​Held at Diddly Squat Farm, there was plenty of interest around Jeremy Clarkson's involvement and, unsurprisingly, he drew a crowd wherever he went. Caleb Cooper was also around throughout the event and seemed every bit as genuine and approachable as he comes across on Clarkson's Farm, helping with the set-up and close down while towing those stuck in the mud.

Our base for the two days was the infamously purple MorePeople tent, which quickly became something of a meeting point throughout the event. Officially, people were stopping by to talk recruitment, careers and the challenges facing the sector. Unofficially, people came for the darts board, free sweets and the chance to win £100.

Between the mud, thousands of earwigs and surprisingly good showers, Cereals was exactly what industry events should be about: great conversations with great people.

Granted, many of these conversations were about darts. The ones that weren't revealed something more interesting...

As someone who spends their time talking to businesses and professionals across sustainability, agriculture and environmental markets, I left with the clear feeling that farming is becoming increasingly curious about what comes next.

And that curiosity is around innovative solutions.

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The Move From Talking To Doing

Agri-tech, carbon, biodiversity and natural capital came up in the debates and no longer felt like future conversations. Farmers aren't asking whether these opportunities matter. They are now asking how they work, what value they deliver and whether they can make them stack up commercially.

Steve McLean, CEO of the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said it best. The challenge for the sector isn't innovation, it's adoption.

The businesses creating the biggest impact are the ones helping farmers solve day-to-day farming problems, not just showcasing tech. Organisations like the UK Agri-Tech Centre, alongside programmes such as ADOPT and Innovate UK, are playing an important role by helping bridge the gap between innovation and practical application on the farm. What was particularly noticeable was the level of engagement. Farmers are actively looking ahead, wanting to understand what's coming down the track and how emerging technologies, environmental schemes and new income streams might fit into their businesses.

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Diversification Is Front Of Mind

 One topic seemed to come up repeatedly.

 How do farms create additional income while remaining productive and resilient?

Whether it was Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), carbon markets, solar, onshore wind or natural capital projects, the conversation wasn't purely environmental, it was commercial. Having blogged about and discussed BNG at length across numerous sectors, the conversations around BNG were particularly interesting. There is clear interest in the opportunity, but also understandable caution around making long-term (33-year) commitments in an uncertain political environment.

The idea of creating habitat banks on lower-performing land and generating long-term income is attractive. Equally, committing land for decades isn't a decision that farmers take lightly. The worry is shackling future generations of farmers to an unproven approach, with some nervous that a change in government could lead to a change of direction around BNG.

At the same time, carbon markets continue to evolve, with increasing focus on soil health, regenerative farming and creating value from improvements already happening on the farm. Conversations around baselining soil carbon, regenerative mentoring and achieving the best possible value from carbon credits highlighted how much this market is maturing.

Renewables Continue To Create Opportunity

 Another clear trend was the continued interest in renewable energy and environmental income.

 Solar remains part of the conversation, although perhaps not with the same intensity as a few years ago. Battery storage seems to have cooled slightly, while onshore wind appears to be gathering momentum again.

With wind projects reaching values well into the hundreds of millions of pounds, opportunities are emerging not just for owners of large estates but increasingly for smaller landowners too.

The message was clear, the strongest farm businesses are looking at multiple revenue streams, not a silver bullet.

 As one speaker put it, diversification isn't a luxury anymore. It's survival.

Collaboration Will Drive Change

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that nobody is trying to tackle these challenges alone.

Tech providers, consultants, water companies, environmental organisations and farmers all seem to recognise that collaboration is essential if the sector is going to meet its sustainability, productivity and net zero ambitions.

The best conversations were about partnerships, bringing together expertise, funding, technology and practical farming knowledge to solve problems.

That's where organisations like the UK Agri-Tech Centre are helping drive change, acting as facilitators between innovation businesses, researchers and farmers to accelerate adoption and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Final Thoughts

It was cold, wet, muddy and I may have slept in my coat for two nights, but Cereals this year didn't disappoint.

I came away with a stronger understanding of the sector and a feeling that sustainability is becoming essential to farmers.

Whether through technology, natural capital, renewables, biodiversity projects or regenerative farming, the farms that appear best positioned for the future are the ones exploring multiple opportunities rather than relying on a single solution.

Farmers are asking more questions. They're exploring new ideas. They're looking for practical solutions that work for both the environment and the bottom line.

For those of us working in sustainability recruitment, that's encouraging.

Because behind every new technology, every biodiversity project and every net-zero commitment is a need for people who can make it happen.

And if Cereals 2026 proved anything to me, it's that those conversations are no longer happening on the fringes of agriculture. They're happening right at the centre of it.

Roll on next year!