National Farmers' Union of Scotland : Oxford Farming Conference Report

Having attended the Oxford Farming Conference last week, I've come home with a lot of information and some very interesting food for thought on the future of our industry writes Jen Craig, joint winner of NFU Scotland's letter writing competition to win a place at the conference.

The speakers at the 2018 Oxford Farming Conference were varied and absolutely inspirational.

The digital revolution session alone featured a location app which has broken the world in to 3m squares to be more accurate than postcodes and simpler than coordinates; a 'hands free hectare' scheme by a Harper Adams lecturer that uses robots; a company that works as a network for farmers in remote countries where there is no internet connection providing them with a phone; and a SMS platform to connect with other farmers to help improve their business.

The politics session, which featured Secretary of State Michael Gove, gave us an insight to where the current government want our industry to head, very much focusing on the environment and natural capital.

One of my favourite speakers though was a food culture journalist from America who has spent the last seven years researching the millennial generations' relationship with food and the rise in veganism and food group-free diets amongst the younger generation and the motivations behind them.

Food is one area where the millennial generation feel they have more control compared to other aspects of their lives in the current digital age and use their chosen diet as an identity. Almost like being part of a religion or reflecting the way that being a farmer isn't just my career choice, it's my identity.

My main take home message is that, not only is our industry currently in a period of change, but so is how the consumer looks at their food and the choices they make for their individual diets.

Technology is always developing and, as an industry, we have plenty to embrace to help us move forward and adapt to those changes that we face.

As an industry and as individuals, we need to promote what we do. We need to shout about the good stuff, the food we produce and the environmental good that we deliver.

• Jen Craig is chair of NFU Scotland's Clydesdale Branch; a member of Forth and Clyde Regional Board and an invitee to the Union's Less Favoured Areas Committee. Jen also sits on the Union's New Generation group.