Martin Collison today spoke at the launch of DEFRA’s 25 Year Environment Plan on the need for partnerships to come together to deliver environmental action.
Martin Collison spoke at the VIP reception of Flavours at the Royal Norfolk Showground on Wednesday 23rd September on the importance of the food economy to the region and how to grow its economic impact.
Martin Collison was a guest speaker at the APPG Science and Technology in Agriculture on 14th September alongside: Dr Jerry Knox, Reader in Agricultural Water Management, Cranfield University; Prof Chris Atkinson, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich; Paul Smith, Business Development Director, Incinerator Replacement Technology Ltd; and, Dr David Firman, Head, NIAB CUF Potato Agronomy Unit
The meeting chaired by Mark Spencer MP focused on water security in agriculture so that we can manage the world’s water resources in the face of increased demand due to population growth, rising urbanisation and the effects of a changing climate.
Martin Collison was one of over 80 representatives of industry and stakeholder groups who attended the DEFRA launch of the development process for a 25 Year Great British Food and Farming Plan on 16th July.
At the Royal Norfolk Show on 1st and 2nd July Collison and Associates‘ 14-month-old shearling Shetland ram, Tilney James, was male champion, Norfolk champion and then went on to take the best in breed title.
At its first meeting on 5th June Martin Collison was appointed as Vice Chair of the Cambridgeshire Fens Leader group to support Chairman Guy Mills of Cambridgeshire County Council.
Martin Collison gave the keynote address at the Greater Lincolnshire LEP Water for Growth Workshop on 9th June to set out the long term challenge faced in relation to water if we wish to grow the economy in Greater Lincolnshire.
Martin Collison spoke to an audience of 200 guests at Barclays Breakfast event at the Suffolk Show on 27th May alongside Barclays Area Agricultural Manager John Steggall and Barclays National Agricultural Specialist Oliver McEntyre.
Martin Collison is one of 20 ‘experts’ (farmers, advisors, researchers and policy makers) from across Europe who have been appointed to work with the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability in a new Focus Group to produce a report on the challenges in managing water in agriculture: Water & Agriculture: Adaptive Strategies at Farm Level
The Focus Group is due to start its work in June 2015 and will produce a report in early 2016 which will help to inform future EU investment in agricultural water related applied research and knowledge exchange programmes.
Martin attended the 2nd meeting of the EU Short Food Chain in Scotland on 21st-23rd April https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/content/innovative-short-food-supply-chain-management
The programme included workshops sessions on how to facilitate the growth of short food chains in Europe as well as future research needs and the potential to develop EIP Operational Groups to address challenges in short food chains.