A conversation with Adam Bedford

In the evolving landscape of agriculture, embracing the enigmas of sustainability, innovation, and collaboration, we look to both science and practical application to illuminate the path towards a more resilient and flourishing agrifood ecosystem.

At the cutting edge of agriculture, food systems, and scientific research, Adam Bedford and the Enigma Team at Fera Science are driving practical change for global good. We sat down with Adam to discuss his career and what led him, most recently, to taking over the helm as Director of Enigma Projects.

From roots to research

Adam Bedford’s journey into agriculture was unconventional, and. despite not coming from a farming background, he recalls a childhood interest in agriculture through an Uncle, (who was a Shepherd on a hill farm in West Yorkshire). There, during his teenage years, he had a job delivering milk and milking cows on farm. After school, his fascination with the natural world and agriculture saw him pursue a degree in Sustainable Land Use through Askham Bryan College and Leeds University. This pivotal decision laid the foundation for a career that would merge his passion for agriculture, science, and our collective relationship with the land.

Connecting with Agriculture at NFU

Bedford’s interest in rural communities and agriculture led him to undertake a Masters in Rural Development at Newcastle University which allowed him to delve into the various facets of the countryside beyond conventional farming practices.

However, his connection to agriculture didn’t stop there. While still a student, Bedford began writing for Farmers Weekly, which he did for several years. He also learned to shear sheep, which he did across the UK to fund his studies.

After completing his Masters, Bedford embarked on a graduate scheme with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), engaging directly with farmers and the challenges they face, in his role as Food and Farming Advisor.

His interest in policy and politics were also neatly integrated into his work, as he explored the impact of regulations on agricultural practices. Subsequently, Bedford spent four years in Belgium, including as Director of the Brussels office, gaining invaluable political insight into agricultural policy and application across the UK and Europe. He then came back to the UK and did a further seven years for the NFU as North East Regional Director.

“Working as closely with farmers as I was with policy makers for almost 15 years at the NFU has given me invaluable experience in how changes in policy and politics play out in practical farming. Understanding the policy side of agriculture also gave me a broader perspective on the wider agri-food industry, and how research and practicality must go hand in hand.”

The Fieldwork Book Club

Beyond his professional pursuits, Bedford established the Fieldwork Book Club, a unique platform that unites individuals from farming, academia, politics, and everyday life to discuss literature related to food, farming, and the natural world. What started as a casual New Year’s Eve post on Twitter quickly grew into a thriving book club with over 500 subscribers from around the world.

“The book club came about almost by accident in one of the Covid lockdowns, but has become a brilliant way to connect people with an interest in this area. It’s been an incredible journey to witness individuals from diverse backgrounds coming together to discuss books, meet authors and explore different perspectives.”

Director of Enigma Projects

In 2023, Bedford joined Fera as Director of Enigma Projects. The Enigma research model facilitates collaboration between farmers, food companies, and researchers to address critical issues on a project-by-project basis, tackling complex challenges using science combined with application. Emphasising the power of collaboration in driving transformative change, he said

“Our Enigma research model brings groups of people together - farmers, food companies, and others pre-competitively - to work on agri-food production and environmental challenges that they are facing. What makes it exciting is that it often answers one set of questions and can lead to other areas of work the partners in projects hadn’t originally envisaged. ”

“Many of the global challenges we face today, will (in part) be answered by decisions made about the land. The impact of global political and environmental events such as the war in Ukraine and the recent heatwaves and subsequent fires in Europe, soon move on to discussions on land, access to food and the environment. This is interesting, particularly when we have a cost-of-living crisis to consider.”

“The big challenges facing the farming and food sector – producing food, impacting less and managing risks, coupled with the challenges facing land use from increased housing, managing water quality and protecting the environment to name just a few all come across the desk of scientists in Fera. Assessing how these challenges fit together, and working with scientists and farmers to move scientific research from the laboratory and into the field and back again is why I’m excited to be on the team.”

At the forefront of UK science and grounded in real-world application, the Enigma model will become instrumental in driving research and development efforts within the agrifood industry.

“Across Fera Science we have an insect unit which is working to explore the opportunities that arise from insect bioconversion, including for the management of food wastes and manures, the feeding to farmed animals and the potential extraction of oils for various applications. The focus here is on helping to reduce food waste, repurpose waste streams and redistribute higher value products through insect bioconversion.”

“Our Land 360 work on mapping and assessing natural capital, and then looking at how to use it is well established and doing some really fantastic things. Fera scientists are researching and supporting emerging technologies to deal with the environmental and food challenges that we have and how we measure their success.”

“These areas of work, coupled with our work in chemical regulation, food safety, crop health and wider environmental science all add up to a thriving science base. Focussed on practical application, our mantra at Fera is to ‘protect you, what you eat and the world in which we live.”

Preparing the ground for the future

On being asked what his wish was for the future of Agri-Food in the coming years, Bedford says:

“We live in a very polarised world in terms of what people believe, and this strongly manifests in agrifood topics. This could be the debate on what we eat, how it is produced and what we could and should eat in the future. In an ideal world, I’d like to see less polarisation on these topics, but thankfully at Fera we’re focussed on what the science tells us and this will always lead us.”

“The issues we used to think of as the problems of tomorrow are no longer tomorrow’s problems – they’re happening now. That is in part a little bit scary, but also motivating because it means that there are lots of possibilities to create positive change and to build very different ways of working.”

“If farmers, growers, supply chains, consumers and others involved in Agri-Food are looking ahead, and can keep open minded, things will look different in the coming years.”

“Through Enigma we’re focussed on helping this. It’s a time of great opportunity in agrifood and scientific research, and whilst change can be tough, it’s exciting.”