Data-driven solutions for farm business resilience

A thought-provoking seminar series hosted by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board will take centre stage at Groundswell 2025.

The AHDB will host five seminar sessions on its stand each day – encouraging farmers and the wider community discuss the importance of independent, data-driven solutions for nature-based farming.

Each seminar will last about 30 minutes, with times and locations clearly displayed at key locations across the Groundswell site.

Session 1:  Cultural controls – don’t let weeds take the lead

This session will tackle ways regenerative farming practices can shift the dynamics of weed management.

With the first case of glyphosate resistance confirmed in Italian rye-grass on a Kent farm earlier this year, the need to proactively manage herbicide resistance risks has never been greater, says the AHDB.

This seminar will unearth lessons from Strategic Cereal Farm East, including results from studying the farm’s weed seedbanks and assessments of non-chemical control – and a debate on the latest herbicide resistance management tactics.

Session 2: Food first – the ultimate nature-based solution

In the race to meet environmental and climate targets, the focus on offsetting others’ environmental footprints often overshadows a critical truth: food production is the ultimate nature-based solution.

This session challenges conventional narratives, arguing that natural capital investment on-farm is not just an environmental nicety but a business-critical strategy to secure resilient and sustainable farming businesses for decades to come.

Join the debate about whether natural capital markets can build resilience or if they risk becoming distractions from or threats to the long-term survival of UK farming businesses.

Session 3: Gene cuisine – serving up farm-to-fork sustainability

Discover how innovation is providing a brighter future for farming and food production.

Hear directly from farmers and supply-chain leaders about game-changing developments in genetics, technology and supply chain efficiency – from farm to fork.

Learn about the pivotal role of genetics in advancing farming practices and how consumer marketing campaigns give consumers greater confidence in the quality and sustainability of food farmed in the UK.

This session will showcase AHDB initiatives including EnviroBeef, EnviroCow, Let’s Eat Balanced and the Recommended Lists.

Session 4:  From run-off to resilience – land management for clean water

Farmers are under pressure to deliver food and protect natural resources, including waterways.

This session will dig into the latest developments in soil health monitoring and management. It will explore the innovative and practical ways that reduce nitrate and phosphate leaching risks and improve a farm’s bottom line.

Speakers and experts will discuss the unique approaches required in regenerative systems.

Session 5: Trials and tribulations – getting more from on-farm trials

A panel of experienced farmers and researchers will discuss ways to turn data into decisions.

They will explore how farmers can ensure that trials produce meaningful results, what data should be collected to make informed decisions and how insights from individual farms can be shared to create broader industry change.

The panel will draw on the experience of farmers who have used data to shift their management approaches and researchers who assist in on-farm data collection, knowledge exchange networks and understanding leverage points for uptake of sustainable food production in the UK.

Cover Crop Clinic at the Earthworm Arms

New for this year, the AHDB will host a cover crops and herbal leys workshop in the Earthworm Arms marquee at Groundswell.

AHDB and the Cover Crops Guide steering group will be digging into the practical aspects of species selection, establishment, grazing, nutrient dynamics and biodiversity.

This will be done with a strong focus on financial return and practically realising the benefits to farm rotations. The AHDB tipi is located at stand C40 in the demonstration field.