Inspired by this year’s theme of ‘World of Opportunity’ the OFC prompted a lot of food for thought. As we build on our efforts in 2019, Sarah Blanford, Crop and Organic Manager at Sainsbury’s, shares her top tips and predictions for Intelligent Agriculture and the future of farming:

• Technology innovation is key to driving efficiency and future proofing the industry. Innovation stretches from farming new crops or breeds to working with centres of excellence, trialling new varieties and translating scientific research onto farm to unlock value.

• Communication proves to be more pertinent than ever before and is key to engaging the public and the next generation. It is vital that our customers understand the opportunities that exist within farming and initiatives and the potential engagement with our suppliers, such as Facetime a Farmer.

• Farming is a key factor in the health of the nation and food and diet is at the forefront of our customers minds. Our farmers and growers have a huge role to play in delivering healthy tasty products.  An exemplar of this is our Super Mushrooms which are high in Vitamins D and B12.

• Using data to drive actionable insight is important to ensure that we are moving in the right direction and we can measure progress. At Sainsbury’s, we have been collecting data from our supply chains for over ten years, which has enabled us to drive quality and improve health, welfare, yield and efficiency in our supply chains. This is also going to have an increasingly important role when looking at the changing regulatory landscape and ensuring that our supply chains are fit for the future.