Circular Economy: seminar and reception

Posted 7 March 2019

In a circular agriculture system, arable farming, livestock farming and horticulture primarily use raw materials from each other’s supply chains and waste flows from the food industry and food supply chains¹.

As part of a series of seminars to explore common solutions to the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the farm sector in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, this seminar at the Royal Society, London, today, organised by the Dutch Embassy and Harper Adams University, will focus on ‘circular agriculture’. Delegates will hear about the new Dutch vision on the future of farming based on circular agriculture principles and exchange views and experiences on how to move towards circular agriculture.

Professor Peter Mills, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University and co-organiser of the seminar said: "The agricultural sector has a long history of recyling waste for the benefit of individual businesses and the environment. This seminar will provide an opportunity for multiple stakeholders to hear from both academic experts and practitioners about the development of new technologies and their application and to debate their contribution to a more competitive economy.’

Professor Mike Theodorou, Chair of Anaerobic Digestion and Fermentation Technology at Harper Adams added: "Proposed practice is to constantly reduce the use of raw materials through more efficient use within cycles. Wherever possible, we need to shift from linear to cyclical chains of supply and demand involving the 3-R’s - Recycle, Reconstitute and Reuse’.

¹ Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands.