Agriculture faces many challenging demands as it adapts to today’s environmental conditions and climate change. What is the 
impact of growing crops for biofuels? How sustainable are our crops in the UK? What can we do to help farmers in developing countries suffering severe drought stress and food shortages?
Also most important, at the end of the day, are farmers able to make a decent living? How are they diversifying to keep their heads above water? Will we one day have a shortage of farmers in the UK?
I shall be leaving soon to attend Cereals 2008 and join the National Institute of Agriculture Botany there. I hope to learn some of the answers to these important questions. It is the leading event for the arable industry and is being held near Lincoln. It is expected to attract 22,500 professional farmers and industry experts over two days.
It’s my first visit to the show, and I hear it is really good fun too…
A timely post, Ellee. In the U.S. I cannot believe the stupidity we have in terms of keeping high speed limits where violators by the millions are driving 80-90 mph. 60 or 65 would immediately save gas, reduced fatalities and bring down car insurance rates. This is such a fundamentally easy task. I feel that apathy has gripped us. Have fun at the conference. I will be interested to see what you have to say about it! 🙂
What an interesting event, I wish I was going. Trust you will report back, Ellee 🙂
Sounds really interesting!
Fun is always important at serious meetings like that. Enjoy and learn.
How do you find out about all these interesting events, Ellee?
A slight deviation from this post.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1025586/FUEL-CRISIS-Forget-warnings-panic-pumps-Thanks-decades-government-neglect-Britain-set-lose-nearly-half-electricity-years.html
Britain is perilously close to losing its energy independance. Are wind farms or obeying EU edicts on emissions really the answer when we sit on mountains of coal ?
Did you have “snap, crackle and pop” for lunch?
Sorry, couldn’t resist it!
Prompted by Kev’s thoughts I’d like to bring up my point of chopping down the rainforest to grow biofuels. Now someone has created artificial ‘trees’ (that need energy to produce and run/maintain) to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. The worlds gone mad.
I agree 100% with Michael. I will be interested to see your report on this conference.
It certainly makes a change not to have to queue for the ladies loos, and see the men lining up for a change. I only spent yesterday there when I was busy meeting the agricultural media. One thought struck me, are we going to have enough young people keen to continue farming into the next generation? They have so many difficulties to overcome. I learnt about potential new crops for the UK, including the edamame soya bean, from George, a plant breeder who is passionate about its potential: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame
There were lots of events with speakers and I should have liked to have had time to listen in on some of them, many touching on issues related to biofuels, climate change, pesticides and CAP.
It’s very hard work for those who exhibit, sowing crops on the site almost a year ahead of the show and having to tend to them regularly, even if you are two or three hours drive away.
Its not just about what we grow but also the nutrition in what we grow. EG to get the same nutritional value as an apple of the 1950’s you have to eat 3 modern apples..
AND the varieties have diminished. I am not sure the exact amount but its somthing like 200 varieties of apples in the 1800’s now down to 15.. ( please google for the exact amounts)
Here in Aus we HArvest in areas which are not sustainable ( as Maalie will tell you)
Tell us all about it when you return, Ellee.
Ellee, how do you fit it all in?
Good to meet you last week – just thought I’d take a look at what you were up to here. Looks great.