Grabbing the Knowledge

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Frances Rowe
• Rural Policy and Partnerships Manager, One
  NorthEast

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• A bit about One NorthEast
• Rural challenges and opportunities
• Why knowledge and skills matter
• Some examples of how we are helping

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Regional Development Agencies
• Mission to raise economic performance in the
  English Regions.
• One North East covers North East England
• RDA Act states that RDAs must cover rural as well
  as urban
• RDAs lead production of Regional Economic
  Strategies
• (Regional Strategies)
• Investment via Single Pot

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Rural Development Programme for England
• Six year programme of investment into NE Rural
  Areas - 7 million pa
• Axis 1 Competitive and sustainable agriculture
  forestry
• Axis 3 Enhancing opportunity in rural areas
  (ONE)
• Axis 2 Enhancing the environment countryside
• (Natural England and Forestry Commission

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Increase GVA p.c. to 90 of the national average,
  up from 80 currently
• At least 18,500 net additional new businesses
• Employment for at least 61,000 more people than
  at present levels
• Dealing with effects of credit crunch!

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Rural challenges
• Ageing population, loss of young people
• Low wages
• Higher house prices
• Reliance on commuting and private transport
• Distance from services
• Predominance of micro-business
• Less productive than other parts of the Regional
  economy?

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Rural opportunities
• 2.5 times more business per head of population
• 75 more business starts in rural areas, higher
  survival rates, more self-employment
• 60 of rural students attained 5 A-C grades at
  GCSE (against urban average of 45)
• Unemployment is lowest in rural areas at 2.8
  (urban average 4.9)

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Land-based industries challenges
• Decline in hill and upland farming
• Survey 2006/07 showed that MII per average
  hill/upland farm was zero or negative
• Repeated disease shocks eg FMD, Bluetongue
• Flooding
• But 2008 figures show some improvement in farm
  incomes
• Hill and Upland Farming in the North East of
  England, Feb 2008

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Many essentials of modern life originate in rural
  areas
• Water
• Energy
• Food Drink
• Tranquillity
• Landscapes

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Capturing carbon footprints biofuels
• EU (Renewable Energy Directive)
• Concern about potential impacts of biofuels
• Require reporting of actual data NB supply
  chains
• Require minimum standards
• 35 GHG saving

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Capturing carbon the benefits
• Supporting agriculture
• RTFO reporting made simple
• Enables low carbon farmers to grow their business
• Regional agricultural image
• Building regional skills base
• Appropriate value on crops

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Green Supply Chain National Non-Food Crops
  Centre
• World demand for cereals outstripping supply
• World energy demand escalating
• Need drought resistant crops
• Better yields and quality
• But lower nitrogen application and use of energy
• Biotechnology will increase in importance
• RuSource, Arthur Rank Centre

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Australias CSIRO Food Futures Flagship Program
• Future Grains
• Type 2 diabetes
• Colorectal cancer
• Cardio-vascular disease
• Coeliac disease
• High amylose barley and wheat
• Omega 3 oilseeds

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Eating Biodiversity Rural Economy and Land Use
  Research Programme (RELU)
• Flower rich pastures can positively affect meat
  quality (lamb)
• whilst conserving biodiversity
• Natural value adds to product value in the
  marketplace
• Higher levels of vitamin E
• Higher levels of healthy fatty acids
• Beef breeds such as Longhorns yielded better meat
  quality

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Land based industries opportunities
• Food production renewed interest in food
  security, improved health and nutrition
• Energy crops, biomass, bio-fuels energy
  security
• Value-added produce consumer interest in
  local/regional food
• Non-food crops for industry and construction
• Managing the environment and providing
  ecosystem services for society eg climate
  change adaptation flood risk and carbon
  management, water catchments, biodiversity

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Connecting up to the knowledge base
• New skills and knowledge are going to be critical
  
• How does the industry grab the knowledge
• So much happening, pace of change
• Universities are a source of knowledge and new
  ideas
• Significant strengths in the North East, eg
  Durham, Newcastle
• But need demonstrators to engage farmers and land
  managers in effective knowledge exchange

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• CREEL Anaerobic Digestion Facility
• Installation of AD demonstration facility at
  Newcastle Universitys Cockle Park Farm
• 1.2m project (RDPE support)
• Offer practical demonstration of technical and
  financial operating dynamics of the technology
• Enable commercial opportunities to be maximised
  eg development of new markets, reduction of waste
  disposal
• Reduce emissions and pollution

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• RDPE Business Support 4m investment pot
• Micro-business Development (Business Link North
  East)
• Collaborative Processing Marketing (GBI, One
  NorthEast)
• Landskills North East (LANTRA)
• BioNErgy (Rural Development Initiatives)

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Landskills North East
• Aims to increase business competitiveness
• Delivered by LANTRA, industry-led steering group
• Livestock, crops and non-food crops
• Resource and waste management, bio-energy
• Animal health and welfare
• Environmental land management and climate change
• ICT, new technology, management and business

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Grabbing the Knowledge

• Knowing where to go
• Business Link Rural Account Managers
• LANTRA
• One NorthEast (RDPE)
• CLA, NFU
• Networking eg Northern Rural Network, Newcastle
  University

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Frances RoweRural Policy and Partnerships
Manager, One NorthEast

• Frances.Rowe_at_Onenortheast.co.uk