4D4F – Data Driven Dairy Decisions for Farmers, a Horizon 2020 project led by Innovation for Agriculture (IfA) has been approved by the EU Commission. The project which Collison and Associates authored on behalf of IfA is designed to collate and disseminate best practice in the use of data from sensors in the dairy sector. The project will start in Spring 2016 and is scheduled to run for 3 years.
read moreMartin Collison was one of four speakers and panel members for Food, Glorious Food!, part of Norwich Cathedral’s Science Festival in March 2016. The event included presentations from Professor Simon Carding of IFR, Professor Aedin Cassidy of UEA Medical School, Mr Poul Hovesen (Estates Director of the Salle and Holkham Estates) and Martin. The event was chaired by Professor David Richardson, Vice Chancellor of the UEA.
read moreMartin Collison spoke at this event on the Greater Lincolnshire 25 Year Water Plan and its role in managing water across Lincolnshire. Focusing on the need for partnership, the uniting of flood prevention and water supply and the enabling of investment by communities and businesses, Martin stressed the need for change in how we look at water management.
read moreMartin Collison spoke at the Norfolk Farming Conference on 11th February on the topic of opportunities for farmers in the future Norfolk Rural Economy. Covering the changes which are taking place in the food sector, the growth in the elderly population and the challenges and opportunities from the living wage, Martin explored some of the major trends affecting the agri-food sector. The growth in the numbers of older people for example will be concentrated in rural areas and with these groups having more disposable income than younger age groups and eating out more, the opportunities for growth in the rural economy is substantial.
read moreMartin was presented with his Fellowship award by HRH Sophie, Countess of Wessex, at a ceremony in the House of Lords on 10th February 2016.
read moreMartin Collison was very pleased to support this new conference where he chaired the second session.
read moreThe EU Focus Group on Short Food Chains on which Martin served over the period 2014-15 has now completed its work and published its final report, case studies and short summary paper. The Focus Group brought together 20 experts in food chain development from across the EU including farmers, researchers, food chain companies and policy makers working on food chain development.
read moreMartin Collison spoke at the AFCP conference on 24th November at the Farmers Club in London on the challenges of recruiting the staff needed for a rapidly changing agricultural industry.
read moreMartin Collison was pleased to attend the EIP Agri Focus Group on Water and Agriculture in Ciudad Real, Spain on the 4th and 5th November 2015. The group used this meeting to collate best practice from across Europe on how to deliver water efficiency on farm as well as visiting a vineyard and collaborative group of farmers who are having to respond to a 60% reduction in the water which is available to them.
read moreMartin Collison was a speaker at this ZSL event on how we can simultaneously meet the demand for food globally whilst working to sustain biodiversity.
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