SCI Horticulture AGM 2021

Synopsis

The chair and committee members of SCI’s Horticulture Group cordially invite members to their Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 14:00 on 24 September 2021.

We will be reviewing the work of the group during the past 12 months and report on work related to the current state of Horticultural Education and on the future challenges facing the Industry.

Horticulture in UK has been badly impacted by Covid 19 restrictions and by Brexit. As a labour-intensive industry, it has struggled to find the people to plant, manage and harvest crops. There are serious questions as to whether the higher education sector in UK is providing the graduates and post graduates which previous Government and Industry reviews have forecast as being needed. This has been investigated by a study organised by the group. And which will be one of the main subjects addressed by the Meeting.

Like much of food production it has come under scrutiny as to its Carbon Footprint. All plants but perhaps particularly horticultural species are complex chemical factories responsible for not just food production but also for materials such as wood and the fibres which make up much of our clothing as well as for specialised chemicals which act as pharmaceuticals. They also are responsible for carbon sequestration into the soil and into long lived carbon storage in products such as wood. These issues are to be highlighted at the SCI exhibit at Chelsea in 2022 but will be the subject of a presentation at the meeting.

Attendees

SCI Horticulture Group members and SCI members with an interest in Horticulture, from all areas, are welcome to attend the event.

Programme

Alex Forsyth, and Sarah Trinder will report on what is emerging from the Groups study on the current HE Provision for Horticulture and related subjects and the extent to which this is meeting the needs identified by Government and others as being needed for the future of the Industry.

David Atkinson and Alison Foster will review what are seen as future Challenges for Horticulture and how the Chemistry which occurs in Horticultural plants might be seen as positive in relation to environmental and climate change issues.

Contact

SCI Horticulture Group - David Atkinson
Email: atkinson390@btinternet.com

Booking Process/Deadlines

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