CHAP launches campaign to accelerate net zero goals

ENHANCING sustainable farming practices to help accelerate agriculture’s journey towards net zero is the purpose of the latest campaign from Agri-Tech Innovation Centre, CHAP.

Making Connections brings together tools, knowledge and solutions that all strive for the same goal – driving farm productivity within a net zero-orientated agricultural landscape.

CHAP (Crop Health and Protection) hopes that by enabling the adoption of agri-tech innovation, such as precision agriculture, improved data management and predictive modelling, growers will be supported in making informed decisions that contribute positively to their farming systems.

Commercial Director for CHAP, Linsey Cresswell, said: “Agriculture’s contribution towards climate change has long been under the spotlight, with an ambitious target from the NFU of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the whole of agriculture in England and Wales by 2040.

© CHAP

“Plus with the UN’s Climate Change Conference, COP26 taking place in around a months’ time, we will all need to take a look at the environmental impact of not only our businesses, but our personal choices too.

“We believe that agri-tech innovation has a very positive role to play in achieving net zero, but that there remains important work to do in breaking down the barriers to adoption and improving accessibility.

“Therein lies the purpose of CHAP’s Making Connections campaign, it’s here to bridge that gap. This could mean demonstrating the practical on-farm value of systems such as regenerative agriculture, or unlocking the potential of new predictive modelling concepts.

“We want to foster great collaborations across our industry to promote the opportunities within sustainable agriculture.”

Launched this week, Making Connections draws on knowledge and insight firmly embedded within CHAP, linking to two of the agri-tech centre’s strategic areas of focus – Digital Agronomy and Soil and Crop Health Systems.

These two areas will form the bedrock of the campaign, as well as work from the New Innovations team, who will be sharing a report based on their latest business case – the ‘Field Profiler for Regenerative Agriculture’.

Updates on projects such as the use of ultra-fine bubbles in agriculture, autonomous slug monitoring and treatment solution, SlugBot, and the latest in machinery advancements will also be shared, all linked to the campaign.

Strategic Marketing Manager, Janine Heath, said: “Following the success of CHAP’s biologicals campaign, Changing Perceptions, we are delighted to be building on that good work through the launch of Making Connections.

“Agri-tech offers a host of innovative solutions that can help our industry to achieve net zero, but when that’s up against ensuring business productivity, we must be able to demonstrate clear on-farm benefits and de-risk.

“We hope to address this issue during the campaign as we share engaging content on the subject, host online webinars and publish a review of our latest business case. We’ll also be taking Making Connections on tour as we exhibit at trade events such as CropTec and FPC Future.

“We very much welcome input from our partners, members and wider network, so if you’d like to join the discussion, please get in touch.”

For more information, visit www.chap-solutions.co.uk or to join the debate, contact enquiries@chap-solutions.co.uk.

CHAP is funded by Innovate UK and is one of four UK Agri-Tech Centres. CHAP’s vision is for the UK to be a global leader in the development of applied agri-technologies, to help secure a future by nourishing a growing population sustainably while delivering economic, environmental and health benefits to society.