Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
Farmers and industry stakeholders will come together to discuss the future of crop protection at a key conference this autumn. The need to balance... Future of crop protection comes under scrutiny

Farmers and industry stakeholders will come together to discuss the future of crop protection at a key conference this autumn.

The need to balance food production while protecting the environment will top the agenda at the 2024 British Crop Production Council (BCPC) Congress – held on 26-27 November at the Cedar Court Hotel, Harrogate.

BCPC general manager Julian Westaway said: “We are excited to introduce our impressive line-up of engaging speakers from government, regulators, leading commercial companies, organisations and academia.

Food security

“These industry leaders and experts will share their knowledge on a wide range of topics related to issues from pesticide regulation, crop production and sustainability to pest control technologies and integrated pest management.”

The conference will open with a discussion around the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive – which is designed to incentivise farmers who undertake environmental measures alongside food production.

But the SFI has also encouraged some growers to take land out of food production completely. Rather than producing food, this land is being used to boost biodiversity, soil health and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Although Defra has limited the amount of land which can be put into non-productive options, critics continue to warn the SFI could potentially be detrimental to the country’s food security.

Other conference sessions will discuss the evolving regulatory framework to support the adoption of the various components of integrated pest management (IPM) – including biocontrol and precision applications.

A second conference stream will examine how the latest science is being put into practice, with examples such as precision application and making best use of new emerging knowledge and technologies.

On the final day, the future of pesticides becomes the morning’s central theme, while the afternoon focuses on how regulators are looking to manage the approval process of plant protection products and biocides.

For full details about the congress, visit www.bcpccongress.org