A NATIONAL conference held in Dorset was aimed at building stronger links between business and scientists to promote more sustainable farming and food production.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Kingston Maurward College hosted One Health 2022, which brought together more than 60 decision-makers from academia, industry and government.

One Health is a globally-recognised term for the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, plants and natural ecosystems.

The event looked at how this could inform innovation in the field of agricultural technology, or agritech.

It saw the launch of a one-year programme, the One Health Nucleus Pilot, to offer support for businesses already involved or seeking to develop projects related to the One Health Agenda.

Opening the conference, Dorset LEP’s chair Cecilia Bufton said: “We have an ambition to make Dorset a One Health nucleus, within a sustainable, commercial One Health regional powerhouse, contributing to a green, clean global UK offer.”

Luke Rake, chief executive and principal of Kingston Maurward, is One Health lead on the LEP’s board. He said recent investments in college facilities would support agritech skills regionally and nationally.

He likened Dorset to a “living laboratory” for One Health and agritech, citing the development of the campus’s university centre and rural business hub. There are plans to incubate and accelerate 40 high-worth, clean-growth rural businesses by 2030.

Projects supposed by the LEP at Dorset Innovation Park at Winfrith Newburgh were praised for boosting the agritech centre.

Among those making presentations was DraperGROUP, headquartered at the innovation park, which provides sustainable temperature control systems for livestock production.

Around 500 poultry sheds nationally use its renewable heating systems and equipment.

Lucy Cullinane, operations director of Efeca, highlighted efforts to ensure the deforestation-free sourcing of supermarket products. Efeca operates from Bournemouth and Dorchester, providing advice on sustainable sourcing of natural resources to businesses, governments and non-governmental organisations.

Adam Smith, managing director of research and development company Intrepid Minds, also based at the innovation park, discussed its latest 5G-enabled automated tractor technology.

Professor Matthew Upton of the University of Plymouth outlined advances in how vaccines can address antimicrobial resistance to improve agricultural production.

Keynote speakers who encouraged the growth of the sector were Professor Guy Poppy from the University of Southampton and Professor Mick Fuller from the University of Plymouth.