Across the day, a clear pattern emerged: progress is no longer being framed simply as producing more with less, but as redesigning systems so that productivity, environmental health, and commercial resilience can work together.

Showcase keynote talks and panel sessions

The opening session on regenerative agriculture in practice set the tone. Speakers described regenerative agriculture not as a single fixed model, but as a practical direction of travel shaped by farm context, business structure, and local conditions. Examples ranged from perennial nut production and agroforestry to large-scale data-led farming and environmental benchmarking. Despite those differences, the same themes came through repeatedly. Soil health, biodiversity, water management, and carbon were treated as linked challenges rather than separate issues. Measurement was seen as increasingly important, but so too was judgement, local adaptation, and the willingness to learn through trial and error. 

The session on sustainable supply chains widened the discussion from farm practice to the broader food system. Speakers highlighted the need to reduce dependence on imported commodities, make better use of by-products, and develop ingredients and materials that are both functional and lower impact. Case studies covered hospitality procurement, fermented ingredients from side streams, hemp as a domestic source of food and feed inputs, and palm oil alternatives for food manufacturing. Together, these examples showed that supply chain sustainability depends not only on novel products, but on infrastructure, processing capacity, commercial fit, and collaboration across multiple actors. 

Afternoon discussions focused more directly on enabling regenerative agriculture innovation. Retailers, universities, public funders, and landscape finance models were all presented as part of the answer. Speakers stressed that regenerative agriculture will not scale through good intentions alone. It needs trusted knowledge transfer, realistic business tools, better coordination between supply chain actors and funding models that reduce the risk of transition for farmers. 

The financing RegenAg session made clear that no single route will unlock regenerative agriculture at scale. Carbon markets, landscape payments, investor capital, public funding, and buyer-led support all have a role, but each depends on stronger evidence, clearer measurement, and practical farm-level relevance. The panel also highlighted the importance of education, peer learning, and advisory support. Farmers are more likely to adopt change when they can understand it in business terms and see it working in practice. 

Watch back the keynote talks and panel sessions below:

Discover new innovations

The exhibitor pitches reinforced the breadth of innovation now emerging across the sector. Solutions included rapid soil diagnostics, biological crop inputs, pheromone-based pest control, precision spraying, pollinator monitoring, slurry treatment, data platforms, soil acoustics, and insect-based food production. What stood out was the practical focus. Most pitches were not about abstract future possibilities. They were about helping growers and supply chains make better decisions, reduce waste, improve environmental performance, or unlock new sources of value.

Watch the video pitches from both the exhibitors and event attendees to discover new innovations within the agrifood ecosystem that could be worthwhile collaborating with and learn about the latest agri-tech products on offer.

A more connected innovation landscape 

Taken as a whole, the showcase suggested that agrifood innovation is becoming more joined up. The strongest contributions linked environmental outcomes with commercial realities, and technical advances with the relationships needed to make them usable. The day’s most consistent message was that lasting change will depend on better translation between research, farming, finance, and markets and is where much of the real work now sits. 

Further information 

Please contact Debbie Tully to discuss the AgriFood Innovation Showcase 2026 further.