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Waitrose Innovation Forum 2012

Wednesday 15th February 2012, 0945-1640
Royal College Of Surgeons Of England, London

Introduction from Bill Davies

09.30Arrival (Tea / Coffee / Orange Juice / Pastries )
09.50Welcome
David Croft & Heather Jenkins (Waitrose)
9.55
Reducing fresh produce waste in the supply chain
Sandra Landahl (Cranfield University)
10.30
Understanding water use efficiency, saving water and improving crop quality

Bill Davies (Lancaster University)
11.05
Effects of land use and climate change on soil biodiversity, and subsequently on the effects of changes in soil biodiversity on ecosystem processes

Franciska de Vries (Lancaster University)
11.40Break (Tea / Coffe / Biscuits)
11.50
Ecosystem services from sustainable cropping

Geoff Squire (James Hutton Institute)
12.25
Organic wastes, soil health and carbon and nutrient cycling

Ralph Nobel (East Malling Research)
13.00Lunch
13.35
Root biology for reduced fertiliser use

Brian Forde (Lancaster University)
14.10
Assessing the Effectiveness of Mitigation Approaches to Reduce Surface Runoff and Diffuse Pollution from Agriculture

Clare Deasy (Lancaster University)
14.45
Soil compaction and remedial action

Blair McKenzie (James Hutton Institute)
15.20Break (Tea / Coffe / Cake)
15.35
Irrigation methods and precision farming

Ian Dodd (Lancaster University)
16.05Exploiting soil biology to increase resource use efficiency
Andrei Belimov (ARRIAM)
16.45Close

25 minute talks will be followed by 10 minutes for questions. Speakers will focus on their latest research and its application in food production and supply. Funders of the research include NERC, BBSRC, Defra, the EU and the Scottish Parliament. The day will introduce a range of research applications, several of which should be new to suppliers.

Register online

Aims & Objectives

The Waitrose Innovations Forums will be led by The Waitrose Centre at Lancaster University.

Each of the forums will:

  • Share best practice currently operating within the supply chain
  • Keep a specific focus on Waitrose specific values
  • Focus on pre-competitive topics
  • Provide in-depth coverage of benchmark training programme topics
  • Draw on Lancaster expertise
  • Align and complement the Waitrose LEAF commitment
  • Showcase expertise from other UK and overseas R&D organisations
  • Provide significant opportunity for discussion
  • Emphasis on new solutions and innovations – not problems
  • Consider technical, policy and societal issues
  • Act as the basis to consider and develop new collaborative research
  • Focus on new, emerging technologies and innovation, not just current practice

In addition to formal presentations there will be significant opportunities for discussion. This aims to ensure that while the days focus on cutting edge and emerging innovations there will be ample opportunity to consider how such innovation can and will translate into real commercial benefit.

The fee for attendance on the day will be £50 for the full day.

Building on feedback from previous events, workshops and discussions with the Waitrose agronomy group, the days have been designed so that they are useful to suppliers and growers of fresh produce both from the UK, Europe and overseas. There will be good opportunity for discussion at the end of each formal session to fully consider how unfamiliar or new concepts can translate from the science labatory into the fresh produce supply chain.