Farming's biggest event is back

COVER STORY

The story of NFU22

NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassadors were let loose to ‘walk about’ in Birmingham for the NFU Conference 2022 (if you know, you know!)

For the fi rst time in two years, the NFU Conference took place in person at the ICC in Birmingham, where more than 1,500 farmers came together to hold government to account and hear from infl uential fi gures in the farming industry. Our Student & Young Farmer Ambassadors 2022 acted as roving reporters at their fi rst in-person event, and here’s what they had to say:

Our online coverage ran to more than 14,500 words

Emily Brown

“On 22 and 23 February 2022, members descended on the ICC in Birmingham for the annual NFU conference, the fi rst for two years following the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. President Minette Batters gave an address to open the conference which set the tone for the next two days.” Edward Lord

“British agriculture united for this year’s NFU Conference to address the industry’s future and long term ambitions.”

#NFU22

trended at

number 4 in the UK on twitter Dan Hawes

“NFU President Minette Batters’ opening speech focused on the immediate pig sector crisis and the highs and lows of British farming with an emotional plea for further government action.”

Bizza Walters

“The theme of this year’s conference was ‘A Blueprint for the Future’, featuring a host of guest speakers to address current challenges faced by the UK agricultural industry.”

Sian Davies

“The conference consisted of a number of inspirational sessions linked to the agricultural industry. Top speakers throughout the event included Defra Secretary of State George Eustice, World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) President Dr Theo de Jager and the Sir David Ramsden CBE, Deputy Governor for Markets & Banking at the Bank of England.”

Mary Raymond

“The first day was brought to a close by a dinner that was kindly sponsored by a variety of British agricultural stakeholders. Thousands were raised for farming charity the Addington Fund, and the night was ended with a set from renowned comedian Fred MacAulay.

“We move on to day two which was once again filled with speakers, this included a panel of regional members who debated on the theme of the conference ‘A blueprint for the future’; this was a fascinating insight to the different opportunities and challenges that the industries workers are facing in these current times." Conference dinner raised

£12,464.65

for charity

Gareth Staples-Jones

“Defra Secretary of State George Eustice (possibly the most anticipated speaker of the event), took a grilling in his one-on-one discussion with the president, with further jeers from the audience to some of his responses. When one member from Lancashire, Olly Harrison, asked about the triple-figure costs of fertiliser, Mr Eustice championed the spreading of organic manures. However, the audience was sceptical given his department’s recent changes to Environment Agency guidance on stricter nitrate-vulnerable zone regulations and watercourse management.” “We were also treated to a session of blueberries, ice cream and the wonders of modern technology thanks to the business resilience session. It was fascinating to gain an insight into these businesses and how they have been developed to enabled succession and future-proofing for the next generation.

“Not only did we think about farming the land, but also how we can support our planet. From the WFO to George Eustice, the environment was the topic on everyone’s lips, as this is a world-wide issue."

Tom Saunders

“We kicked off the second day with a trip to South Africa from WFO President Dr Theo de Jager. For once, we stepped out of our comfort zones of green English pastures to the extremes faced by farmers across the world. Although we all face different challenges across the world, we are united in our bid to produce delicious food in a way which supports our planet."

Erin McNaught

“Across the two days, a diverse range of speakers from all agricultural backgrounds highlighted industry challenges and potential solutions to tackle these. A standout speaker was Dr Theo de Jager, who presented a global perspective of agricultural affairs with a common objective being climate change.

“He said: “No one is more vulnerable to climate change than the world’s farmers, and no one can do more about it, more effectively in a shorter space of time and more broadly than the world’s farmers.” More than

1,400

NFU members attended Rebecca Wilson “Coming to one of the highlights of the day (lunch), it was great to see the food sponsored by ABP Meats. Serving British food to British farmers really summed up the message of Conference and how the NFU are going beyond advocacy to support the industry.”

Jess Langton

“The NFU continues to work with Defra to achieve our target of Net Zero by 2040 and continues to support its members in the transition to future Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS). We will continue to work alongside Dr Theo de Jager to support his global soil health agreement and encourage farmers to sign the pledge.”