Students should consider career in research

Students at colleges and universities are being given the chance to consider agricultural research as a possible career path when the NFU’s Why Science Matters for Farming campaign hits the road later this month.

A series of seminars is being held each focusing on different aspects of the scientific opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The first event on February 26 at the University of Reading’s Madejski Theatre will discuss Why Science Matters for the dairy industry and animal health.

Diseases including bovine TB and mastitis are likely to be high on the agenda. Among the high profile speakers will be NFU Vice President Paul Temple and Dr Tracey Coffey from the Institute for Animal Health.

Future seminars will cover crop genetic improvement and the role of new technologies such as anaerobic digestion and biotechnology on farm and the importance of science for enabling farming businesses to prosper as part of a successful British rural economy.

Each event will feature key note speakers followed by a Q&A session allowing the audiences to explore and debate some of the essential issues.

FWi has opened a forum thread to which Mr Temple and Dr Coffey will be contributing. Why not have your say?

• The Why Science Matters for Farming campaign was officially launched at the House of Commons in October last year when the NFU called on the government to change its priorities and increase spending on agricultural development to allow the UK to become more productive.
  
  Ahead of the first seminar at The University of Reading, NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: “I want to see a reversal of the trend of under-investment in agricultural research and development that we’ve seen over the past two decades. The cuts in funding are inconsistent with the demands on production in the 21st century and also threaten the UK’s position as a world leader in many areas of science related to farming such as animal health.
  
  Mr Temple added: “The government has a crucial role to play at all levels and would I urge them to shift their policies and priorities to recognise the needs of productive and efficient agriculture as we farm in a changing world, while meeting all our environmental responsibilities. The agricultural research and extension community need to receive the right signals to do the science and translate it into practice on the ground.”

Seminar dates:

Venue: University of Reading, Thursday 26 February
Theme: “Why Science Matters for the Dairy Industry and Animal Health”
Speakers include: NFU Vice President Paul Temple and Dr Tracey Coffey, Institute for Animal Health

Venue: Newcastle University – Wednesday 4 March
Theme: “Why Science Matters for the future of the rural economy”
Speakers include: Professor of Agriculture Sandra Edwards, County Durham farmer and NFU member Stewart Vernon

Venue: John Innes Centre, Norwich – date TBC
Theme: “Why Science Matters for Farming: Better crops and the role of new technology”
Speakers include: Simon Orford (John Innes Centre), David Hill (Chair of the Farmers’ Biotech Network) and Stephen Temple (Norfolk farmer and engineer)