OFC 2014 to debate how farming should operate

The 2014 Oxford Farming Conference kicks off in the new year from 6 – 8 January, with Farmers Weekly reporting from the event.


The theme for the OFC conference will focus on where the opportunities for agriculture lie, who will fund it and how.


The research report driving the OFC debate will be controversial, according to Adrian Ivory, the co-chairman of the conference, as it highlights the need for change in current farming practices.


The line-up of speakers includes political heavyweights DEFRA secretary Owen Paterson MP and European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos.


Farming industry figures including NFU president Peter Kendall, Sir Jim Paice, former farming minister and Farmers Weekly Awards 2012 winner Guy Poskitt are also speaking at the event. 


Other topics in the sessions cover diverse areas such as social media, rural tourism and the intriguingly titled “A Vision of farming with robots in 2050”, delivered by head of engineering at Harper Adams University, professor Simon Blackmore.


The full list of speakers and timetable for the event is on the OFC website.


For more on this topic


See our 2014 Oxford Farming Conference page

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