The startling news that 8% of farmers produce 57% of food and from only 33% of land, was revealed by Will Gemmill, of Ceres Rural, when he addressed the Institute of Agricultural Management’s (IAgrM) National Farm Management Conference.

The 400-strong audience were also reminded of the opportunities to embrace innovation to help improve both the UK’s environmental and food security. Opening the conference, Minette Batters, president of the NFU, was joined by Professor Tim Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy, at the City University of London, and Lord Deben, chair of the Climate Change Committee, to unpick the debate around how the agricultural sector is currently balancing food and environmental security.

Ms Batters called for 'greater local procurement in food contracts, a whole-government approach to reduce inflation, and a net zero policy are needed to align the industry.' She added: “We have to allow the public sector to work with the private sector – public money has to deliver a multi-faceted return.”

While speakers at the conference acknowledged the numerous challenges facing farmers over the next decade, one solution to provide food security may lie in adopting innovative farming systems that reduced waste through more efficient growing environments.

Speaking later in the day, James Lloyd-Jones, CEO of Jones Food Company, said he believed ‘landless agriculture’ had the potential to put UK producers at the forefront of production and innovation. With a 55,000 sq ft vertical farm in Scunthorpe and an R and D site in Bristol, his company had ambitions for the technology to supply 70% of the UK’s leafy greens and soft fruit.

Although vertical farming may seem at odds with notions of sustainable production, Mr Lloyd-Jones believed the model to be part of a much-needed food supply change. “Technology helps us farm better. We still believe in agronomy and high-quality product, but automation through innovation can help," he said. “Complementing traditional agriculture with innovative technology could create shorter, more resilient supply chains and greater self-sufficiency – crucial elements for bolstering food security.”

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Alongside food security, maintaining stewardship over the countryside places farmers on the frontline of environmental responsibility. Investing in natural capital and profiting from sustainable land management techniques is seen by many as a route to reduce climate disruption, the conference was told.

Natural capital is a hot topic in agriculture, but there are differing opinions on how policy and private markets should interact with farm economics. Speaking at the event, Emily Norton, head of rural research at Savills, urged farmers to act now to reap the rewards rather than waiting for policy to catch up. To turn environmental protection into a future-proof business model, she suggested exploiting layers of value by stacking and bundling ecosystem services across a single piece of land.