Awards ceremony shows how school farms raise aspirations

10 Jul 2018

Schools across the UK who put agriculture at the heart of their work to raise students’ aspirations have been recognised at a national awards ceremony.

The second School Farms Network Education Alliance (SFNEA) Awards at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) celebrated the role of school farms in growing understanding of land-based industries in schools and communities and beyond to higher education and eventual careers in the sector.

Can hedgerows fight climate change? RAU staff win research award at international Agroforestry Conference

19 Jun 2018

Research into the value of using hedgerows to reduce carbon emissions won the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) an award at the 4th European Agroforestry Conference, in the Netherlands.

Academics, practitioners and policy leads from across the world met to discuss all aspects of Agroforestry - a way of integrating the growing of trees or shrubs amongst agricultural crops or pasture. It can provide multiple benefits, not least that of increasing productivity from the same area of land.

Beating the ‘Beast from the East’ sees RAU students win the 2018 Cereals Challenge

18 Jun 2018

Four RAU students have won this year’s coveted Cereals Challenge prize, after growing the best ‘virtual’ wheat crop under a series of tough conditions.

The team beat competition from Nottingham University, Newcastle University, Harper Adams University and Writtle University College to take the title at the Cereals 2018 arable event.

Student’s farm safety business tipped for success by Levi Roots and Julian Dunkerton

14 Jun 2018

An idea to improve safety on farms has won a prestigious Dragon’s Den-style competition for student entrepreneurs.

The Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) 11th Grand Idea competition asked students to pitch their plans to expert judges to secure £2,500 of investment.

RAU will lead new research into calf welfare and productivity

11 Jun 2018

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has been selected to lead research which addresses the significant challenges facing the calf rearing sector, including antibiotic use and the welfare of calves.

Funded by AHDB Beef & Lamb, the project will produce guidance on best practice for rearing dairy-bred beef calves, helping producers to run a more efficient and profitable calf rearing business.

Sheep’s milk ice cream and designer shoes - Student businesses bid for Grand Idea title

04 Jun 2018

Future business leaders studying at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) will have their plans scrutinised by a panel of expert entrepreneurs and business professionals in the hope of winning a £2,500 prize.

The judges for this year’s Grand Idea competition, on 11 June, include business stars Levi Roots, famous for his Reggae Reggae Sauce and now a member of RAU’s advisory council; Julian Dunkerton, co-founder of leading clothing brand Superdry; Christine Cross, former Group Business Development Director at Tesco; Charlie Beldam, RAU alumnus and creator of

RAU student Peter Okoth wins second place for his presentation at a British Council's Researchers Workshop

16 May 2018

Peter Okoth, who is studying for a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security and is a Marshal Papworth Fellow, recently secured a place on a prestigious post-doctoral training course - British Council's Newton Fund Early Researchers Workshop (ECR 2018) in Kenya. Peter won second place for his research poster on “Mitigation practices to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from Urban and Per-urban Agriculture”.

Health and Harmony: The Future for Food, Farming and the Environment in a Green Brexit

09 May 2018

The RAU has responded to the recent Defra Consultation on future UK Agriculture Policy.

The RAU response was based on the technical and policy expertise of RAU academics and on an analysis of the options undertaken by Agra CEAS Consulting, part of Informa Agribusiness Consulting.

RAU to meet post-Brexit needs of agri-food and land management sectors through innovative multimillion pound initiative

08 May 2018

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has today (8 May) announced a new £2.5m initiative to help meet the needs of the land management and agri-food sectors in the post-Brexit era.

The plan will see the RAU and its academic partners, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) at the University of Gloucestershire, and University College of Estate Management (UCEM), unite with industry stakeholders to drive future success in sustainable land management and f

RAU environmental students work towards butterfly conservation

04 May 2018

Environmental and wildlife students at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) have been busy working on a conservation project in partnership with Butterfly Conservation (Back from the Brink Project) alongside Cirencester Golf Club.

In Cirencester we are fortunate to have a colony of the nationally scarce Duke of Burgundy butterfly which happen to occupy the rough grassy areas of Cirencester Golf Course.