Smart Agri-Systems offers an integrated, solutions-focused approach to tackling multi-faceted challenges across the food system: from the farm, through the supply chain, to the consumer. On the farm, sensors – either fixed, or on drones and robotic crawlers – can monitor soil temperature and humidity, map crop growth and density, assess ground water composition, and track the weather, with data streamed at high speed and analysed using complex algorithms to assess and project crop performance.

For livestock production, genomics data can be combined with real-time sensor outputs on environmental conditions, growth rates, feed consumption, behaviour and health to project performance at scale: from an individual animal up to a whole farm. 

Beyond the farm, Smart Agri-Systems combines data and expertise on supply chains and logistics, consumer behaviour, health outcomes, environmental monitoring, international law, trade and business to provide sustainable whole system solutions, from field to fork. 

The University is positioning itself as a leader in defining future agri-energy systems required to decarbonise UK and global food production. The University Farm is being developed as a testbed for trialling innovative solutions for rural and peri-urban energy systems enabled by Smart technology.