Parent company of LAMMA Show, CropTec Show and Farmers Guardian – Agriconnect – has announced a new event for 2023. The Future Farming Expo Scotland event will be held at the P&J Live venue in Aberdeen over 2 days on Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th October 2023 .
The aim of the event is to support producers in preparing for the future, become more sustainable and manage innovation for change in sector which has seen so much change in recent years.
Head of events for Agriconnect, Nichola Bell, said that Scotland is the ‘perfect place’ for the event due to the country’s ‘proud farming heritage and global importance in food production’. She said: “Our aim is to provide attendees with ideas and inspiration for their businesses, as well as a clearer path forward during a challenging time both in Scotland and globally.”
Event producer for the Future Farming Expo, Emma Penny, explained that the event has been planned following in-depth research with Scottish farming businesses and will be centred around a series of hubs and debates with over 100 exhibitors. She said: “This will not be another run-of-the-mill conference where visitors will be talked at. Instead, it will be dynamic, practical and offer attendees the chance to bring their own issues forward for in-depth, on-to-one discussion with other farmers, exhibitors and experts.”
Topics covered
The event will include talks and topics covering:
- Business and Personal Resilience Hub – exhibitors, speakers and clinics will focus on helping farming and rural businesses be at their most resilient and ready and to deal effectively with challenges.
- Carbon and Soils Hub – with Scotland’s work on soil carbon making rapid progress, discussions about links to farm payments, understanding carbon and soils has never been more important. This hub will help everyone – from those with zero knowledge upwards – to understand what it is, why it is important in their business and what impact it might have over the longer-term.
- Arable Hub – With input costs running at all-time highs and an uncertain global market, this Hub will look at how Scottish arable businesses can make the most of opportunities to become more efficient and contend with current market conditions.
- Livestock Hub – Scotland’s livestock sector is facing some big challenges politically, environmentally and financially. This Hub will offer plenty of practical advice for specific issues, as well as looking at the future direction and opportunities for the sector.
- Renewables and Energy Hub – This Hub will feature all of the renewable and energy opportunities available, as well as looking at how to practically implement them on-farm, from initial discussions, through planning, to options for running these renewable/energy diversifications. Visitors will be able to discuss their situation and seek advice from experts, exhibitors and speakers.
- Diversification Hub – Diversification opportunities such agritourism, farm shops and visitor attractions have been a success for many Scottish farm and rural businesses. This Hub will help farm and rural businesses see the opportunities that may be right for them, with speakers and exhibitors who can talk in-depth about the options.
- Horticulture and Vertical Farming Hub – Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is a new and novel approach to growing horticultural crops and could provide an opportunity for farmers, rural businesses and those based in towns and cities. Could vertical farming be something new for your business?
- Robotics Hub – With the UK National Robotarium opening at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh last autumn, Scotland is set to play a leading role in the use of robots in agriculture. This Hub will feature exhibitors who are deeply involved in developing and using robots in agriculture, and our speakers will look at the potential for their use practically on-farm.
Visitors to the event will also be able to visit the innovative anaerobic digestion energy centre, which powers, heats and cools P&J Live using food, agriculture and garden waste from around the city.
Updates and information about the event can be found at http://www.futurefarmingexpo.com.
