Perspectives on Agriculture

Encouraged by the success of the BUAS Business Breakfast 2024, the RSA is delighted once again to liase with the Border Union Agricultural Show to deliver the 2025 Business Breakfast.

Whilst attendance is open to all holding a Showground Ticket (RSA Fellows see below), attendance is, for reasons of capacity, exclusively by prior registration.

The speakers will offer short and appropriately provocative presentations. This will be followed by a facilitated discussion with the speakers, after which there will be a wide-ranging Q&A with the audience. Questions may be submitted in advance.

It is hoped that RSA Fellows from across the UK and Border Union Show members will attend. We also encourage members of Scottish Land & Estates, Royal Society of Edinburgh, National Farmers Union of Scotland, Women in Agriculture and the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce to register. We also welcome registrations from relevant organisations such as Southern Upland Partnership, South of Scotland Enterprise, Borders Forest Trust, Tweed Form, the CBI and the IoD among others. Land Agents, Solicitors, Bankers and Accountants are also welcome to register as are their clients, the key aim being a lively, cogent, articulate, inter-generational and multi-disciplinary audience. Please note the paragraph below re data given to the RSA being shared with BUAS and event sponsors.

All involved thank the sponsors supporting this event, namely SEFARI and Virgin Money. BUAS is also meeting some costs. The timetable on 25th July is of paramount importance. We recommend parking by 8.15am latest, especially for those using the Public Car Park, as it may take ten minutes to walk to the Members Marquee.

SPEAKERS

Christoph Graf Grote is Chairman of Nuffield Farming Scholarships. He was founding partner and first CEO of Spearhead International Ltd, one of the largest agricultural producers in EU and UK. Christoph has extensive experience in property and lease management, acquisitions, management training and project development. He farmed several thousand hectares in own right in the UK and Germany. He has been involved with UK Know-How-Fund (KHF), EU-PHARE, TACIS (Russia and Ukraine), as well as international bank agricultural projects in CEE, Asia, Middle East and South America. He is himself a Nuffield Scholar, today Trustee and Chairman of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.

Brian Richardson has spent his entire career working within the agri-business sector, with most of that time spent running businesses and farm cooperatives across the UK, latterly as CEO of the H&H Group at Carlisle, before joining Virgin Money in 2018 as Head of Agriculture. A Nuffield Scholar, he is passionate about the farming industry being recognised for the challenging job it does, producing fantastic produce whilst enhancing nature and playing a big part as the UK transitions towards a zero-carbon economy. His role at Virgin Money focuses on supporting agriculture customers as they navigate that transition.

Sheila Voas, Scottish Government Chief Veterinary Officer, joined the Scottish Government in 2007 as a veterinary adviser, and then as deputy CVO, having previously worked for the State Veterinary Service as a field based veterinary officer. Prior to joining the government services, Sheila spent almost 20 years in private practice, in a variety of jobs in the Scottish Borders and the North of England, including 15 years in a mixed practice based between Biggar and Peebles. She qualified from the ‘Dick Vet’ college at the University of Edinburgh in 1988, having never considered a career other than veterinary medicine. Married with two sons, Sheila lives in the Scottish Borders near Blyth Bridge.

A handful of complimentary BUAS Showground Entry Tickets are available for RSA Fellows, with a ballot due on 14th July in the event of over-subscription. If interested, please immediately contact RSA Fellowship Councillor Ann Packard via RSA Circle or LinkedIn for additional details, providing, with specific and stated GDPR consent, email, full postal address, postcode and both landline and mobile numbers, plus RSA Fellowship number. If wishing to bring with you an immediate family member aged 18-25, please cite age, full educational institution being attended (with matriculation number) or current apprenticeship or employment information.

If you have any access requirements or require any reasonable adjustments to support your participation, please let the organiser know by completing the relevant space on your Eventbrite registration.

We sometimes video and/ or sound record events for learning purposes, publicity and/or public viewing. By attending this event, you accept that you may appear in videos or stills images as an attendee of this event.

By registering for this event you consent to receiving communications about this event, both before and after, and you agree to the sharing of your name, organisation & job title with the Fellow(s) and/or partner organisation(s) involved in this event. By registering, attendees also agree to the sharing of their name and organisation with other delegates at the vent so that, if RSA Fellows, they might contact you through MyRSA or Circle. If you do not wish this information to be shared, please let the RSA know by 14th July at latest by emailing: networks@rsa.org.uk.

The information you provide when registering for an event will be retained by the RSA and will be used to record attendance at the event. To understand more about how the RSA uses your data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Taking part in RSA in-person events

To participate in this event, you will need to register for a ticket so that we can manage capacity. Our events are frequently oversubscribed so if you are subsequently unable to attend, please cancel your Eventbrite booking so we can make room for others on the Wait List.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

At the RSA, we strive to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all Fellows. We ask that you fill out the accessibility requirements box in your Eventbrite booking form in advance of our events to ensure that we can accommodate such requirements.

Join Circle and connect with others who attend this event

Join Circle, the RSA’s community platform, to stay up to date on the latest events, connect with Fellows across the world, and engage with the RSA Design for Life mission. To get started on Circle, you need to have a My RSA account. If you already have a My RSA account, your account details will be the same for Circle.

Data and Personal Information

By registering for this event you consent to receiving communications about this event, both before and after, and you agree to the sharing of your name, organisation & title with the Fellow(s) and/or partner organisation(s) hosting this event. Attendees also agree to the sharing of their name and organisation with other delegates at the event so that they might contact you. If you do not wish this information to be shared, please let us know by emailing: fellowship@rsa.org.uk.

The information you provide when registering for an event will be retained by the RSA and will be used to record attendance at the event. To understand more about how the RSA uses your data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Please be aware that registrations will close two hours before the event is due to start.