Last Autumn parts of the UK saw twice the average seasonal rainfall. This was followed by some of the worst winter floods in memory. A poll by Farmer’s Weekly asked farmers if 2019 was, weather-wise, the worst ever: 81% said it was.

A UK Gov & Microsoft backed Agri-tech Centre has developed AI that predicts crops’ shipment window three times earlier than previously possible. The first proof-of-concept promises to save one farming business more than £6m p/a, equivalent to 15% increase in gross profit.

Ag-tech company, Agrimetrics, has launched a new, interactive tool for looking at food and farming data. They claim it will improve sustainability & productivity by accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics.

COVID-19 is a reminder of how vulnerable our food system is. Supermarket shelves are empty. Twelve years earlier, the financial crash exposed the dangers of a finance system built on a web of interdependencies - many poorly understood. The effects of 2008 are still being felt today.