​The dust has settled after a fantastic IAgrM conference last Thursday. Held this year in the breathtaking ICE building in Westminster, the conference brought together professionals from across the industry to discuss the theme “Planning for Growth: People, Profit, Planet.” It arrived at a crucial moment, as UK farming faces major changes due to policy shifts, market volatility, climate pressures, and sustainability imperatives.

The event marked the 60th anniversary of this annual gathering, underscoring its longstanding role in farm management discourse. I’ve attended this event a few times now, and despite the narrative in agriculture, I always come away feeling a lot more hopeful than when I arrived. This year was no different.

Key Pillars & Topics

The conference structure reflected the three core pillars of the theme:

People

The morning started with some great speakers, chaired by Richard Price of Huntapac. From scientific research around what the future climate looks like in the UK, to hearing how James Peck motivates his farm staff (a trip to Agritechnica helps!), we really saw how the industry will look in the future.

We also heard from Adam White, CEO of Roythornes, on how we should plan for the future. With more uncertainty around the IHT, succession planning has never been so important.

Overall, there was a focus on attracting, retaining and managing talent in agricultural enterprises. In the words of James Peck, it’s no longer “bums on seats” but more a focus on the productivity of the business and the team will be ever more crucial in the future.

Profit

Chaired by Will Gemmill of Ceres Rural, we heard from various speakers about how businesses will profit in the future. Whilst financial resilience and commercial strategies will be increasingly important, profit in other ways also played a part in discussions.

 We heard case studies from across the sectors, such as sugar-beet (via British Sugar), vegetables (via Huntapac) and red-meat (via Quality Meat Scotland). Following consumer trends, promoting British Agriculture and cross-sector discussions were at the forefront of the session.

Planet

We then heard from the Met Office on predictions for the future of agriculture and ways of adapting practices. David Webster, CEO of LEAF and Nick Shorter, CEO of Velcourt, also spoke about the sustainability focus for the future. The session focused on operational resilience, environmental performance, and large-scale farming under climate uncertainty.

The IAgrM conference highlighted several key themes shaping the future of the agricultural sector. Speakers emphasised that investing in talent, leadership, and workplace culture is essential for farm businesses to adapt and thrive amid rapid change. While sustainability remains a central driver, maintaining profitability through smart business models, strong value-chain partnerships, and operational resilience was seen as equally vital. The discussions also underscored the growing importance of sustainability and resilience in response to climate change, supply chain disruptions, and shifting policy landscapes. Finally, we noticed the value of cross-sector learning, with the exchange of best practices across arable, root, red-meat, and dairy enterprises offering fresh opportunities, including a potential resurgence of mixed farming systems!

It was a great event, in-between thought-provoking sessions it was great to catch up with candidates and clients. With insightful discussions, a focus for the future and the passion from professionals in the room, I definitely feel positive about the future of the industry, and I’m glad to play a part in sourcing the best people to help drive that.

The event closed with some words from Lord Taylor of Holbeach, who left with an inspiring message:

“With some intelligence, passion and application in the three areas discussed today, we can and will continue the success of the agricultural industry.”

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