Today (Monday, July 25), Defra announced the launch of a £12.5 million competition to encourage research and innovation, providing a boost to the development of items including methane-reducing animal feeds and high protein crops.
Applications from farmers, growers, foresters, companies, and academics with plans to boost domestic production of wholesome and sustainable protein are invited.
The competition is a component of the Government’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme, which is being run in association with UK Research and Innovation’s Transforming Food Production Challenge to assist foster fresh thinking and industry collaboration.
In order to produce new sources of protein that are low in emissions and resource-intensive, it is important to hasten the development of unique and disruptive technologies.
This will enable more sustainable farming practices in the future.
This will advance current agricultural sectors toward net zero and increase farming production and sector resilience.
Under Secretary of State for Defra in the Parliament, Steve Double, said:
We aim to promote sector-wide cooperation because our farmers and food producers are among the greatest in the world.
This will assist to increase production and sustainability.
We are investing £270 million through the Farming Innovation Programme to support farmers in their efforts to innovate for the future since food production and environmental conservation are two sides of the same coin.
This competition is currently available to help develop novel high-protein crops or game-changing animal feed that encourages animals to emit less methane.
The Transforming Food Production Challenge’s director, Katrina Hayter, stated:
We’re seeking for applicants who can actually demonstrate and deliver when it comes to solving the important concerns of productivity and sustainability in the UK food sector, and on-farm protein production is no different.
New technologies must upend the current quo in order to bring about quantifiable reductions in the environmental effect of food production and the development of more sustainable business models.
We look forward to working with candidates and assisting those that have innovative ideas for using farm-based proteins to make real progress.
There are two categories in this competition: “Industrial Research” and “Feasibility” projects lasting up to two years (up to 5 years for breeding projects).
Projects must cost between £200k and £500k and between £500k and £1m, respectively.
Over the next three years, Defra anticipates spending a total of £600 million on grants and other forms of assistance for farmers who wish to invest in productivity, animal health and welfare, innovation, research, and development.
Information:
You can find instructions on how to apply at the following links:
Feasibility studies for protein from sustainable agriculture.
Industrial study on sustainable animal protein sources.