Devon Agri-Tech Alliance

The farming sector has been facing serious challenges over the past two decades. Technology adoption in farm businesses has been slow due to high investment cost, ageing population of farmers, rising inputs cost. BREXIT has deprived the sector of its most reliable labour mainly from Europe. Cheaper food imports has strained operating margins, making it harder for farmers to invest in best practices. More recent events such as energy costs and the rise of inflation is forcing a re-think among agri-tech stakeholders, particularly in Devon, and brings an urgency to the need to design innovative approaches to unleash the potential of Devon farming.

This project investigates challenges facing small farm businesses in adopting technologies and identifying opportunities that will inform policy under Community Renewal Fund