A new documentary series showing how emissions from agriculture have been cut by a third is drawing attention to agritech as a practical tool to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture.
Agritech’s role in addressing issues such as soil degradation, water quality, biodiversity loss and rising emissions is at the center of a new five-part documentary produced by the UK Agritech Center in partnership with Harper Adams University.
The ‘Farming Smarter’ YouTube series follows two neighboring Somerset tenant farmers, Rob Addicott and Jeremy Padfield, as they apply agritechnology and innovative methods to their farms. By the end of the year documented in this series, emissions were down 33%, soils showed visible improvement, and new crop rotations made the system more resilient.
Farming in close proximity to each other, the duo shares both technical and human resources and uses agritechnology to address a range of long-standing challenges, including compacted and waterlogged soils, record rainfall, runoff, and nutrient loss. This series tracks how data and technology influence everyday decision-making under real-world commercial pressures.
Livestock management also has major characteristics. Jeremy integrates automated weighing systems and electronic identification tags to monitor beef cattle health and reduce handling stress. Meanwhile, Rob uses technology and data to tackle persistent parasite problems in sheep operations and guide difficult decisions about treatment and welfare.
Biodiversity is another central theme, with farmers balancing nature-based approaches with targeted controls to manage resistant weeds. AI-powered bird listening devices are used on farms to identify red list species, providing specific biodiversity data along with production outcomes.
Beyond individual technologies, the series also explores the role of carbon baselining, forest regeneration trials, and next generation, providing a realistic picture of how agritech fits into broader farming systems and the learning curves involved.
Rob says technology has played a key role in building a resilient business. “We have managed to create a profitable and sustainable business that respects the natural environment and protects us from rapidly changing agricultural conditions, and technology is a big part of that,” he says.
He cites the use of precise input as a clear advantage. “For example, our GPS-guided fertilizer spreaders allow us to apply nutrients only where they are needed, saving money and reducing runoff. We are also trialling humates to reduce chemical inputs and using soil testing and mapping to understand what is really going on below ground.”
While Jeremy emphasizes the value of data-driven livestock management, he also recognizes the challenges that come with it. “Agritech has brought us opportunities that were unimaginable years ago. Automated weighing systems and EID tags allow us to monitor cow health without stress, and that data helps us make better decisions about feed and welfare,” he says.
“But it’s not without its challenges. Technology can fail, it’s expensive, and it requires skill in interpreting data. It takes time to learn, but it always pays off.”
Helen Brooks, UK Agritech Center engagement director, says supporting practical farm-ready innovations is a top priority. “Farming Smarter captures the transformative impact agritech can have on farms and how it can drive both agribusiness profits and broader sustainability,” she says.
She added that real-world testing is essential. “It is important to test and trial agritech on real commercial farms to ensure technology is robust, relevant and responsive to farmers’ demands. The UK Agritech Center is focused on supporting the development of world-leading commercially viable innovations in this important sector.”
For Harper Adams University, this series emphasizes the importance of collaboration between research and practice. Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Lee said: “True progress in sustainable agriculture comes from farmers, scientists, and innovators working together.
“What Jeremy and Rob are demonstrating through this documentary series is that collaboration is our most powerful tool, because sustainability cannot be achieved through technology alone. It requires shared learning, honest reflection, and a willingness to rethink the way we produce food.”
By tracking two working farms through a year of change, Farming Smarter aims to show how agritech moves from theory to everyday decision-making, providing clear evidence of its potential as well as the reality of technology implementation on commercial farms.
