16 December 2024
A company which supports regenerative food production methods through unique partnerships with farmers, foresters, and landowners has been announced as the winner of the Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) inaugural Farm491 Challenge Prize.
The competition, which was generously supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, was launched earlier this year by Farm491, the RAU’s agritech incubator, with a theme of Mixed Land Use, and companies developing innovative products and services to support nature friendly, multifunctional land use were encouraged to apply.
More than 15 companies entered the competition and, after a shortlist of six pitched to the judging panel - the University’s Professor Tom Macmillan, Baroness Young of Old Scone, and Will Steadman, Funding Manager at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – earlier this month, RegenFarmCo was announced as the winner with Agile Homes and Development being named as the runners up.
Professor Tom MacMillan, Elizabeth Creak Chair in Rural Policy and Strategy at the RAU, headed up the judging panel. He said: “It was a privilege to meet and hear from such a brilliant group of finalists which included several strong contenders for prizes.”
Winner RegenFarmCo supports design projects that apply regenerative food production methods to enable novel supply chain opportunities through unique partnerships with farmers, foresters, and landowners. While runner up Agile Property and Homes designs and delivers affordable, safe, and low-carbon homes using biobased materials and modern construction methods.
Professor MacMillan explained: “RegenFarmCo won us over with their deeply ecological approach to landscape design, the pace at which they’d taken on and transformed their pilot site in Yorkshire, and the impressive set of commercial partners who were already engaged.
“And I was really impressed the model of sustainable housebuilding presented by Agile Property and Homes, where the value created through training and carbon storage helps to make the houses affordable, addressing key challenge facing rural places.”
This year’s competition was the first in a three-year series of the Farm491 Challenge Prize and it is hoped that the annual competition will enable companies, which are developing innovative ways to solve challenges in the natural world, to invest in their businesses and develop their products.
RegenFarmCo received the top prize of £50,000 and runner up, Agile Property and Homes, secured £25,000 to develop their innovative mixed land use products.
Will Steadman, Funding Manager at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and one of the judges, added: “The six excellent pitches made for some difficult judging decisions but, ultimately, we were really impressed with RegenFarmCo’s method of combining regenerative food production alongside smart ecological design and integrated hydrology, to help landscapes store more carbon and water, and support nature.
“We also liked Agile Homes' offer of low-carbon affordable housing, alongside social and community benefits such as skills and jobs.”
Dr Vincent Walsh, Managing Director of RegenFarmCo, said: “As we face the growing challenges of land scarcity and climate change, the need for solutions that harmonise agricultural practices with sustainability has never been more urgent.
“Our work focuses on stacking land uses to promote agroforestry and the intercropping of food and non-food crops, creating synergies that maximise productivity while supporting the environment.
“We are so grateful to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for providing the funding that makes this achievement possible. The judges' feedback was incredibly encouraging and reinforced our belief in the transformative potential of circular and regenerative approaches to land use.”
Chief Executive Office of Agile Homes Craig White said his company was delighted to have been selected as the runners up.
“An affordable home has become the oxymoron of our time. The commercial housing model is a machine designed to make money and not low-carbon affordable homes, especially in rural settings,” he said.
“The need for innovation in housing delivery models has never been more pressing. Our concept is a response that delivers a new agroforestry economic engine for resilient and low carbon rural communities.”
Challenge Prize organiser Verity Payne, Operations and Events Manager at Farm491, said: “We launched this exciting new competition to inspire innovators to develop ground-breaking solutions to the pressing global challenges that we all face today and we were delighted to have so many entries in the first year.
“Land is under unprecedented pressure in the UK and globally, to make space for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, food and energy production, and housing, and we hope the Challenge Prize will inspire companies which are developing innovative products and services to support nature friendly, multifunctional land use.’’
Dr Walsh concluded: “This fantastic achievement comes at the perfect moment as we close out a busy and exciting year for RegenFarmCo. The prize money will be crucial for driving our growth in 2025, enabling us to enhance our team's capabilities, diversify our project initiatives both on and off-site, expand our workshop programmes, and further develop the RegenFarmCo brand.
“Together, we are cultivating a future that not only feeds people but also nurtures the planet. We are excited to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable land use and we look forward to sharing our journey with the wider community."
The 2025 Challenge Prize will be launched next June. For more information, please visit Farm491.com.