The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust has announced the appointment of 24 new Scholars for 2025, as the trust continues to grow the number of scholarships it has awarded over recent years.
The Scholars will begin their studies next year, investigating topics that are pertinent in the industry as it grapples with issues like sustainability, weather challenges, land use and mental health.
Over the next year, the Scholars will travel internationally to gain an in-depth understanding of their study topic from global experts and leaders.
Rupert Alers-Hankey, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, said, “Applications this year were incredibly strong, which made the job of our selection committee particularly challenging.
“This is my first year as director and I have been so impressed by the cohort of 2025 Scholars, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors. The list of topics the Scholars have chosen to explore is inspiring and reflects some of our industry’s most pressing challenges. Nuffield Farming Scholarships help develop future leaders in the UK’s agriculture and rural sectors. There is no doubt in my mind that the 2025 Nuffield Farming scholars will lead positive change in Agriculture”.
Archie Ruggles-Brise, a 2025 Scholar from Braintree in, Essex said, “The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust have generously awarded one of their coveted 2025 scholarships to enable me to go global in search of multifunctional landscapes. I’m blown away (and not a little daunted) at the prospect, but hugely looking forward to the challenge and opportunities this will bring. Massive thanks to the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association for sponsoring my study – I hope I do you proud.”
The 2025 Nuffield Farming Scholars are:
- Ben Andrews (Leominster, Herefordshire) – Flooding and diffuse agricultural pollution: agriculture’s role in the causes and solutions. Generously supported by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.
- Sam Brook (Chichester, West Sussex) – Biology based Agronomy: How can horticulture grow in a more nature friendly way? Generously supported jointly by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and East Sussex NFU.
- Gregor Bruce (Ellon, Aberdeenshire) – The last generation of pig farmers boosted Sow Productivity 50%. Can we do the same? And should we? Generously supported by the John Oldacre Foundation.
- Charlotte Cole (Richmond, North Yorkshire) – Preparing pullets for the future of the UK egg industry. Generously supported by the BEMB Research and Education Trust.
- Alex Crawley (Lydney, Gloucestershire) – ‘Precision Ranching’: How can new innovations support UK extensive grazing? Generously supported by McDonald’s UK & Ireland.
- Sioned Davies (Builth Wells, Powys) – Scaling insect protein production from a range of substrates, including on-farm chicken litter. Generously supported by Royal Welsh Agricultural Society supported by the Eira Francis Davies Bursary.
- Laura Eden (Ripon, North Yorkshire) – Exploring the factors that contribute to improving the overall resilience of our dairy goats. Generously supported jointly by the Milking Goat Association and British Goat Society.
- Natasha Edwards (Sandown, Isle of Wight) – Farm certifications for farm profitability & promotion of agroecological practices. Generously supported jointly by the Studley College Trust and the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology.
- Edward Fane Trefusis (Sidmouth, Devon) – How can agricultural businesses manage risk in a risky operating environment? Generously supported by AHDB
- Awal Fuseini (Gloucester, Gloucestershire) – Developing a resilient UK halal meat production system for domestic and export markets. Generously supported jointly by the Central Region Farmers Trust and Three Counties Agricultural Society.
- Peter Green (Truro, Cornwall) – The challenge of getting value from our farming story. Generously supported by the Food Chain Scholarship.
- Mollie Gupta (Woking, Surrey) – How do we move British seaweed farming to commercial scale and reach its full potential? Generously supported by the Richard Lawes Foundation.
- Laura James (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire) – Pathways to participation: reducing barriers for farmers in biodiversity markets. Generously supported by the Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills.
- Ben Lowe (Foveran, Aberdeenshire) – Closing the loop: Driving a circular farming system in a mixed pig farm. Generously supported by McDonald’s UK & Ireland
- Sharon May (Tadley, Hampshire) – No farmer is an island: Supporting the mental health of farm families. Generously supported by FCN/Len’s Light
- Tom McVeigh (Debenham, Suffolk) – A study of nut production, propagation, processing and marketing in the UK. Generously supported by the Beckett Award.
- Andy Moore (Bristol, Somerset) – How has automation affected the dairy landscape and where do we go from here? Generously supported by The Trehane Trust.
- Dave Oates (Helston, Cornwall) – Stacking land uses for business and environmental sustainability. Generously supported by the CHK Foundation.
- Stuart Oates (Helston, Cornwall) – Fossil free farming. Generously supported by the Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust.
- Andrew Richardson (Uddingston, South Lanarkshire) – Young professional networks: comparing agriculture to aquaculture, with a view to support growth. Generously supported by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust (a Clyde Higgs Scholarship).
- Peter Roe (Dumfries, Dumfriesshire) – Aspen: a hybridised approach to economic forestry in the UK. Generously supported by the MacRobert Trust.
- Archie Ruggles-Brise (Braintree, Essex) – Balancing the books: Does multifunctional productivity represent optimal land use? Generously supported by Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
- Lucia Slack (Penrith, Cumbria) – Addressing suicide in agriculture: supporting and preventing the biggest hidden danger today. Generously supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
- Ali Warren-Walker (Aberystwyth, Ceredigion) – Valorising waste/surplus streams from fruit and vegetable growing through encapsulation. Generously supported by The Alastair and Margaret Miller Charitable Trust.
Applications for 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships will open in January 2025.
Tickets for the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference in Belfast are now available to purchase. The conference is open to all and a connection to Nuffield Farming is not required. Ticketing and further details can be found on the Nuffield Farming website.