Sound advice: Researchers advise Radio 4’s The Archers on future of farming

Two Leeds academics were recently invited behind the scenes of Radio 4’s The Archers to advise on how British farming and food systems might evolve over the next 25 years.

The School of Biology’s Professor Stefan Kepinski and Professor Tim Benton were invited to meet with the writing team for the long-running Radio 4 drama The Archers to help shape the show’s vision of future farming.

Bringing research to radio

The researchers, both based in Leeds' Faculty of Biological Sciences, briefed the writers on a wide range of issues - from climate resilient crops to the complex challenges facing UK agriculture - to help ensure that future storylines reflect realistic scenarios for how farming might change.

The Archers team approached them following their work on the £5 million UKRI-funded AgriFood4NetZero (AFN) Network+, which brings together researchers, industry, and policymakers to work together on sustainable food production. The writing team were particularly interested to hear insights from the network’s recent publications - a scenarios report and the recent Roadmap for Resilience, a paper which maps out how the UK food system needs to adapt over the coming decades.

Tim Benton, Stefan Kepinski and Morgan Westwood-Cooke, BBC Production Co-ordinator at the Archers studio.

Image: Professor Tim Benton, Professor Stefan Kepinski and BBC Production Co-ordinator Morgan Westwood-Cooke at The Archers studio.

Reaching audiences ‘beyond academic circles’

The Archers has been broadcasting since 1951 and reaches millions of weekly listeners. It offers a wide platform for bringing evidence-based research about food security and sustainable farming to new audiences, through the various storylines based in the fictional village of Ambridge.

Talking about the visit, Professor Stefan Kepinski said:

“There is no doubt that the future of food and farming will impact us all, from the food we eat to how we make use of our land and resources. We were delighted to be invited to advise The Archers.” 

It's a fantastic opportunity to make sure our research reaches audiences beyond policy and academic circles, and engage more people with these issues in an accessible, compelling way.

Sharing expertise in agriculture

Stefan, who is Head of the University’s School of Biology, is a plant biologist whose research on how plants respond to environmental stress has important implications for developing climate resilient farming.

Professor Tim Benton is recognised globally as an authority on food systems and sustainability. His research focuses on the complex relationships between agriculture, biodiversity, and climate change and his expertise spans the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of how we produce and consume food.

Both researchers were very well-placed to offer advice on the realities of how agriculture is likely to change. The AFN Network+, which Stefan and Tim co-lead, involves over 180 organizations from across the agri-food sector working together to map out how UK food systems need to evolve in response to challenges from climate change to changing consumer demands.