already happening...

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🌱 Boosting UK Horticulture: A Win for Health, Economy, and the Environment A recent report by the Green Alliance and The Food Foundation highlights a significant opportunity for the UK: increasing domestic fruit and vegetable production to meet healthy eating guidelines could add £2.3 billion to the economy 🥕 Only a third of Britons consume the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. 🍎 To align with health advice, intake must rise by 86%. Supporting the horticulture sector in meeting this demand promotes public health, enhances food security, and reduces reliance on imports. 🍓 The UK can foster job creation, support farmers, and contribute to climate goals by investing in local horticulture. Maybe a new horticultural strategy could be developed as part of the government's food strategy to increase the demand and supply of domestically produced temperate fruit and vegetables? To read the article in today's Independent 👇 https://lnkd.in/ev9w6Bni For the full report👇 https://lnkd.in/ea48sdCb #UKAgriculture #HorticultureGrowth #PublicHealth #EconomicDevelopment #Sustainability #GreenAlliance

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This week on the #Kitepodcast we're talking about the importance of CPD in agriculture & Kite's Herd Manager Training - developing essential skills for the future of dairy farming! With Kite's Tillie Williams & dairy farmer Ed Fearnall https://lnkd.in/e99cDWg Usual report from Chris Walkland

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ADOPT announces more funding and support to empower farmer innovation💰 This initiative, part of the Farming Innovation Programme funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and delivered by Innovate UK, aims to support farmer-led research and development projects with significant funding and expert guidance. The next round of funding has been announced and it offers farmers the chance to apply for additional support for their innovations – however applicants have until June 25, 2025, to apply for the Full Grant Round 1 of funding. The fund provides two types of grants: 👉Support Grants: Up to £2,500 to help develop ideas and bring in expert facilitators 👉Full Project Grants: Between £50,000 and £100,000 for farmer-led projects Farmers can apply directly for a full grant or start with a support grant to develop their ideas first. Read our latest blog to learn: 🟢What is ADOPT? 🟢Why ADOPT Matters 🟢What’s open now? 🟢Tips for applicants ➡️Read here: https://ow.ly/zjGZ50Wbx8B #resilientsystems #intelligentagriculture #acceleratingagritech #agritech #agribusiness

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From Stan Hieronymus From England The latest: “Drought conditions could cause a hop shortage, threatening a major part of the farming landscape in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, farmers say. Hop farmer Ali Capper from Suckley, on the border between the two counties, and said this year's yield could be down by as much as 50 percent. ‘We've got a crop that is looking fairly unhappy,’ she said, adding she was likely to make a loss due to the shortfall.” English hop production has shrunk to a level that this news won’t affect the world hop market. But it sounds bad for brewers committed to using those hops. https://lnkd.in/gVShuRxV

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Farmers across England can now apply for Defra grants worth up to £25,000 to invest in improving animal health and welfare - leading to higher productivity, better quality, and more reliable food production - which help increase profits. This new round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) will make £16.7 million available to pig, sheep, dairy cow, beef cattle, laying hen and meat chicken farmers.   Applications close on 10 July. https://lnkd.in/e9aPYRbf

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