On the 1st October a group of 6 fellows, along with Martin Emmet and Rupert Weaver from the NFU, headed to Brussels for 2 days to visit the British Agricultural Bureau (BAB) and listen to guest speakers from different horticultural sectors.
BAB cover the NFU, NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru, and Ulster Farmers Union and was created in 1972. We learnt about what they do in the Brussels office, with Brussels being a very political place. Lobbying was a big part of working at BAB and this is very important for the future of horticulture.
All the different speakers that came in over the two days covered a wide range of topics about the sector across Europe as well as Australia. It was clear that there are many challenges within the industry including, the Ukraine war, imports and exports, border control into the UK following BREXIT, trade issues, disease, pesticides, auditing and peat use.
It was great to hear from all the different speakers and their roles within horticulture, and how they’re coping with the changing times within the industry.
In-between all the talks at BAB we had a little time to explore the city, which was amazing, and we had a nice meal and drinks out in the centre.
Following two jam-packed days full of information, we got the train back to London before heading off back to our respective homes.
It was great to spend some time with a small group of people from the fellowship and get to know them better. A great last trip for me to take part in before finishing the fellowship.
Laura Pearson, 2023 Fellow
LSA CT Fellowship Scheme 