Jeremy's Blog 11th June 2021: Conference Review
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 10th June 2021
The CAAV’s Annual National Conference, being held virtually on Thursday 24th June with support from the AMC, McParland Finn and Michelmores, is one key part of the Association’s life. Ordinarily, it is a major opportunity for renewing fellowship with other members and guests from across the country and further afield. As a conference, it covers current subjects with either a range or a focus that takes discussion further, offering new thoughts and insights.
With the present challenges of change, we offer that in this year's conference, under the theme of leadership on the land and in business, including a conversation between by Mark Ridley, Group Chief Executive Officer of Savills and Andrew Thomas, outgoing President.
With decisions about rural land use at the heart of most members’ work, Dafydd Wynne- Finch looks at the opportunities for his north Welsh estate. After a Nuffield Scholarship on farming collaboration, he offers live experience of successful farming joint ventures in dairying and now growing experience of regenerative farming.
With today’s interest in the practical opportunities from and issues with environmental land management and payments for eco-system services, Jim Elliott of the Green Alliance will review the demonstration project in Cumbria’s Eden valley looking at how landowners and farmers can work together. It has also explored how private payments and public funding can be used effectively together.
Looking at the wider picture for the UK outside the EU and CAP with urbanisation, climate change, new technologies and markets, Jeremy Moody will review the CAAV discussion paper, Future Rural Land Uses in the United Kingdom, in conversation with Aled Jones.
Good decisions, for day-to-day farming, larger scale land management and in professional practice, need good information. The increasing volume of digital data drives the need to have good relevant information presented to help, rather than obscure, decisions. Rob Sanders of Glas Data will speak about providing usable farming data management systems, bringing data together from its range of sources so that it can be used effectively.
With skills a key part of meeting the productivity challenge, Victoria Edwards, Fellow, previously with Reading University and now Chief Executive of the Ernest Cook Trust, the farmland owing, educational charity, will look at education.
As change gathers force, so people and businesses may have more issues that need resolving. Philip Meade will speak to confidence in arbitration, not just only for arbitrators but also those managing and presenting cases or being expert witnesses.
Jeremy Moody, Kate Russell, Flossy Freeman-Inglis and Richard Sanders from the Secretariat will cover current work.