BBSRC – Agriculture and Food Security Framework

Agriculture and food security Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy Three major strategic priorities Agriculture and food security Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy Bioscience for health As well as our strong commitment to funding curiosity driven bioscience research across a broad base, we highlight three priority areas for particular focus. These are areas at the core of BBSRC’s scientific remit, where focus will have the most impact, nationally and internationally: Agriculture and food security: bioscience for sustainable and productive agriculture, supplying not only sufficient, affordable, nutritious and safe food, but also non-food products and feedstocks, in a rapidly changing world with limited resources. Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy: energy, industrial materials and biopharmaceuticals, developed and produced using biological processes, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and helping drive the UK bioeconomy Bioscience for health: driving advances in fundamental bioscience for better health across the lifecourse, reducing the need for medical and social intervention The strategic priorities are delivered through mixed funding mechanism: through BBSRC responsive mode and initiative funding and also through cross council, European and international partnerships. Image credits 1.Thinkstock 2.TMO Renewables 3.Stephanie Schuller, IFR

BBSRC Agriculture and Food Security - Strategic Framework The aim is to expand on, and provide further details of, BBSRC’s strategic priorities in AFS. It identify areas where the BBSRC will focus efforts and expects to deliver the most impact

Focus The Strategic Framework is divided into six focus areas: Sustainable agricultural systems Crop and farmed animal health Food safety and nutrition Reducing waste Understanding and exploiting genomics Precision agriculture and smart technologies

Understanding and exploiting genomics Developing the next generation of improved crops and farmed animals by accessing and utilising greater genetic diversity Enabling greater control of breeding by understanding and manipulating the biological mechanisms which control access to genes Identifying and exploiting multiple beneficial traits through understanding the links between genotype and phenotype Enabling rapid and accurate measurements of phenotype in real-world environments

Precision agriculture and smart technologies Developing precision farming by embedding smart engineering technologies in agri-food research and innovation Supporting the development of digital and predictive tools to improve decision making Revolutionise future farming by developing and utilising novel technologies monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Thinkstock© BeeBright/iStock/Thinkstock©

What challenges can technology address? Measurements on farm, real-time (live) non invasive Whole system Co-design Reduce environmental impacts Decision making & action Below ground measurements to provide data to improve understanding of soil health and crop performance Technology development for pre-clinical livestock disease monitoring and management Increasing fresh produce quality Reducing net water use in agriculture What challenges can technology address? New and novel farming systems including vertical agriculture Integrated interventions to optimise crop management in field and for protected crops Improving nutritional management in livestock through better monitoring of inputs and outputs (including health, welfare, productivity and safety) Non chemical methods to control pests and weeds Automating and semi-automation of crop production

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Thank you harriet.trewin@bbsrc.ac.uk