On 27th July, former DEFRA Secretary of State and Cornish MP, Geoge Eustice, visited the Riseholme Campus of the University of Lincoln.

During the visit he met with Professor Simon Pearson, who co-chaired a DEFRA report on automation in horticulture with George published in 2022, as well as members of the Lincoln Institute of AgriFood Technology (LIAT) and UK Food Valley teams.

During a wide-ranging discussion, the team discussed the model used to support food chain growth in Lincolnshire and how this could be relevant more widely across the UK.

Topics discussed included the agricultural transition, the need to invest in the food chain and how technology can support productivity growth and efficiency.  George was also shown the robotics lab and met Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot dog, which is being trialled by the university to conduct crop scouting and monitoring functions.