Writtle University College is delighted to announce the next installment within its popular webinar series, produced in partnership with Liberty Produce.

‘Examining food production systems and identifying skills gaps’ takes place on February 24th.

It is the second of three virtual events, all focusing on major issues facing global food production systems and the transformations we can expect to see in the immediate future.

February’s webinar will be chaired by Agri-TechE’s Fiona Rust, with presentations from Dan Hewitt, Head of Agriculture and Sustainability from Kettle Foods UK, and Steven Winterbottom, Managing Director of Tozer Seeds.

Fiona Rust works as Agri-TechE’s Events and Young Innovators’ Forum Co-Ordinator. She promotes cooperation between farmers, researchers, and tech developers to accelerate innovation.

Fiona explained: “Collaboration and idea-sharing offers us a way forward as we are able to bring together people and organizations to help further develop our sector and find the answers to challenges that we are facing. From experience, we see how small conversations can lead to the big things.”

Benita Rajania, Product Director at Liberty Produce, said: “The aim of teaming up with WUC for this webinar series was to bring together stakeholders from across food production to start a conversation around the transformation of the industry. We are delighted to host Dan Hewitt of Kettle Chips and Steven Winterbottom of Tozer Seeds, both pioneering companies, as they share their thoughts on collaboration and the agricultural/horticultural revolution."

The webinar will investigate challenges faced by the industry and discuss strategies for training and recruiting skilled personnel. A Q&A session with the speakers will take place at the end of the presentations.

Sponsorship is provided by EIRA, a groundbreaking project that supports innovation in the East of England.

Visit Writtle University College’s website to book your place:

Register

The event will be free-of-charge, in line with WUC and Liberty Produce's ongoing commitment to education and knowledge-sharing.

About Liberty Produce

Liberty Produce is a farming technology company founded in 2018 to drive innovations that will enable us to meet our global crop requirements over the next century, without harming the planet. As experts in the development of technology (from advanced lighting systems to machine learning for integrated control systems) for the breadth of indoor agriculture (from glasshouses to Totally Controlled Environment Agriculture systems), Liberty delivers research and products that consistently push boundaries. Liberty Produce develops and builds systems that reduce operational costs with enhanced resource efficiency, improve yields and increase sustainability for greater food security through the growth of local produce year-round. ​www.liberty-produce.com

Media enquiries:

Claire Apthorp

media@liberty-produce.com

+44 (0) 7920403068
General enquiries: ​info@liberty-produce.com; +44 (0)20 7193 2933

About Writtle University College (WUC)

Writtle University College (WUC) has been at the forefront of the agrifood sector since 1893. In 2020, it was named the highest-rated university-sector institution in England for student satisfaction by the National Student Survey, also receiving 100% satisfaction for its horticulture course. Industry-focused programmes offer the skills, expert theory, and qualifications required to enter a fast-moving sector. WUC recently launched a degree in regenerative agriculture, which is the first of its kind in the UK. ​https://writtle.ac.uk/

Media enquiries:

Sara Cork: press@writtle.ac.uk

About EIRA

EIRA is a collaborative project between seven universities and colleges in the East of England. Driving economic growth in the region, EIRA connects businesses with academic expertise, consultancy, facilities, and funding opportunities. Led by the University of Essex, EIRA is also supported by the University of East Anglia and the University of Kent. Backed by £4.7 million of Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund, EIRA delivers activities across three themes: digital creative, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. EIRA has opportunities to work with businesses of all sizes through Innovation Vouchers, Research and Development Grants, i-Teams, Hothouse events, Start-up Microfinance and Innovation Internships.​eira.ac.uk

General enquiries:​ eira@essex.ac.uk

Twitter:​ @EIRA_eARC LinkedIn: